Molecular Biology Platform

Supervisor: Arnauld Efon E.

The molecular biology platform activities are based on molecular diagnostic, molecular entomology, as well as population genetics and bioinformatics. The activities of this platform primarily focus on research of molecular markers for the acute detection of various pathogens, including parasites and viruses. It aims at the diagnosis of infectious diseases  and involves all known diagnostic steps including the extraction and purification of nucleic materials (DNA, RNA) using a range of methods and both traditional and real-time PCR.

Molecular entomologies activities are also among the main activities of the platform, consisting in molecular characterization of various arthropods of medical importance (blackflies, mosquitoes, tsetse flies …) and parasites including the assessment of genetic diversity and pathogen genotyping.

Bioinformatics and computational biology are developed as supportive activities of core molecular biology platform activities, and it includes both basic bioinformatics (primers design and evaluation), analysis of sequencing data (genomics and transcriptomics) and predictive biology.