Target Malaria completes a new insectary in Ghana
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Target Malaria, in collaboration with the University of Ghana, Oxford University and Keele University, has completed a new insectary and laboratory space in Ghana.
The new facility is situated on the premises of the University of Ghana, Legon close to the Department of Plant and Environmental Biology (formally, Department of Botany) and the Department of Political Science. It was built to enhance infrastructure for mosquito research in a manner consistent with internationally recognised practices.
Ghana’s contribution to Target Malaria does not currently involve genetic research activities and the insectary will not house genetically modified mosquitoes.
The team at the University of Ghana focuses on the “Ecological observatory” to study the ecological effects of suppressing malaria mosquitoes, done in partnership with Oxford University.
The building of the new insectary was motivated by the limited available space in the Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science, from where the project has operated since its inception in 2018. The facility will host the two research projects.
The building has three insectaries, one imaging lab, one freezer room, one processing room and a pesticide testing room. The insectary incorporates distinctive features in the building to ensure it operates in a manner consistent with internationally recognized practice for mosquito research. The facility is equipped with the latest instrumentation for any researcher to perform experiments and collect research data. It will provide the Ghana team with the ability to carry out studies in a contained environment.
Target Malaria research activities in Ghana allow African researchers to be at the forefront of developing innovative solutions for malaria control in endemic countries. The new insectary building, along with diverse training and capacity building programmes, will also allow Ghanaian researchers to be involved in the development of new solutions for the continent and contribute to the training of future generations of African scientists.
