Skip to content
  • Home
  • About
    • Partners
    • Contact
  • Research
    • Research Outputs
  • Opportunities
  • Blog
Menu
  • Home
  • About
    • Partners
    • Contact
  • Research
    • Research Outputs
  • Opportunities
  • Blog

Local production of a Cas12-based typhoid diagnostic in Cameroon

through a novel
academic-community partnership

The Open Bioeconomy Lab has partnered with Buea University and MboaLab Biotech in Cameroon to develop a proof-of-principle DNA-based typhoid diagnostic using cutting-edge molecular techniques. We are aiming to develop a locally manufacturable diagnostic tool that is capable of distinguishing typhoid fever from paratyphoid and has a reagent cost of < $1 per reaction.

PI Dr Jenny Molloy and Co-I Dr Jim Ajioka, both based at the University of Cambridge, have expertise in protein purification, molecular diagnostics, cell-free protein expression; while Co-I’s Dr Tobias Apinjoh (Buea University) and Mr Mboa (MboaLab) have expertise in infectious disease epidemiology and immunology, drug-resistance surveillance, molecular biology, knowledge of local stakeholders and healthcare system.

Understanding the social impact of typhoid diagnosis

In addition to experimental research, MboaLab & Buea University will lead an engagement exercise interviewing local stakeholders to understand the requirements for diagnosing typhoid and  pathways to impact within the local health system. This will include adoption and use of molecular diagnostics within local hospitals, local policies to build capacity in public and private diagnostics laboratories.

We hope that the novel partnership between MboaLab and Buea University will promote new modes of institutional collaboration and partnership in Cameroon and demonstrate the efficacy of community-based innovation hubs and academic institutions combining strengths to address sustainable development goals in resource-limited environments.

Accessible protocols and training as a platform for new diagnostic tools

In addition to developing a typhoid diagnostics, we will develop accessible protocols in English and French for expressing, purifying and handling Cas12 using local resource as a diagnostic platform for other diseases where the same techniques can be used to provide solutions for health care. Through on-going training opportunities at MboaLab and local universities combined with availability of reagents trough MboaLab, local researchers and laboratory workers will become skilled in techniques they can continue to develop professionally.

The project is funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund and was intended to run from February to July 2020 but is now extended to the end of 2020.

Project Updates

Loading...
NMIMR COVID Lab

Developing affordable COVID diagnostics for the global South: on-going work in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology

Read More
5279772517_d5b81fba0e_b

Understanding diagnostics needs in Cameroon for the CRISPR-TyphoidDx Project

Read More
Grp_11

Developing a locally-manufacturable typhoid diagnostic in Cameroon: new project for 2020

Read More

Project Resources

Proposal

Original grant proposal to GCRF

Trello

Project To-Do List

Benchling

DNA Sequences and Lab Notebooks

Stakeholder Report

Stakeholder Engagement Working Paper v1.0

Reader Device

Gitlab repository for reader hardware

Project Team

Loading...
Photo of Ana Pascual Garrigos

Ana Pascual Garrigos

Photo of Alan Liu

Alan (Yicheng) Liu

Photo of Cordellia

Cordellia Fulai Chongwain

Dr Tobias Apinjoh

Smitha Hegde

Kingsley Angeh

Jessy Noutchewe

Noukam Oum Loïc Ghislain

Minette Shalo

Dr Jenny Molloy

1 2 Next »

Project Partners

Funded by

quick links

  • Home
  • Research
  • News
  • Contact

FOLLOW & LIKE US ON

  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • YouTube

NEWSLETTER

Sign up for emails to get the scoop on news, updates and more.

Subscribe Now

Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Disclaimer

Manage Cookie Consent
We use cookies to optimize our website and our service.
Functional cookies Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}