For his honors project on the genetics of blood types, MCC sophomore and biology major Jacob Thomas is putting on a blood drive in coordination with LifeServe Blood Center and the Pair a Docs Club at the MCC campus in the Babe Harder Gym from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m on Friday.

“I went through genetics at the beginning of the semester, and just knowing how genetics work through blood types and how it’s passed from generation to generation, I have found that interesting,” Thomas said.

As part of an independent study within the honors program at MCC, Thomas was able to take a class specifically designed for him covering blood types and the genetics of blood typing.

Associate Professor of Biology and Honors Program Coordinator Danielle Kness said Thomas has done the majority of the work to make the blood drive happen. He served as the blood drive’s primary chairperson, and is among the first MCC students to work with an outside organization for their project.

T-R PHOTO BY TREVOR BABCOCK MCC sophomore in biology Jacob Thomas examines blood through a microscope.

“The goal of an independent project is to have students take the information they learned and take it to a whole new level,” Kness said. “So they push the boundaries a little bit, where they are not only going to do research more in-depth, but also apply it.”

The MCC Wellness Committee typically hosts a blood drive each academic year in the fall without plans for one in the spring, but the need for blood made MCC look at hosting more.

Last week, the American Association of Blood Banks, America’s Blood Centers and the American Red Cross reported blood centers nationwide have seen declining blood collections in recent weeks. Some blood centers reported the lowest donor turnout in more than a year’s time. The report let individuals who have received a COVID-19 vaccine know they are still eligible to donate blood.

Territory Representative for LifeServe BloodCenter Jeremy Voss, who coordinates blood drives in Marshalltown and across Iowa, said turnout for blood donations has been a “mixed bag” since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said businesses shut down during the pandemic stopped hosting blood drives when employees began working from home.

“The churches and colleges in our communities have really stepped up,” Voss said. “We’ve seen a decrease in our industries, but an increase in our communities.”

While Voss and LifeCenter Blood Center provide logistical support for the blood drives, he said the chairperson for the blood drive such as Thomas does the work to make the event successful by planning and getting the word out.

Thomas actually started a job at LifeServe Blood Center as a general phlebotomist, screening people to make sure they’re eligible to donate and collecting their blood donations.

“Our job is to take the blood, figure out exactly what type it is and then once we get it to the hospitals, they can put it in their storage and know exactly who it can go to, then once it’s needed they can grab it immediately and have it ready for the patient,” Thomas said.

He will graduate from MCC next week with an associate of science degree in biology, and has plans to transfer to the University of Iowa to begin his junior year in the pre-medicine program.

Residents interested in donating blood may make an appointment at the blood drive by visiting lifeservebloodcenter.org and clicking the “donate now” link.

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Contact Trevor Babcockat 641-753-6611 or tbabcock@timesrepublican.com.