Portable Wastewater Sample Collection Device that Inactivates SARS-CoV-2 and Stabilizes Nucleic Acid Integrity for Downstream Molecular Analysis

Purpose: The goal of the proposed research is to develop a product to inactivate and stabilize wastewater samples for shipping and transport. This product must be amenable to on-site use by stakeholders, such as State Agencies for wastewater monitoring, etc., and could be physical or chemical inactivation. The product can be an all-encompassing portable sampler that inactivates and provides molecular preservation of pathogens in wastewater or be used sequentially with existing samplers without adding additional biosafety risks to the collection procedure. The product will provide a qualitative indicator that the inactivation process has occurred, and the inactivation of the wastewater sample must not interfere with downstream molecular testing.