Rutgers University is directly involved with the search for a cure, taking part in one coronavirus vaccine, as well as recruiting people for an important study.

Johnson & Johnson is in phase three of its clinical research study to test Janssen's COVID-19 vaccine, and Rutgers is looking to enroll as many as 2,000 participants from the university community and around the state.

People eligible will get either a dose of the drug or a placebo. Researchers will track their progress. Members of the Rutgers community who have enrolled in prior virus studies with health care workers are eligible to participate.

The co-lead investigator, Dr. Jeffrey Carson, says, “We have no doubt that the Rutgers University community will rise to the challenge."

Fifty-seven people at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark are taking part in Moderna's vaccine trial. The company reports its effectiveness rate is 94.5%.

Dr. Shobha Swamina, the doctor who's leading the trials at Rutgers, says it can be stored in a normal refrigerator for 30 days.

"Essentially, it could be stored in pharmacies and other locations to be able to distribute on a faster basis,” says Dr. Swamina. "We want to be able to have a vaccine that is deployable in rural America places, where there may not be deep freezers with -80 degrees capacity."

More research is needed to know exactly how long the antibodies will last. Moderna hopes it's approved for health care workers before the end of the year. 

If you're interested in taking part in the research study for Janssen's vaccine, click here.