WACO, Texas (KWTX) – Baylor University, which is requiring weekly COVID-19 testing of students, faculty and staff has opened a multi-million dollar lab at the 330,000-square foot Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative facility in partnership with My Labs Direct (MLD) to process the molecular PCR tests.

The lab can process as many as 8,000 tests daily and in most cases can deliver results within 24 hours, the school said.

The lab has additional capacity to process non-university-related tests.

“This partnership also aligns with Baylor’s aspirations to be a Research 1/Tier 1 university, providing vital infrastructure and developing opportunities for faculty research and internships, practicums and business training programs for our undergraduate and graduate students,” Baylor Provost Nancy Brickhouse said.

The collaboration with Baylor University Research, MLD CEO Justin Simons said, “will enable advanced studies and analyses of not only COVID-19, but of a host of other molecular science initiatives. We could not be more thrilled about the potential this partnership brings.”

The university required negative COVID-19 tests from all students returning for the spring semester and from all faculty and staff working on campus.

Starting this week, students, faculty and staff must complete COVID-19 tests weekly at an on-campus testing facility.

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