UNIVERSITY staff stepped in to help when a hospital ran short of vital equipment for coronavirus testing.

The microbiology laboratory at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton had to change one part of its Covid-19 testing protocol and needed special multichannel pipettes which are capable of transferring small quantities of liquids to perform the task.

The hospital contacted the University of Brighton to see if it could help – and technical staff in the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences (PABS) searched for suitable equipment.

Senior technicians Bertie Berterelli and Joe Hawthorne found a quantity of pipettes in the department.

After testing them to make sure they worked safely, the technicians delivered the pipettes to the hospital.

PABS technical officer Cinzia Dedi said: “My colleagues were so pleased to help the hospital, especially in these trying times.”