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3 December 2007 When molecular diagnostics meet microscopyIn partnership with Eiken Chemical Co. of Japan, FIND has been developing LAMP (loop-mediated isothermal amplification) technology for use in TB diagnosis, a tool which offers the promise of much greater sensitivity and ease of use. FIND staff accompanied Eiken on a recent visit to India to test and assess the applicability of LAMP in typical urban and rural health centers, such as the one in Mumbai’s Dharavi district. Evaluation studies of this technology under field conditions will begin shortly in Vietnam, India, South Africa and Brazil. This project is part of FIND’s commitment to developing diagnostic tools for TB at the lower levels of the health system and confirms our belief that complex technologies can be made simple to use at every level of the health system. We aspire to make diagnostic technologies, which have previously not been available even in reference laboratories, ready for deployment at those facilities where only basic diagnostic capacity currently exists. Through FIND’s collaboration with Eiken, the number of steps needed to perform manual nucleic acid amplification using the LAMP platform has been greatly reduced, thus making it user-friendly for a wide cadre of laboratory personnel, even with minimal training, working in developing countries. This technology also offers the potential for a cross-platform diagnostic tool which could be used for malaria, human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), and leishmaniasis. FIND is actively working on the use of LAMP for these areas as well.
All photos courtesy of R. Linke © Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics 2008. Click here to see the copyright notice |
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LAMP machine and standard microscope at Agra microscopy center
Expert from Eiken Chemical demonstrating use of LAMP to laboratory personnel at health center in Dharavi slum
Lab technicians awaiting LAMP results at health center in Dharavi slum
Smear staining area at the health center
