Testing for a Virus

Dr. Mark Ackermann (’86)
Mark Ackermann has taken his place on the front lines in the scientific battle during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the director of the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Oregon State University, Ackermann and his staff have teamed up with a private lab to increase novel coronavirus testing for medical providers in Oregon and other West Coast states. “OSU’s veterinary diagnostic lab has the instruments and technical knowledge to run RNA extractions and virus detection on COVID-19 test swabs, but is federally accredited to conduct tests with animal samples, not human samples,” Ackerman said. “The private lab normally processes drug tests and has the necessary accreditation, lab structure and experience working with human samples, but lacked the instruments and viral extraction expertise.”