Laboratory of Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene

Official name in French: Laboratoire Sécurité Alimentaire Hygiène Environnement (LSAHE). The laboratory develops polluant and contaminants analysis. E.g. heavy metals.

Biobank of human, animal and environmental samples.

The Insectarium propose the following procedures:

  • Mosquito breeding for insecticide sensitivity testing
  • Mosquito vector competence
    Mosquito serological test

Capacity for storage, preservation and transport of several varieties of biological samples listed at the CERMES official website.

This platform has suitable technologies with high precisions and high specificities including Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), and Enzyme-Linked Fluorescent Assay (ELFA/VIDAS), significantly proficient to detect antigens/ anti-bodies (as alternative/complementary to gold standard PCR technique), for diagnosing infectious diseases (viral, bacterial, parasitic), making differential diagnosis, and application in epidemiological surveillance.

Through its experience in the maintenance of Anophele kisumu reference strains : Ability to monitor changes over time in residual efficacy and insecticide content of LLINs, and to compare the durability of different types of LLIN distributed to the population.

Technical platform for in vitro monitoring of P. falciparum susceptibility to antimalarial drugs

– Support the Niger Ministry of Public Health (MSP) and act in accordance with the priorities and objectives defined by the National Malaria Control Program (PNLP).
– Monitor the chemoresistance of P. falciparum to antimalarial drugs, and participate in the training of health personnel involved in this activity.
– Assist the PNLP in defining rules for the management of uncomplicated malaria attacks, while avoiding the emergence and spread of new resistances.
– Draw up a global map of chemoresistance in Niger, using in vitro and molecular tests coupled with clinical studies.

The Molecular Biology Platform is dedicated to the study of emerging pathogens using molecular technologies for the diagnosis, genotyping and genomics of pathogenic microorganisms of public health importance.

Sequencing capacity using both ONT and Illmina (Iseq 100). 1

The VITEK MS is an automated system that uses MALDI-TOF (matrix-associated LASER desorption and ionization, time of flight) mass spectrometry; Developed in 1980 by Karas & Hillenkamp (Germany) and Tanaka et al (Japan) analysis technique allowing the detection and identification of molecules by measuring their “time of flight” (proportional to their mass and their charge) First device marketed in 1991.

In Central Africa, Cameroon and particularly the “ Centre Pasteur du Cameroun” is the only laboratory to have a VITEK MS since 2019.