Africa Suitcaselab is a project funded by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) and an African-European partnership for development and deployment of rapid SARS-CoV-2 RNA and antigen detection assays by the Botnar Research Centre for Child Health (BRCCH). Both contain a multi-country blinded phase 2 study to evaluate rapid detection systems of SARS-COV-2.
The Project
Our main aim is to evaluate 3 different point of need systems (isothermal amplification, peakPCR and rapid antigen test) for SARS-COV-2 through a multi-country blinded study and its implementation in low resource settings. Learn more about our projects.
The consortium consists of 3 European Partners (coordination and assay development) as well as 7 North and Sub-Saharan partners (diagnostic evaluation). Learn more about who we are.
- Diagnostic accuracy determination of point of need assays
Determining the diagnostic accuracy of point of need assays (isothermal amplification, peakPCR and rapid antigen test). -
International collaboration
Building cross border collaboration involving 9 countries from Europe, North and Sub-Saharan Africa. -
Capacity building
Building capacity for safe handling of BSL-3 pathogens using the glove box. -
Suitcase lab implementation
Implementation of the suitcase lab for rapid detection of SARS-COV-2.
Expected impact
Once validated, the suitcase lab can be deployed at point of entry, walk-through test centers as well as remote areas for outbreak investigations. The suitcase lab will pave the way for rapid identification of infected cases and enhance prompt management as well as immediate implementation of control measures against the spread of SARS-COV-2.
COVID-19 has emerged as a new viral disease in late 2019 and has rapidly spread and developed into a global pandemic with severe health and economic impact. Although real-time RT-PCR is currently used as the standard method for SARS-COV-2 molecular diagnosis, it requires a well-established laboratory, specifically trained personnel, is time-consuming (2-5 hours) and thus involves high costs altogether. Therefore, the need of other rapid and simple diagnostic approaches maintaining the high performance of RT-PCR is of utmost urgency.
peakPCR
In the past 3 years, Prof. Stark´s at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Switzerland (ETH) working group has designed and constructed a completely new PCR instrument (called “peakPCR”) with a proprietary metallic sample holder, built with inexpensive and easily available components and therefore at an extremely competitive price (Figure 1). Thanks to the low reaction volume required by the sample holder, the PCR amplification can be performed faster and generate significant reagents savings.
Antigen Test
Dr. Vörös group at ETH is developing an electrochemically enhanced rapid antigen test for COVID-19 (RDT) at a roughly two orders of magnitude improved limit of detection compared to state of the art COVID-19 rapid tests, while retaining all the advantages of a rapid test: Speed, mobility and price efficiency (Figure 2).
Isothermal amplification assay
The group from Germany, France, and seven African countries are working in the last five years on development and implementation of mobile suitcase lab (figure 3) operating an isothermal amplification assay, termed as recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assay and recombinase aided amplification (RAA) assay. It is widely regarded as a promising alternative technology to real-time PCR for field use as it provides results faster, amplifies nucleic acid at a constant lower temperature, and is accomplished with less expensive as well as simpler equipment.
- The size of the suitcase is 62+49+30 cm, which is easy to carry, transport and ship. A glove box will be used to inactivate the samples to avoid contamination of the environment and keep the health care worker safe.
- Power source from solar panel with power pack.
- Easy to be implemented in low resource settings.
- Cold chain independence as reagents can be kept at 38-40°C ambient temperature for months without any effect on the assay performance.
- A tight waste container allowing autoclaving or incinerating waste to avoid contamination of the environment.
- Rapid time to result around 20 minutes including the extraction procedure.
The team
This project is funded by the EDCTP and the BRCCH. This project is a collaboration between partners in Ghana, Senegal, Madagascar, Nigeria, DR Congo, Sudan and Uganda, where the field activities will take place, and partners in Germany, France and Switzerland involved with development and refinement of the SARS-COV-2 rapid diagnostic tests.
Uganda
- Dr. Julius Boniface Okuni, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity
Makerere University
Germany
- Dr. Ahmed Abd El Wahed, Lead coordinator
Leipzig University - Prof. Dr. Uwe Truyen, Head of data management
Leipzig University - Prof. Dr. Manfred Weidmann, Institute of Microbiology & Virology
Brandenburg Medical School
France
- Dr. Anavaj Sakuntabhai, Functional Genetics of Infectious Diseases Unit
Institut Pasteur Paris
Ghana
- Dr. Michael Frimpong, Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine
KCCR
Senegal
- Dr. Dia Ndongo
Institut Pasteur de Dakar - Dr Jean-Michel Heraud
Institut Pasteur de Dakar
Madagascar
- Dr. Philippe Dussart
Institut Pasteur de Madagascar
Nigeria
- Prof. Olusegun George Ademowo
University of Ibadan
DR Congo
- Dr. Sheila Makiala, Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale du Zaire
INRB
Sudan
- Dr. Kamal Eltom
University of Khartoum
Switzerland
- Pro. Vörös Janos, Institute for Biomedical Engineering
ETH Zürich - Prof. Wendelin Stark, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences
ETH Zürich - Dr. Michele Gregorini, Post-doc resarcher
ETH Zürich -D-CHAB - Dr. Alexander Tanno, Post-doc researcher
ETH Zürich-D-ITET
Publications & News
Check out our previous related and joint publications, news and recently published articles around our projects.
Lessons from the field
A multi-country phase 2 study to evaluate the suitcase lab for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 in seven Sub-Saharan African countries: Lessons from the field
Yellow Fever Virus assay
Rapid Molecular Assays for the Detection of Yellow Fever Virus in Low-Resource Settings
Read More
Viral Hemorrhagic Fever assay
Development of Mobile Laboratory for Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Detection in Africa
Read More
SARS-COV-2 assay
Suitcase Lab for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Based on Recombinase Polymerase Amplification Assay
Read More
Dengue assay
Recombinase Polymerase Amplification Assay for Rapid Diagnostics of Dengue Infection
Read more
Ebola assay
Development and deployment of a rapid recombinase polymerase amplification Ebola virus detection assay in Guinea in 2015
read more
Mycobacterium ulcerans assay
Rapid detection of Mycobacterium ulcerans with isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification assay
read more
Chikungunya assay
A Field-Deployable Reverse Transcription Recombinase Polymerase Amplification Assay for Rapid Detection of the Chikungunya Virus
read more
Pan-rickettsial assay
Development of a pan-rickettsial molecular diagnostic test based on recombinase polymerase amplification assay
read more
