Stop TB Working Group on New TB Vaccines – Coffee Corner for early career researchers (29 September)
The Working Group on New TB Vaccines invites you to join their Coffee Corner - an informal discussion amongst Early Career Researchers to connect with each other and discuss topics that are important to them.
Date and time: 29 September 2022, 9:00am EDT/ 3:00pm CEST & SAST/ 6:30pm IST
For registration click here
Webinar: EDCTP COVID-19 Emergency Funding Mechanism 18-19 March 13:00-17:00 CET
As of March 2021, EDCTP is supporting 26 collaborative research projects under its COVID-19 Emergency Funding Mechanism, activated in April 2020. One year on from the declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic, many research questions have been answered, many others are still under investigation and new questions are emerging.We invite you to join us in this live webinar where we will share experiences and study findings among the EDCTP-supported COVID-19 research consortia, discuss new emerging questions and current public health priorities in sub-Saharan Africa, and inform the global research community and stakeholders about EDCTP-funded COVID-19 research in sub-Saharan Africa.
When: 18-19 March 2021, 13:00-17:00 CETWhere: Virtual (Zoom)
Register: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cHhn2t0SQvuNJYemkJesBg
New publication by Frimpong et al. 2019 - Rapid detection of Mycobacterium ulcerans with isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification assay
Background
Access to an accurate diagnostic test for Buruli ulcer (BU) is a research priority according to the World Health Organization. Nucleic acid amplification of insertion sequence IS2404 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the most sensitive and specific method to detect Mycobacterium ulcerans (M. ulcerans), the causative agent of BU. However, PCR is not always available in endemic communities in Africa due to its cost and technological sophistication. Isothermal DNA amplification systems such as the recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) have emerged as a molecular diagnostic tool with similar accuracy to PCR but having the advantage of amplifying a template DNA at a constant lower temperature in a shorter time. The aim of this study was to develop RPA for the detection of M. ulcerans and evaluate its use in Buruli ulcer disease.
Methodology and principal findings
A specific fragment of IS2404 of M. ulcerans was amplified within 15 minutes at a constant 42°C using RPA method. The detection limit was 45 copies of IS2404 molecular DNA standard per reaction. The assay was highly specific as all 7 strains of M. ulcerans tested were detected, and no cross reactivity was observed to other mycobacteria or clinically relevant bacteria species. The clinical performance of the M. ulcerans (Mu-RPA) assay was evaluated using DNA extracted from fine needle aspirates or swabs taken from 67 patients in whom BU was suspected and 12 patients with clinically confirmed non-BU lesions. All results were compared to a highly sensitive real-time PCR. The clinical specificity of the Mu-RPA assay was 100% (95% CI, 84–100), whiles the sensitivity was 88% (95% CI, 77–95).
Conclusion
The Mu-RPA assay represents an alternative to PCR, especially in areas with limited infrastructure.
2023 International Society for Vaccines (ISV) Annual Congress, Lausanne, Switzerland --- 22-24 October 2023
The upcoming International Society for Vaccines (ISV) Annual Congress will be held in Lausanne, Switzerland, at the SwissTech Convention Center on October 22-24, 2023. The ISV Congress The 2023 ISV Annual Congress welcomes delegates from all over the world to present and discuss the latest insights in Vaccinology.
The SwissTech Convention Center is in the Lake Geneva region, in the western part of Switzerland, close to historical Lausanne. Lausanne is easily accessible by public transport from close by Geneva airport, which has direct flight connections to Paris, London, Brussels, Berlin, and Madrid. Lausanne boasts one of the highest concentrations of research centers in Switzerland. A place of knowledge, innovation, and creativity, the city is home to several world-renowned researchers of many disciplines including vaccinology, immunotherapeutics, cancer, infectious diseases, artificial intelligence, and many more. In addition, the Lausanne region is home to leading small, medium, and large pharmaceutical enterprises. Whether from academia, clinical research, or pharma and biotech, the comprehensive and vibrant scientific environment will provide an exciting venue to ISV attendees. The 2023 Congress is co-chaired by Xavier Saelens, Ken Ishii, Bruno Correia, and Giuseppe Pantaleo.