Global surveillance of infectious agents: molecular typing kits and databases – MicroType

Constitution of genetic identification profiles and associated databases is essential for the surveillance of infectious agents that represent a natural, accidental or provoked biohazard. During the past ten years, French (including ours) and other EU research groups have taken the lead in the development of low cost molecular identification methods. Some of these groups have also developed prototypes of databases contributing to the surveillance of infectious agents. Implemented technologies appear sufficiently mature to consider nowadays the development of associated commercial products. The present project proposal aims at taking advantage of our leadership position, consolidated by the DGA funding, to make a breakthrough in terms of development and innovation.
The project will lead to the realization of two genotyping kit prototypes that will be provided to lead laboratories in the field agreeing to test them. These opinion leaders will contribute to maturing the market. One of the kits will target the infectious bacteria « Brucella », responsible for human and animal brucellosis, a worldwide disease of major economical impact. The second will target the infectious bacterium Pseudomonas syringae actinidiae, an emerging pathogen of the kiwi tree. Both kits will allow to probe two potential markets, « animal health » on the one hand and « agronomy » on the other hand.
This project proposal follows a previous REI project (Brucella) and ASTRID project (genotyping of a plant pathogen) that have allowed the development of web-linked bioinformatic tools (MLVAbank). These existing tools will help promote the proposed genotyping kits. The current project proposal is highly innovative and will help a French industrial partner becoming a pioneer in the emerging crossing fields of informatics, genomics and health (human, animal, plant).