Resources: Laboratory Capabilities

Laboratory Capabilities (Daily Expertise):

Enterics:

Shigella culture,identification,serotyping,subtyping

Salmonella culture,identification,serotyping

Campylobacter culture,identification

Vibrio spp. culture,identification,serotyping

Aeromonas spp.,Plesiomonas shigelloides,Yersinia enterocolitica culture,identification

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing for enteric pathogen

Stool microscopy for Intestinal Parasites

Real Time PCR Diagnostic for Shigella,EIEC,Campylobacter,Cyclospora

DNA Probe for ETEC,EPEC,EHEC,EIEC,Vibrio cholerae and other enteric pathogens

ELISA for ETEC

• Rotavirus,Adenovirus,Astrovirus
• Giardia/Cryptosporidium
• E.histolytica

Entomology:

PCR for various Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax (-210 and –247 strains) DNA, heteroduplex mobility assay (HMA) and automated gene sequencing

Highly skilled dissection of mosquitoes and evaluation all phases of plasmodium sporogony

Largest reference collection of mosquitoes in SE Asia, and has complete GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and Remote Sensing capabilities

“High security” insectary for handling Plasmodium-infected mosquitoes

Live chigger colonies for Scrub typhus study

Hepatocyte cell line for in-vivo study of plasmodium drug susceptibity

Retrovirology:

HIV diagnostics and disease monitoring - serology and nucleic acid testing. CD4 enumeration and viral load assays.

HIV isolation, phenotyping and genetic subtyping for subtypes CRF01_AE and B

HIV serotyping - CRF01_AE and B

Immunology:

Virology

Dengue PCR: culture, identification, strain identification by restriction enzyme assay

Hepatitis E: culture, identification, strain identification by restriction enzyme assay

Western Blotting for Japanese encephalitis, Dengue and hepatitis E

Scrub Typhus rapid, non-microscopic diagnostic test and studies drug resistance molecular identification techniques development

Veterinary Medicine

Determines blood parameters utilizing an automated, quantitative hematology analyzer

Clinical chemistry determinations with Automatic Clinical chemistry analyzers FUJI Dri-Chem model FDC3000  and FDC 800

Histopathology in animal tissue: Tissue – processing – paraffin embedding-sectioning –routine    H & E staining – special staining

Plasmodium berghei – mouse blood smear studies

Serology:

Malaria forward-deployable diagnostic test kits for the rapid and accurate diagnosis of malaria are being tested.

Laboratory Capabilities (Special Knowledge Base Available):

Enterics:

MIC of Antimicrobial Agents

Hemoculture identification,antimicrobial susceptibility testing

Detection of Shigella,Salmonella and Campylobacter from Food sample

Detection of Coliform from Drinking Water

ELISA for the detection of Campylobacter Specific Antigen

Culturable and Non-culturable enteric pathogens identification using DNA Probes and PCR technology

Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis for bacterial pathogen

Microbial DNA fingerprinting using fluorescent AFLP

Non-culturable enteric pathogen identification using DNA probes and PCR technology

Entomology:

Retrovirology:

HIV cellular immunologic responses - antigen-specific lymphoproliferation, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte and natural killer cell assays

HIV humoral immunologic responses - neutralization and antibody-dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity assays

Immunology:

Virology

Japanese encephalitis PCR by direct throat swab

Enteroviruses PCR: culture, identification, strain identification by restriction enzyme assay

Dengue PCR: culture, identification, strain identification by restriction enzyme assay

Hepatitis A-G: culture, identification, strain identification by restriction enzyme assay

Western Blotting for Japanese encephalitis, Dengue and hepatitis E

Developed and evaluated diagnostic assays for Dengue, Japanese encephalitis and Chikungunya viruses.

Scrub Typhus rapid, non-microscopic diagnostic test and studies drug resistance molecular identification techniques development

HEV genetic characterization and development/evaluation of diagnostic tests to detect infection

The laboratory is equipped with numerous class IIA biological safety hoods where viral isolation and serological testing are performed.  Water-jacketed incubators are used to grow the bacterial and viral cell cultures.  Benches and incubators are also designated for bacterial culture.  The laboratory has a clean areas used for the cultivation of cell lines and production of specialized medias.  Our facility has a numerous minus 70C freezer storage area where specimens and isolates are archived.