GRZ NMCC modular lab highlighted in AJTM artcile

By Akros Media on January 28, 2015 in Capacity Building, Malaria, News

Akros Director of Research, Daniel Bridges, along with CEO Anna Winters and other partners recently published an article in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene on the use of shipping containers to support basic science, clinical research projects, and health services – all uses often lacking in the developing world. The article is titled “Modular Laboratories—Cost-Effective and Sustainable Infrastructure for Resource-Limited Settings” and appears in the December 2014 issue.

Authors of the article drew on their knowledge of modular lab implementations, including an installation made at the National Malaria Control Centre in Lusaka.

The construction of suitable facilities using traditional methods is time-consuming, expensive, and challenging to implement. In this paper, three real world examples showing how shipping containers can be converted into modern laboratories including costs and production timeframes are showcased. The three designs include an insectary, a molecular laboratory, and a BSL-3 containment laboratory. These modular conversions have a number of advantages over brick and mortar construction and provide a cost-effective and timely solution to offer high-quality, user-friendly laboratory space applicable within the developing world.

AJTM members can access the full article online here.