In November 2024, the HUGS laboratory based at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) reached a significant milestone. After careful preparations in the UK and Malawi, we oversaw installing and commissioning our state-of-the-art molecular instruments, namely the MIC thermal cycler and MYRA liquid handling robot in the KUHes laboratory.
In the UK, these instruments were essential for the scale-up of diagnostic screening. In Malawi, they will facilitate the high-throughput detection of hybrid schistosomes from human, animal and snail samples.
The final installation of these instruments was accompanied by a comprehensive 2-week training programme, blending theoretical and practical aspects of molecular biology. The curriculum covered PCR techniques, primer design, and the novel HRM molecular assay developed as part of a HUGS study.
I led the molecular training for Malawi based researchers Donales Kapira, Priscilla Chamudzi, and David Lally, who have since been putting their new skills to use. From November 25th, the team began processing suspected hybrid samples, which had already yielded promising results. Notably, two putative S. mattheei x S. haematobium hybrid miracidia were detected, the first time this analysis has been attempted in an African laboratory.
A key training component was a field visit to Chikwawa, where 320 snails were collected for analysis. Of these, two snails were found to be shedding Schistosoma sp. cercariae. A temporary snail aquarium was set up to facilitate hands-on learning, providing a steady supply of cercariae for molecular analysis. The team also collected cattle faecal samples, enabling the isolation and hatching of miracidia for genotyping in the laboratory.
The immediate processing and typing of both cercariae and miracidia were made possible by the new lab's advanced equipment. This demonstrated the lab's potential to streamline workflows, eliminating the need for prolonged DNA storage and delayed downstream processing—a transformative step for our HUGS research.
Looking to the future, establishing this molecular laboratory is an important step forward for building capacity within LSTM and KUHeS. With the MYRA and MIC systems in place and a skilled team at the helm, the lab is set to deliver impactful results that will further add to the vast body of important results being generated by the HUGS study.