Implementing QR codes in academia to improve sample tracking, data accessibility, and traceability in multicampus interdisciplinary collaborations.

The growing number of multicampus interdisciplinary projects in academic institutions expedites a necessity for tracking systems that provide instantly accessible data associated with devices, samples, and experimental results to all collaborators involved. This need has become particularly salient with the COVID pandemic when consequent travel restrictions have hampered in person meetings and laboratory visits. Minimizing post-pandemic travel can also help reduce carbon footprint of research activities. Here we developed a Quick Response (QR) code tracking system that integrates project management tools for seamless communication and tracking of materials and devices between multicampus collaborators: one school of medicine, two engineering laboratories, three manufacturing cleanroom sites, and three research laboratories. Here we aimed to use this system to track the design, fabrication, and quality control of bioelectronic devices, in vitro experimental results, and in vivo testing. Incorporating the tracking system into our project helped our multicampus teams accomplish milestones on a tight timeline via improved data traceability, manufacturing efficiency, and shared experimental results. This tracking system is particularly useful to track device issues and ensure engineering device consistency when working with expensive biological samples in vitro and animals in vivo to reduce waste of biological and animal resources associated with device failure.

Low Rates of Breakthrough COVID-19 Infection After SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

We demonstrate low rates of breakthrough coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection and mild course of illness following severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccination in a large cohort of inflammatory bowel disease patients. Residence in southern United States and lower median anti-receptor binding antibody level were associated with development of COVID-19.

Humoral Immune Response and Safety of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

INTRODUCTION: Children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may respond differently to COVID-19 immunization as compared with healthy children or adults with IBD. Those younger than 12 years receive a lower vaccine dose than adults. We sought to describe the safety and humoral immune response to COVID-19 vaccine in children with IBD. METHODS: We recruited children with IBD, ages 5-17 years, who received ≥ 2 doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine by a direct-to-patient outreach and at select sites. Patient demographics, IBD characteristics, medication use, and vaccine adverse events were collected. A subset of participants had quantitative measurement of anti-receptor binding domain IgG antibodies after 2-part immunization. RESULTS: Our study population included 280 participants. Only 1 participant required an ED visit or hospitalization because of an adverse event. Of 99 participants who underwent anti-receptor binding domain IgG antibody measurement, 98 had a detectable antibody, with a mean antibody level of 43.0 µg/mL (SD 67) and a median of 22 µg/mL (interquartile range 12-38). In adjusted analyses, older age ( P = 0.028) and antitumor necrosis factor monotherapy compared with immunomodulators alone ( P = 0.005) were associated with a decreased antibody level. Antibody response in patients treated with antitumor necrosis factor combination vs monotherapy was numerically lower but not significant. DISCUSSION: Humoral immune response to COVID-19 immunization in children with IBD was robust, despite a high proportion of this pediatric cohort being treated with immunosuppressive agents. Severe vaccine-related AEs were rare. Overall, these findings provide a high level of reassurance that pediatric patients with IBD respond well and safely to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.