Medical Biotechnology

DEPARTMENTAL OVERVIEW

The Medical Biotechnology Department (MBD) is one of the pioneer departments started in 2001 at the take-off of the Agency however, it underwent a thorough restructuring in June 2016 under a new leadership. This necessitated the development of current laboratories, creation of additional units and purposeful  research groups to deliver onto the set objectives and mandate of the institution.  The department amongst other objectives is tailored towards scientific engagement through research and developmentof several areas of Nigerian healthcare system (including medico-judicial laboratory protocols and systems) in other to provide sustainable solutions to infectious and non-infectious diseases specifically those posing challenges to the country’s healthcare delivery system. The employment of new technologies and global best practices to develop preventive, therapeutic and diagnostic tools is substantive as well as deployment of such to solve health problems of regional interest. The department is headed by a Research Director with 3 administrative staff and over 30 researchers, staff-scientistsand technologist.Currently, the department has two (2) divisions (Human and Animal) and seven(7) administrative units.

Departmental Objectives:

1. Deployment of recombinant technology for relevant application in healthcare products and transgenic animal development.
2. Development of candidate vaccines for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and pathogens.
3. Generation of monoclonal antibodies for therapy and other useful R & D purposes.
4. Discovery, design and development of novel molecular diagnostic protocols and point of care diagnostics.
5. Production and development of high-expressing,stable cell banks from DNA  to support research as well asexpression of  modified cells which could be used to treat multiple genetic diseases.
6. Establish suitable transgenic animal models (e.g., mouse strains that develop HIV,diabetics, malaria etc.) for the study of human chronic diseases for highly sensitive in vivo systems that could evaluate carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, and teratogenicity of environmental and therapeutic agents; and to produce severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice for transplantation of human cells and tissues.
7. Develop a National DNA database and reference services for Forensic investigations,research and development.
8. Discovery and development of biopharmaceuticals and drugs from locally occurring plant resources of known and unknown pharmacological action.
9. Coordinate and maintain the training and re-training of scientists and professionals in areas of immunology and infectious pathogen control.
10. Develop Industry-Research/development linkage with Pharma and Biotech industries in Nigeria for the purpose of need base product line development.

General departmental needs assessments as ascertained by the HOD.

The Department (MBD) seeks to attract both renown and young scientists as well as database managers around the globe for short term fellowships as well as resultoriented collaboration in the areas of Forensic DNA, vaccinology, immunology, antibody generation, transgenic animal models and biobanking/cell line development.   Establishing an enduring and lasting partnerships with Pharma/Biotech industries for population driven products through  joint research and development is core to the aspiration of MBD.

Department research Capacity (equipments, skills and staff competence)

The major objective of the MBD is to elucidate molecular and cellular mechanisms of diseases and to turn this knowledge into medical progress and useful products. To this end the department is active in key areas of  biomedical research, developing products through the translation of scientific knowledge. Accordingly, five (5) researchgroups of the MBD namely;

• Molecular Diagnostic for infectious Diseases,
• Recombinant Technology for Antibody &Vaccine,
• DNA Typing for Human identification,
• Transgenic Phytopharmaceutical plants and
• Sterile Insect Technology(SIT)

combine resources to achieve the set objectives with numerous links between them.A dynamic, stimulating and collaborative research environment which hosts   more than 30highly educated personnel and state of the art facilities. Our interdisciplinary research crosses traditional boundaries and involves joint projects with the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

Major laboratory facilities available include: Automated nucleic acid/protein purification(magnetic bead based); Automated cell counter & imaging; Electrophoresis using lapchip technology; Spectrophotometry; Microscopy;fluorescence, inverted and compound microscope; Elisa; qPCR; Centrifugation; Incubators;co₂, cooled incubator; Stability chamber; Biobanking; Cell cultures;  Animal facilities; Genotyping for HID; Vaccine immunogenicity analysis; Diagnostics; kinematics automation Matrix 1600, 2360,2210.

The MBD hosts several educational and training programmes in biomedical research namely; the Nigerian Immunology network, Master and PhD research  programmes https://nintechnologies.info/index.php/training-and-fellowships/

Departmental Projects

Project Title:

SHORT TANDEM REPEAT ANALYSIS OF DNA FROM ETHNIC NATIONALITIES IN NIGERIA

Project Brief:

The major population groups in Nigeria comprise Hausa/Fulani, Igbo and Yoruba however, Nigerian has over 250 ethnic nationalities with possible different allelic frequencies. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) typing of samples from this population will provide the ability to identify alleles that are typical of each population. Polymorphic short tandem repeat (STR) loci are the most informative PCR-based genetic markers for attempting to individualize biological material. The STR loci are also the prime candidates for typing DNA derived from forensic biological evidence and for serving as the core loci for a national DNA data bank. Application of DNA technology to human identity testing and effective use of a national DNA databank is applied to various sectors of the economy. The core loci of interest include: CSF1PO, D5S818, D7S820, D13S317, TPOX, D3S1358, D8S1179, D16S539, D18S51, D21S11, FGA, TH01, vWA, Penta D, Penta E (all located on autosomal chromosomes) and Amelogenin used for gender discrimination. At present, no study has reported STR analysis of DNA from  ethnic groups in Nigeria. Thus, the aim of this research is to generate  DNA profiles of  unrelated donors from the selected ethnic  populations at the instance (thirty-four donors from each population) in order to determine the allele distributions for the core 16 genetic loci. This information will be utilized to generate three population frequency data sets which will be utilized by the forensic community to generate multi-locus profile frequency estimates. This project will also generate polymorphic STR loci as an informative genetic based marker significant for forensic DNA analysis. Moreso, the data obtained will show the degree of relatedness of different ethnic nationalities in the Nigerian population needful to support the immigration services, population commission, security services etc.

Project Title:

Determinants of effective quantal immunological responses to primary HIV-1 and HCV isolates from resistant Nigerian subjects

Project Brief:

Our central dogma is based on individuals who are genetically predisposed  to naturally control HCV and HIV infections. Around a quarter of people with the infection clear these two viruses spontaneously without treatment, while the remainder develop chronic or long-term infection. The rate of recombination is high in HCV and HIV accounting to new infections with different strains.Apparently, HCV has wide genetic variability – even more than HIV–making it difficult to develop vaccines that are effective against all the different viral strains. Our aim is to explore and develop both preventive vaccines for HCV/HIV – i.e.  attempting to establish antibodies that can prevent the virus from taking hold in the body – and therapeutic vaccines that marshal immune responses to control the virus once infection occurs.Vaccine based on identification of new target  for  broadly neutralizing antibodies on HIV and HCV surfaces is needed to tackle the rapid HIV /HCV mutation  which has evaded effective vaccine programme. Due to the highly variable nature of the viruses a vaccine must elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies to counter myriad circulating isolates of  the virus. We hope to identify and characterize novel correlates of protective immune responses to HIV and HCV infections  and to   map out  virus–binding  receptor epitopes  for possible creation of  a tailor-made chemotherapeutic agent.

Project Title:

Development of  a PCR based Salmonella diagnostic test for  accurate detection and differentiation of Salmonella. 

Project Brief:

Laboratory diagnosis of typhoid fever requires isolation and identification of Salmonella spp  from blood or stool. In many areas where this disease is endemic, laboratory capability is limited. The identification of this agent by conventional bacterial culturing method involve several time-consuming, labor-intensive selective enrichment and confirmation steps. The widespread problems caused by Salmonella and the emerging drug resistance strains has complicated the treatment of typhoid fever and heightened the need for rapid and accurate diagnosis. Rather than relying on culture and biochemical properties, PCR-based assays offer more rapid, sensitive and specific detection capabilities. The project seeks to  develop a rapid assay combining bacterial pre-enrichment of stool sample and PCR for the discrimination of Salmonella species using non-coding RNAs as target. The proposed  PCR test has a detection limit of 10 pg in stool-seeded samples.

Project Title:

Design  and development of   antigen-antibody diagnostic test strip to  viral antigens: HCV and COVID-19

Project Brief:

At present, the capacity to rapidly develop test strips for emerging infections is weak. Using diagnosis of HCV for instance which have  similar symptoms with other  diseases requires a combined detection approach achievable in a single test strip. Therefore, it is important to develop an efficient detection method to identify HCV properly from other diseases. Here, specific amino acid sequences for each HCV serotypes will be designed based on HCV sequences from 4 serotypes and applied in the designed protocol. A quick approach is expected to be developed  and  validated  for rapid  development of diagnostic test strips.

MEDICAL BIOTECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT UNITS AND RESEARCH GROUPS

Research Groups

• Recombinant Technology for Antibody &Vaccine.
• Molecular Diagnostic for infectious Diseases
• DNA Typing for Human identification
• Transgenic Phytopharmaceutical
• Sterile Insect Technology(SIT)