Employing (Home) Organisation: Centre de recherches médicales de Lambaréné, CERMEL
Project title: Investigating the Environmental and Genetic Factors Driving Aedes Mosquito Displacement and Arbovirus Transmission in West and Central Africa
Dr. Manouana obtained his PhD in microbiology and molecular biology from the University of Tübingen (UKT) in Germany on the diagnosis and genetic characteristics of potential pathogens in children under five suffering from diarrhoea. He has been a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL) since 2023. His current research focuses on studying the transmission dynamics of various pathogens, such as arboviruses and respiratory viruses.
Summary of Project Destination
Approximately 73% of emerging and re-emerging pathogens are of arboviral origin, with Aedes and Culex spp. being the main vectors. Recent advances in virus discovery, mainly high throughput sequencing approaches, have shown a large number of viruses belonging to the same families as arboviruses but without any history of vertebrate infection. Thus, the question arises if insect-specific viruses (ISVs) are associated with certain haplotype mosquitoes and whether the differences in arbovirus infection rates in Africa can be explained by their (co)infection with ISVs. He will therefore use a system for haplotype sequencing as well as pan-virus PCR sequencing to study the genetic characterization and interaction of mosquito genetics with viruses.
Summary of Fellowship Plan
During his fellowship, Dr Manouana will be working with Prof. Dr. Stefanie Becker at the Institute for Parasitology and Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, along with a team of experts in genomics and bioinformatics. He will acquire hands-on skills in next-generation sequencing (NGS), including library construction, and setting up sequencing protocols. The skills acquired will be used to contribute to growing research capacity at his home university.
Quote
“Improved mosquito control strategies reduce the spread of dangerous diseases in Africa, contributing to public health protection.”
Dr. Gédéon Prince MANOUANA expects to start his fellowship in July 2025