From August 5 to 16, 2019, a group of scientists from the Saint-Petersburg Pasteur Institute held a training seminar “Improvement of the laboratory diagnostics and training on rapid HIV and Viral Hepatitis testing in the Republic of Guinea” as a part of the Russian-Guinean cooperation program in the Institute of Applied Biology of Guinea (Kindia, Republic of Guinea). Also a number of research projects were conducted. The training was led by Alexander Semenov, Deputy Director for Innovation, Elena Esaulenko, Head of the Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis, Vsevolod Skvoroda, the junior researcher of the Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis, Alexander Shchemelev, the junior researcher of the Laboratory of HIV Immunology and Virology and Anastasia Ivanova, the lab technician of the Laboratory of HIV Immunology and Virology.
After the official opening of the training seminar, they started analyzing samples from biobank to carry out the research projects, forming a pool of blood sera for ELISA procedure, DNA / RNA isolation and PCR. The seminar and lectures were held according to the program. During the research the ELISA method was used to detect HIV, HBV, HCV and parvovirus antigens and /or antibodies.
During this business trip, the head of the delegation Alexander Semenov and the director of CIRIT (International Research Center of Tropical Infections - Center International de Recherche sur les Infections Tropicale) Sanaba Boumbali also visited Nzérékoré to collect samples from the Forested Guinea and assess the possibility of organizing the research work with CIRIT. Scientists visited hospitals in Nzérékoré, Masenta, Guéckédou, Faranah, Mamou, met with CIRIT staff, organized the process of collecting samples for planned research projects.
The program of the business trip was completed. The samples have been preserved for further testing.
