Potsdam, NY, Oct. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wastewater may hold the key to discovering the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus on Clarkson’s Potsdam Hill Campus — before anyone even suspects they are infected.

Under the direction of Shane Rogers, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, the University is conducting cutting-edge, wastewater-based epidemiology — in other words, analyzing sewage samples for trace amounts of the coronavirus. “Detection in sewage provides an indicator of potential new cases on campus and is another layer of security in the network of protective measures we have employed,” Rogers explains.

In collaboration with local government and school districts, the project is expanding across the North Country to provide a key early-warning system for communities, public schools and higher education institutions in St. Lawrence County and beyond.