March 10, 2021 As the COVID-19 pandemic enters its second year, scientists are urgently investigating ways to detect signs of the SARS-CoV-2 virus before an outbreak emerges. Now, supported by a multi-institutional grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) Program, researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine and the University of Miami will study ways to use wastewater as an early warning and viral mapping system for new genetic variants. The two-year, $5 million grant will enable national and international coordination of research teams to determine whether analyzing wastewater for the presence of the genetic material of SARS-CoV-2 can accurately predict the next viral hot spots, as well as discover new, emerging viruses and pathogens.