KRISP labs are ready to work on the coronavirus epidemic response in Africa!
Authors: Chimukangara B, de Oliveira T, Harris P - 2020-03-23
Summary: We have ordered and are evaluating the Thermo Fisher Scientific and the Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) qPCR testing. Our aim is to have in stock at least 5,000 qPCR tests at a given time in case we need to support public health response or perform critical research to help to understand local transmission. We are concerned that the use of only national reference. We have imported primers and reagents for WGS sequencing. We are setting up both Oxford Nanopore technologies, with support from ARTIC Network. WGS of the COVID-19 virus is crucial to understand local transmission and to guide public health responses. laboratories may not be enough to face the pandemic in Africa. All genomes will be deposited in public databases (i.e. GISAID for consensus genome and SRA for short reads) as soon they are produced. Details at: https://www.krisp.org.za/news.php?id=368
KRISP has been created by the coordinated effort of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) and the South African Medical Research Countil (SAMRC).
Location: K-RITH Tower Building
Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, UKZN
719 Umbilo Road, Durban, South Africa.
Director: Prof. Tulio de Oliveira