News

University of Nebraska-Lincoln sends hand sanitizer to USDA as COVID-19 cases soar in meat industry

Demand for fresh meat and poultry has not diminished but, because of COVID-19 outbreaks in facilities across the U.S., meat processing plants are struggling to keep up.

In an effort to help stop the spread of COVID-19, keep plant employees, inspectors and consumers safe, a team from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is sharing a new supply of hand sanitizers with the United States Department of Agriculture. The USDA, like many others, is experiencing difficulties because of the short supply of hand sanitizer. 

Canadian company locates first U.S. office at NIC

A Canadian company, JCA Electronics, has become the newest partner at Nebraska Innovation Campus, Dan Duncan, NIC’s executive director, announced May 21.

JCA develops advanced technology solutions for mobile machines and is emerging as a leader in technology solutions that enable advanced precision agriculture and autonomous applications. The company applies a combination of advanced technologies, engineering expertise and manufacturing capabilities to enable unique mobile off-highway machine systems.

USDA meatpacking inspectors receive hand sanitizer made at Nebraska U

Food safety inspectors employed by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service are receiving a supply of hand sanitizer thanks to an innovative partnership between Nebraska’s ethanol industry and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

The hand sanitizer will be used by the men and women responsible for inspecting more than 6,500 meat-processing facilities across the country, ranging from “mom-and-pop” facilities that handle only a few animals at a time to the giant beef, poultry and pork plants that employ thousands of people.

Innovation Campus' PPE projects benefit hundreds of communities

In mid-March, when personal protective equipment and hand sanitizer were scarce, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Nebraska Innovation Campus helped address those needs.

The efforts have rippled across Nebraska and the United States. To date, hundreds of communities and thousands of individuals have benefited from the expertise and innovation found at NIC.

Public urged to help keep Nebraska’s free hand sanitizer project going

Lincoln company on forefront of COVID-19 vaccine battle

Tucked away in one of the many labs on Nebraska’s Innovation Campus lays the company Adjuvance.  At the beginning of the year they were asked by the National Institute of Health to join in on the global race to fight COVID–19. Four months later they’re making strides.

“We have plans right now to make a million doses of our adjuvant by the end of the year and 100 million doses by next fall,” CEO Dr. Tyler Martin said.

Innovation Studio coordinating army of makers for PPE projects

While assembling up to 1,800 face shields a day, staff at Nebraska Innovation Studio are also assisting coordination of an army of community workers and volunteers to make more personal protective equipment, namely gowns for first responders and fabric masks for essential workers.

Can Small Shops Create a Large COVID-19 Supply Chain?

During the COVID-19 crisis, a new manufacturing production base is emerging: the small workshop. Formerly constrained by the lack of expensive production equipment, many design and prototype shops, schools and universities and even individuals are using the flexibility of 3D printing to make small batch runs of personal protective equipment (PPE) for front line healthcare workers. One example is the Nebraska Innovation Studio, that is closed to the public, but its leaders and members are working around the clock to produce face shields for hospitals across the state.

Hand Sanitizer Request Information

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is currently producing hand sanitizer at Nebraska Innovation Campus for healthcare facilities and essential businesses across the state. Local Lincoln pick-up is available via online request. More information available at http://handsanitizer.unl.edu. To contribute to the cause: go.unl.edu/donate4sanitizer

Hand sanitizer for health care produced at Nebraska Innovation Campus

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is partnering with the Nebraska ethanol industry to produce hand sanitizer for use by hospitals, nursing homes, doctors’ offices and other health care providers in Nebraska and nearby areas.

After a successful initial run April 5 at the Food Processing Center on Nebraska Innovation Campus, the partners completed their first full day of production April 6.