WSU lab that helped during COVID changes focus

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — During the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, local health officials came to rely on Wichita State University’s Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory (MDL). Now that the worst appears to be over, the MDL is heading in a new direction.

WSU established the MDL in 2020 because the state needed a place that could handle a lot of COVID-19 tests and get results quickly. The lab processed thousands of specimens daily, providing results in less than 24 hours.

“When COVID hit, we stood up the ability to do molecular testing, which is a specific type of testing where we look at DNA or RNA,” Sarah Nickel, director of the MDL and assistant professor of medical laboratory sciences, said in a news release. “We can now use that technology to test for any bacteria or virus and any other thing causing an infection.”

The MDL is going to expand its focus to become a full microbiology lab in 2024.

“Right now, one of the needs is more micro-testing with better turnaround time,” Nickel said.

She said the lab will be able to analyze bacteria samples and determine which antibiotic would be most effective against them.

WSU says the change will give students more opportunities for applied learning, boost research capabilities and help fill a gap in medical testing across the state.

Nickel hopes rural areas will also see the value of the MDL.

“Almost every county has a little hospital, and they all have to send their microbiology work somewhere,” she said. “Some of them are partnered with bigger hospital systems. We want to try to figure out if there’s a way to help support that network, give them better turnaround times, focusing strictly on serving these places that really need it.”

WSU says the students who work in the microbiology lab will be even more employable once they graduate.

“Medical laboratory science students have to do a clinical rotation in several areas of the lab. It’s pretty easy to find rotations for everything except for microbiology, which is more of a specialty. Most labs outsource those tests,” Nickel said.

At first, the expanded MDL will focus on urine cultures, women’s health, and testing for gonorrhea and chlamydia. Eventually, it will expand to things like wound cultures.

Nickel said bacteria cultures need longer processing times than the COVID-19 specimens.

“The cultures have to physically be incubated in a warm, moist environment that allows the organism to grow,” she said. “On a urine culture, you’re looking at least 48 hours.”

She said the MDL’s research will focus on improving turnaround times.

“Anything we can do to improve that, that’s what we’re going to be working on.”