UK Lighthouse Labs
Published: 4 May 2020
Eight Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation researchers were among the first 17 volunteers selected to set up the Lighthouse Labs COVID19 Testing Centre at the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
Eight Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation researchers were among the first 17 volunteers selected to set up the Glasgow Lighthouse Labs COVID-19 Testing Centre.
UK Lighthouse Labs is a network of diagnostic testing facilities established to dramatically increase the number of coronavirus tests that can take place to support efforts against the pandemic.
Constructed through a partnership with the Department of Health, Medicines Discovery Catapult, UK Biocentre, and the University of Glasgow, their development is supported by both the NHS and Public Health England.
COVID-19 swab samples, received from the NHS on the front line and other testing sites, such as the temporary COVID-19 drive-through testing centres, are sent to laboratories from across the country for analysis.
A major testing facility based at the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, the Glasgow lab is one of three such centres alongside sites in Milton Keynes and Alderley Park.
Hosted by the University of Glasgow and opened in collaboration with the Scottish Government, industry experts from BioAscent and the University of Dundee, and the Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, it officially began testing samples on Monday 20 April.
The Lab is currently equipped with 20 protective cabinets, a fleet of fast high throughput ThermoFisher PCR machines and RNA extractors. Much of the equipment has been sourced from University of Glasgow labs, particularly iii, and moved to the new testing centre.
Seventeen volunteers, of which eight were Institute researchers, were selected to set up laboratories based upon research skills and experience.
This involved the creation of health and safety documentation, standard operating procedures, kitting out labs and setting up workflows and establishing training regimes for training new volunteers.
Having successfully set up the testing centre, they commenced screening samples from frontline workers to allowing them to return to their posts as soon as possible
Representing iii were:
Dr Gavin Meehan (Laboratory of Immune Cell Visualisation and Examination)
Dr Susan Halstead (Neuroimmunology Research Group)
Mrs Jennifer Barrie (Neuroimmunology Research Group)
Ms Hannah Bialic (Neuroimmunology Research Group)
Mrs Dawn Gourlay (Neuroimmunology Research Group)
Dr Kannan Venugopal (Matt Marti Lab)
Dr Lauriane Sollelis (Matt Marti Lab)
Ms Rachel Francoeur (Lamberton Lab, WCIP | IBAHCM)
Dr Meehan said: “I have extensive research experience with both human tissue and high throughput screening and it’s been great to use these skills to help establish the testing facility.
"In the future when people ask what I did during the pandemic I will proud to be able to say that I played a part in the fight against coronavirus.”
Dr Venugopal added: “I consider working at the LLIG as an excellent opportunity to render my service to society during this COVID19 pandemic.
"We are all in this together, and I am doing my little part along with several other selfless volunteers and frontline workers across the globe who are helping combat this deadly foe.
"By training and practice I am a molecular parasitologist. I study malaria which is a tropical infectious disease and so my skills in molecular cell biology have been useful to the testing centre.”
First published: 4 May 2020