Presented by Anne Liljander, Nimmo Gicheru, Cecilia Muriuki and Joerg Jores at the ILRI BioSciences Day, Nairobi, 27 November 2013

1. Development of platform techniques to produce cheap, ecofriendly and easy-to-use diagnostic assays for livestock diseases
Anne Liljander, Nimmo Gicheru, Cecilia Muriuki and Joerg Jores
ILRI BioSciences day, Nairobi, 27 November 2013

2. Development of platform techniques to produce cheap, eco-friendly
and easy-to-use diagnostic assays for livestock diseases
• Introduction
• Why is this research important for ILRI
 Setup of a diagnostic platform technology
 Cutting edge research in bioscience
• Who are the recipients of the outcomes
 Stakeholders in the livestock sector i.e. livestock keepers, traders,
national veterinary services, veterinarians and animal health workers
• How will it change their lives
 Improved nutrition and health
 Increased profit for livestock keepers
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3. The problem: its significance
• What is the state of the problem?
 No or limited diagnostic services, logistic networks and infrastructure
available in most parts of the country
 There are no cheap POC diagnostics available
• How will this project change the outcomes?
 Enable diagnosis of diseases in areas with no or limited infrastructure
 Enable the implementation of control measures, reduce disease burden
and increase productivity of the livestock sector
• What are the links to ILRI’s strategy (SLOs and Strategic
Outcomes)?
 Reduced rural poverty (SLO1)
 Improved food security (SLO2)
 Improved nutrition and health (SLO3)
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4. Methods/Results-Cheap and eco-friendly
•
Cheap and eco-friendly paperbased diagnostic ELISA (for CBPP)
•
Print 96-well paper “plate” using
regular printer and wax-based ink
•
Use in “regular” ELISA
experimental setup
•
Production process
1. Print the plate
2. Melt the wax
Saves money, can be produced
anywhere and shipped by regular
post
3. Use in assay
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5. Methods/Results-Cheap and easy-to-use
• The “Diagnostic-Chip” an
easy-to-use point-of-care
diagnostics tests
• Simultaneous identification
of various pathogens
• Portable silicon-cartridge,
plugs into a smartphone for
use in resource-limited
environments
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6. Methods/Results-Cheap and easy-to-use
•
Silicon-cartridge loaded
with primers specific to the
different pathogens
•
Recombinase polymerase
amplification (RPA) of DNA
at 37◦C in 10-15 min
•
Sample is loaded, the
heated reaction and the
fluorescence detection are
powered by a smartphone
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7. Methods/Results-Cheap and easy-to-use
The electronic manifold contains electronics for fluorescent detection
and temperature control
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8. Methods/Results-Cheap and easy-to-use
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9. Conclusions and discussion points
• What have you discovered?
We are in the process of establishing a diagnostic technology
platform at ILRI which will substantially accelerate the diagnosis
of diseases and epidemiological studies
• How will you use it?
Better diagnostics are key instruments for improved control and
eradication programs (vaccination campaigns) and setup of
policies
• What are the next challenge?
Roll out the technology with the help of integrated sciences

10. Where to from now?
• How do you see the next step in this project?
 Proceed with the development of the diagnostic platform technology
 Find appropriate partners for the roll out the technology
• How will it contribute to the four CGIAR System Level
Outcomes (Reduce poverty, improve nutrition, improve
food security and enhance environment) and link with
CRP/value chains?




Reduced rural poverty (SLO1)
Improved food security (SLO2)
Improved nutrition and health (SLO3)
CRP 3.7 and 4.3, Dairy value chain in Tanzania, small ruminants in
Mali and Ethiopia

11. Where to from now, continued?
• With whom (at ILRI and in the world, university, research
center, etc) do you intend to work with? Do you have
grant applications about it?
Partners: Steve Kemp/Yumi (ILRI), UoW-Madison, FLI, ICIPE,
UoB
 Funded by Centrum fur Internationale Migration and Entwicklung
(CIM) from 1/1/2014-31/12/2015
 New GIZ/BMZ grant
 Old GIZ/BMZ grant
 Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)-One Health –
pending
 Swiss National Science Foundation (NSF)-pending
 I would like to submit a BMC small grant proposal on user acceptance
of novel POC tests next year

12. General discussion-JJ
• We need a credit card linked to our grants to make
our orders, since we loose constantly many months
of productive working time because of excessive
delays in orders
• Make sure that ILRI services are pro-active and
feedback to scientists
• Do not make budgetary decisions without involving
the PIs (per diem adjustments without consultations
of PIs)
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13. General discussion-JJ
•Get the PIs involved in making decisions
•Create a system rewarding scientists that are
performing well in resource mobilization and
publications (bioscience specific)
•Reduce ILRI costs to enable growth outside the CRPs
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14. better lives through livestock
ilri.org
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