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Bioscience Department

Overview

It is focused on pathogens, conducting Pathogen Biology to understand the biology of pathogens and their infections in the broad areas of Parasites, Viruses, Bacteria

 

This allows for growth within and between the broad areas and for expansion within an area. There was initially a major focus on malaria (parasites) with the development of research in HIV and arboviruses (Viruses) and recently into antimicrobial resistance and shigella (bacteria). This structure allows disease focus areas to collaborate, for pathogen, host and vector areas to cross-fertilise each other instead of being viewed as distinct areas of work. It enhances technology transfer between disease areas and subject topic overlaps, e.g. immunology, proteomics, drug resistance etc. Individuals within the broad areas are encouraged to discuss within their areas to synergise and agree on areas of growth/ development to encourage dynamic research. However, this is not limited to within the broad areas it should also happen across areas.

 

Research studies/projects are initiated by the PIs and research teams and submitted and mobilised through the lab management team through the study guidelines document and the submission of a Lab Analytical plan. 

Our investigation of pathogen biology is with the view to discover host susceptibility factors and interrogate natural immunity to infection to inform vaccine design and informing public health interventions through vector biology and disease transmission.This is all implemented based on shared laboratory and research platforms such as a malaria longitudinal cohort, acute febrile dispensary monitoring at both tertiary and primary health care facilities and cross-sectional community and household disease surveillance.   Through a PI-led approach our research encompasses:

The Biosciences laboratories cover a wide range of state-of-the-art facilities and technologies that underpin a large portion of the basic science (Pathogen Biology) and clinical laboratory research agendas. The diagnostic, clinical and research work cut across and benefit from the facilities available in all three laboratories. The laboratories are Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (GCLP) accredited by Qualogy, UK, with the Clinical Trials and Microbiology Laboratories being the first lab to gain accreditation in 2007. The Immunology laboratory that is primarily a research lab was GCLP accredited in 2015. All the laboratories have maintained GCLP accreditation to date, ensuring both lab safety and diagnostic and research tests are done to the highest quality standards in compliance with GCLP. The laboratories primarily comprise the following areas: 

Pathogen Biology

Parasites

Malaria pathogenesis and immunity (Abdirahman Abdi), malaria immunology (Francis Ndungu), malaria molecular epidemiology (Isabella Oyier), malaria antigen discovery (James Tuju)

Viruses

Respiratory and enteric viral molecular epidemiology (Charles Nyaigoti), HIV immunology (Eunice Nduati), Viral genomic epidemiology (George Githinji), Vaccinology and viral zoonoses

Bacteria

Nutritional immunology (Agnes Gwela), Antimicrobial resistance and bacterial genomics (Ednah Ooko), Disease mechanisms and biomarkers of severe illness (James Njunge)

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Immunology Lab

Oversees the research and diagnostic teams in this area maintains QA processes, H&S, stocking and equipment in the immunology wing.

Microbiology Lab

Oversees the research and diagnostic teams in this area, maintains QA processes, H&S, stocking and equipment in the microbiology wing including CAT 3.

Clinical Trials Lab

Oversees clinical, clinical trial and research diagnostics, oversee equipment, QA processes, H&S, reagents stocks in CTL
 

Field Team

Liaise with CLG, data manager, collaborative project coordinator, PIs, manage requests for external studies, manage fieldworkers and link with the community.

Biobank

Manages biological specimen storage, liaises with PIs on storage plans and costing, manages biobank teams, samples archiving and LIMS and maintains QA processes.

Quality Management system, Health and Safety

Oversee all QA processes in the lab with PIs, new projects, equipment, biobank, diagnostics, data, SOPs and LAPs.
 

Laboratories

Immunology Lab

Oversees the research and diagnostic teams in this area maintains QA processes, H&S, stocking and equipment in the immunology wing.
   

Microbiology Lab

The laboratory conducts surveillance studies and epidemiological research on microorganisms as well as diagnostic microbiology. It is comprised of 5
 

Clinical Trials Lab

Oversees clinical, clinical trial and research diagnostics, oversee equipment, QA processes, H&S, reagents stocks in CTL