Following a call by President Tony Chan for KAUST PIs to contribute through their research capabilities to alleviate the COVID-19 pandemic, efforts coordinated by Donal Bradley, KAUST vice president for research, and Pierre Magistretti, KAUST dean of the Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering division, mobilized a group of faculty to form the Rapid Research Response Team (R3T).

One of the many faculty to step forward and contribute to the R3T was Peiying Hong, a KAUST associate professor of environmental science and engineering. In this lecture she lays out how the testing of wastewater could lead to faster detection of outbreaks, and perhaps, a more rapid and effective response to the next pandemic.