The giants of the tech industry have really stepped up over the past month to help in a time of global need. In September, Bill and Melinda Gates announced that they would be allocating $50 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the fight against the Ebola virus.

This month, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan said that they, too, would be donating $25 million in an effort to help stop the disease. Zuckerberg’s money is going straight to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while some of the Gates Foundation money is being distributed to the CDC as well as the UNICEF, WHO, and other aid groups.

How this money will be used is at the discretion of the respective organizations, though preventing the spread of Ebola and developing a vaccine are obviously high on the priority list. With that in mind, here are a few ways those high-dollar donations could be put to good use.

1. Data gathering and analysis

The key to learning more about all of these factors is being able to gather data from large numbers of people

As we’ve learned from the recent Ebola cases in the United States, it’s essential to be aware of who has come into contact with Ebola patients, what the travel habits are of people in high-risk regions, and which symptoms are popping up where. The key to learning more about all of these factors is being able to gather data from large numbers of people, and having the tech and brainpower to interpret that data and make informed decisions.

Although a lot of the cost for data analysis involves hiring the right experts to do the analyzing, developing appropriate mobile apps is another important piece of the puzzle. The CDC is also working on an app that will help automate the process of contact tracing, following the spread of the disease and helping officials to know where quarantines are needed.

2. Ultraviolet robots

It may sound like something out of a science fiction movie, but it’s actually science fact – currently the safest way to disinfect a room contaminated with Ebola is to use a robot that emits intense ultraviolet light. Companies like Xenex and Surfacide are creating these machines for use in hospitals. However, the high cost of manufacture. has to be taken into account, and at over $100,000 each, hospitals in underserved areas would likely not be able to afford a robot without financial assistance.

Surfacide has donated at least one machine to try to help contain the spread of Ebola in Sierra Leone, but in order for disinfection to make a real difference, tech like this needs to be implemented on a wider scale.

Currently the safest way to disinfect a room contaminated with Ebola is to use a robot that emits intense ultraviolet light

3. Diagnostic tools

One of the big problems with the spread of Ebola is that patients do not generally become symptomatic until about a week after infection, at which point they could have come into contact with any number of other people This makes early and fast diagnosis especially important, but in many areas screening currently involves a several-day process.

A company called Primerdesign in the UK has developed an early-stage 90-minute analysis kit for Ebola, but once they get WHO approval, it will take a lot of funding to get these kits into the areas where they’re needed. Likewise, a company called NMT in Las Vegas has a machine that monitors potential patients and alerts the medical team of any worrying change, but at a cost of $1,500 each, getting these monitors to where they’re needed most could be tricky.

4. Trained response teams

For those in high-risk areas like West Africa, qualified personnel need to be on call 24/7 for the influx of Ebola patients. In areas where outbreaks are less frequent, however, trained response teams are even more important. As we’ve seen with the recent events in Dallas, the mishandling of even just one patient can lead to medical workers becoming infected, which in turn can lead to further spread of the virus. At the moment, the military is training a 30-member Ebola response team to assist whenever and wherever necessary if a domestic outbreak occurs.

It’s also important that civilian hospital staff get the necessary training to ensure that nurses and doctors don’t contract Ebola from patients and run the risk of spreading it to others

Given that the rapid response team’s role is chiefly supportive, it’s also important that civilian hospital staff get the necessary training to ensure that nurses and doctors don’t contract Ebola from patients and run the risk of spreading it to others. Of course, training programs need to be funded, but the expenses could potentially be covered by larger donations coming into the CDC. That money could also help cover any necessary costs should the current rapid response team prove insufficient and other teams need to be brought into play.

5. Drug development

Naturally, the main goal is not just to control the spread of Ebola when outbreaks occur, but to prevent infection from happening in the first place. While a vaccine for Ebola has not yet been finalized, there are a number of promising research developments that could lead to a definitive therapy. The problem is getting these drugs through clinical trials fast enough to make a difference to the people who are and will be infected in the current outbreak, especially in areas like West Africa, where the majority of cases are concentrated.

Drug development is expensive at the best of times, and the cost of developing preventative Ebola drug is compounded by the fact that we’re in a hurry to get a vaccine as soon as possible. It is important, therefore, that a good portion of donation money go to funding fast-tracked research, rapid trials, and eventual large-scale drug manufacturing and shipping.