WEST Center awarded grants from EPA and CDC

Sept. 14, 2021
Sarah Prasek
Scientist working in a laboratory.

In early September 2021, WEST Center researchers were awarded two new grants from federal agencies.

The first is a $1.3 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and will be used to evaluate virus removal at different stages of treatment for safe and sustainable direct potable reuse. This three-year collaborative project will be undertaken by The Water Research Foundation and UArizona WEST Center. Co-PIs at WEST are Drs. Gerba, Betancourt, and Achilli.

The second is a $350,000 grant from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and will fund research to assess SARS-CoV-2 viability and persistence in sewage samples across the United States. This one-year study will focus on in-vitro cell culture and molecular methods. Leading the research team at WEST Center are PIs Drs. Betancourt and Ikner.

For more information, contact Dr. Andrea Achilli at achilli@email.arizona.edu, Luisa Ikner at ikner@email.arizona.edu, or Dr. Walter Betancourt at wbetancourt@email.arizona.edu.