Kansas State University researchers will use a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and an additional grant from the State to study how to effectively control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the nation's meat and poultry processing facilities. That's the virus that causes COVID-19.
The study seeks to protect meat plant workers and their surrounding communities from the spread of COVID-19. It involves researchers from K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine and College of Agriculture.
As part of the study, $330,000 from the State of Kansas National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility Transition Fund will be used for research in K-State's Biosecurity Research Institute, or BRI, at Pat Roberts Hall. The BRI si a high containment research facility.
A key objective of the project will be to verify the effectiveness of many of the approved cleaners and sanitizers for inactivating SAS-CoV-2 during plant processing and sanitation operations.