Masked person in front of larger freezers.

Luke Joyce, a research associate in biological sciences, stands next to one of UT Dallas’ new freezers that was lent to the city of Grand Prairie to store COVID-19 vaccines.

University of Texas at Dallas researchers recently stepped in to assist with a necessary resource for widespread COVID-19 vaccination efforts in North Texas — ultracold freezer storage.

Two of the available vaccines must be stored at temperatures well below freezing, and as greater numbers of vaccines are being shipped to municipal and regional hubs for distribution, safe storage is critical.

“We participate in regular conference calls with regional emergency management partners,” said Mariah Phipps, director of the Office of Emergency Management and Continuity Planning at UT Dallas. “During one of those calls, we mentioned that we might have resources we could make available, and we would be happy to provide support, if needed.”

At the same time, members of the Office of Research at UT Dallas began contacting researchers across campus to get an idea of what inventory existed and to determine if any equipment would be appropriate for ultracold storage that met Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

“We knew we had some freezers that we might be able to lend out for storage,” said Joan Wickersheim, associate director for research, campus and environmental safety.

Not long after making sure freezers lent by the University would adhere to the CDC guidelines and needs for vaccine storage, UT Dallas was approached by the city of Grand Prairie. As a designated site for vaccination efforts, along with the city of Irving, city officials needed additional storage for the larger volume of vaccines they would be receiving.

Dr. Kelli Palmer, associate professor of biological sciences and Fellow, Cecil H. and Ida Green Chair in Systems Biology Science, volunteered one of her team’s new freezers. Once it was cleaned and certified decontaminated, Grand Prairie officials picked it up from campus.

“The Texas Biomedical Device Center was founded by a U.S. Marine and an Eagle Scout, so service to our community comes naturally. We are happy to have had the opportunity to serve by sharing our equipment during this crisis.”

Dr. Michael Kilgard, interim executive director and chief science officer at the Texas Biomedical Device Center

“We are fortunate to count on the support of our stakeholders that allows us to serve our communities in a time of need,” said Chase Wheeler, Grand Prairie emergency management coordinator. “It’s a testament to the value in building strong relationships before a disaster strikes.”

Collin County personnel also asked UT Dallas officials about the possibility of lending a freezer. The Texas Biomedical Device Center at UT Dallas was able to assist.

“The Texas Biomedical Device Center was founded by a U.S. Marine and an Eagle Scout, so service to our community comes naturally. We are happy to have had the opportunity to serve by sharing our equipment during this crisis,” said Dr. Michael Kilgard, the Margaret Fonde Jonsson Professor of neuroscience and interim executive director and chief science officer at the Texas Biomedical Device Center.

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Comets are stepping up to make an impact in the fight against COVID-19. Read their stories on the University Outreach webpage.

Candy Blair, Collin County’s public health director, said: “We are so deeply grateful to UT Dallas for lending Collin County Health Care Services an ultracold freezer. The freezer gives our facility the ability to store the lifesaving Pfizer vaccine. The addition of the ultracold freezer also allowed our vaccination planning to expand greatly, which in turn is providing additional help to Collin County residents.”

Phipps said: “Our participation in the regular conference calls with regional partners is what really led to us being contacted for assistance. We are pleased to be able to assist our neighboring communities in this way.”