MSP 16-4 Development of procedures of biological agents inactivation allowing their identification in optimal security conditions for the laboratory personnel
(2016-2019)Stéphane VAN CAUWENBERGHE, Cathy DELCORPS
The aim of this study is to develop new procedures for the inactivation of biological agents, without impeding or decreasing the sensitivity of their detection and identification methods.
Taking into account all of the available data on inactivation of biological agents, the close interaction of this procedure with the identification by molecular biology methods, and the established criteria for the implementation in the deployable mobile laboratory, the methods to be tested in this study will be mainly chemical methods with and without additional exposure to UV.
In order to evaluate the different methods of inactivation, models of biological agents and their method of specific detection by real time PCR will be developed. Different methods will be tested by comparing their effect on the viability of biological agents and on detection by PCR.
Finally, the selected method or methods will be tested on a wide range of matrices and biological agents.
HFM14/8 - Novel multiplex method for identification of genetically modified or acquired bacterial resistance mechanisms
(2014-2018)Yann DECACCHE Cooperation: Department of Epidemiology and Hygiene (Belgium Ministry of Health), Military Medical Academy (Sofia, Bulgaria), Spitalul Clinic de Urgenta (Bucharest, Romenia).
The purpose of this new study is to integrate the different tests created and validated during the previous studies (MED-04 and MED-20) in a multiplex test single, simple, rapid and sensitive. This test will be adapted to the clinical samples (hospital use or in an operational setting) and environmental (intentional dispersion or accidental biological agents in infrastructure). It will allow to clarify the priori antibiotics ineffective or inefficient panel in a therapeutic setting.
This project targets 2 goals.
The first one is the identification of bioterrorism bacteria and the bacteria responsible for nosocomial infections (clinical samples). The result of this research will be applicable to the medical sector (e.g. bacteria EBLN) and the operating environment. For clinical samples, the objective will be to establish the respective detection limits of tests on real biological samples and to adapt the test conditions accordingly.
For the fight against bio-terrorism, the aim is to develop a protocol for identifying fast, reliable and operational resistance markers of the bioterrorism-related infectious agents of class III (B. anthracis, Y. Pestis, F. tularensis, B. melitensis et B. Mallei). The objective is to transfer the tests validated clinical strains from class II to class III strains: gene sequences used in valid tests will be compared to the new target strains sequences and tests will be adapted and validated on basis of DNA extracted or inactivated cultures. The second one aims to develop a new methodology called “multiplex pyrosequencing”. Several successive parameters will be tested, compared and validated in order to optimize the quality of the signals of pyrosequencing obtained: the ratio of various products of differential gene amplification, order of dispensation of the nucleotide and the quantity of each pyrosequencing primer, the amount of DNA necessary for amplification... These signals will be then handled by a bio-informatics software which has been developed within the CTMA and which allows to break a global signal of pyrosequencing in each of its components, each component corresponding to a particular target sequence.
DLD05 - Rapid detection and characterization of micro-organisms responsible for infections orthopedic
(2013-2017)Catherine DUMONT, Elodie CARLIER
The aim of this project is to validate the diagnostic value of transcriptomic and/or proteomic profiles of synovial material in early inflammatory or infectious disease (arthritis). It is based on preliminary data showing that gene expression profiles in synovial biopsies from patients with arthritis are able to discriminate the samples according to the underlying disorder. The large-scale confirmation of these data after will lead to the development of a prototype of a diagnostic tool to be used in routine rheumatology practice.