Based on field observations, the Praesens Foundation together with Institut Pasteur de Dakar developed a Mobile Biosafety Lab, which aims to provide an innovative and open platform for the immediate detection and identification of pathogens in clinical samples of patients living in hard to reach regions with very limited to non-existent healthcare infrastructure. The Mobile Biosafety Lab can easily be moved and redeployed between different sites, avoiding transportation of infectious clinical samples to centralized laboratorieswhich is useful during an epidemic investigation or when conducting surveillance campaignsas proven in the field for over two years in Senegal.
It is important to identify outbreaks as early as possible in order to decrease the burden on the healthcare system and the local economy. Globalization has connected the world but has also increased the spread of infectious disease making it crucial to adopt a syndromic approach to detect and differentiate both known and unknown pathogens and co-infections in clinical settings while safeguarding the affordability & access of these assays to the communities who need it most.
“Using the commercially available pan viral panel capable of detecting approximately 800 different viruses provides an economical and practical approach for identifying potential epidemics and outbreaks worldwide. Due to the uniformity and sensitivity of the custom DNA capture panels, we have been able to efficiently trace the spread of disease and the pattern of mutation for several different viral outbreaks”, stated Michael Wiley, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Public Health.
“The Twist Pan-Viral Panel has been used to expedite and consolidate the process of disease identification and patient tracking to help characterize the viruses causing outbreaks,” said Emily M. Leproust, Ph.D., CEO and co-founder of Twist Bioscience. “Some examples include the Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Senegal, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research in Accra, Ghana, and Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo among others. We are pleased to partner with this incredible group as a critical part of the solution to the growing healthcare and financial burden of outbreaks and epidemics.”
“The research conducted at the Institut Pasteur, and within its international network, unravels the fundamental mechanisms of life, advances scientific knowledge and leads to cutting-edge medical applications. Through its multidisciplinary and transversal approach to research, it promotes discovery and innovation.”, said Dr. Isabelle Buckle, Executive Vice President, Technology Transfer and Industrial Partnerships for the Institut Pasteur. “Combining all these technologies and competences into one integrated solution, based on a decentralized approach with complementary qualitative diagnostic tools ranging from low-cost rapid diagnostic tests to point-of-care in both fixed and mobile diagnostic capabilities, will meet the local needs and ultimately benefit the patients.”
About the Prix Galien – MedStartUp Prize
Co-founded by the Galien Foundation and Business France, the Prix Galien – MedStartUp encourages and rewards the most promising startups in healthcare formed through international partnerships. The program brings together innovators and stakeholders to facilitate rapid adoption and encourages the diffusion of new technologies to improve the state of human health.
Read the full press release here.
[1]Nii-Trebi NI. Emerging and Neglected Infectious Diseases: Insights, Advances, and Challenges. Biomed Res Int. 2017;2017:5245021.
[2]Africa Union’s Peace and Security Council discuss public health threats to the Continent Urge integration of effective public health strategies in the African Union Peace and Security Architecture | African Union [Internet]. [cited 2019 Mar 14]. Available from: https://au.int/en/pressreleases/20180118/africa-union%E2%80%99s-peace-and-security-council-discuss-public-health-threats
