The project plans to establish technologies that can be used for rapid and robust diagnosis of EBOV in the field, for the direct benefit of public health.

The work plan proposed in EbolaMoDRAD foresees five interrelated work packages (WP), each representing a major sub-division of the whole project with verifiable deliverables and milestones. The overall management of the project, including communication with IMIJU, financial management, preparation of periodic progress and financial reports, as well as the coordination of the communication between the participants of the project, will be performed in WP1.

WP2 and WP3 aim at developing biosafe detection methods for EBOV RNA, antigen and antibody that can be handled at the level of clinical diagnostic laboratories, or at healthcare centres in EVD endemic countries of West Africa and beyond. To achieve this goal, WP2 will have integrated activities on establishing novel technologies with WP3 and WP4. Partner 5, 15, and 17, specialist SME involved in the development of innovative and field-adapted diagnostic strategies, will facilitate the outcome of WP2 and WP3.

WP4 aims to validate the sensitivity and specificity of the methods developed in WP2, first in the central laboratories in Europe and then in laboratories in West Africa, in collaboration with the European Mobile Laboratory project (EM-LAB) and also through Emergency (EMR). WP4 will establish a BioBank and DatBase, which can be used for validation of novel assays and beyond. Within this WP, we will also field-validate the sensitivity, specificities and biosafety aspect of these methods. The knowledge will be transferred to the field.

WP5 will focus on capacity building in endemic areas, transfer of knowledge and technology between the members of the consortium and the countries affected in West Africa. In this context, the consortium will establish links with the national and international organisations, institutions and laboratories located in different areas to disseminate and transfer technologies needed for an integrated control and management strategy in areas where this disease is endemic. WP5 will act as a platform to bring together all the experts in the consortium and facilitate the scientific exchange visits and training in Africa.

In summary, the strong and broad combination of cutting edge research, operating facilities and novel methodologies with access to large amounts of samples and clinical data makes our proposed EbolaMoDRAD project highly innovative. This will place the initiative in a strong position to achieve its proposed scientific objectives and to provide sustainable solutions in European public health issues associated with EVD.

The scientific work plan developed in the EbolaMoDRAD project and the way in which the proposed plan will advance the field, do not hesitate to contact the project managers.