ONWARD Webinar 10 – On the trail of a frog killer: tracking amphibian chytridiomycosis by using lateral-flow technology
On January 19, 2023, 2-3 PM UTC, we are honoured to have Dr. Michael Dillon (University of Plymouth) on our ONWARD Webinar Series. Michael will lecture on On the trail of a frog killer: tracking amphibian chytridiomycosis by using lateral-flow technology. The waterborne fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is responsible for the biggest documented loss of nature from a single disease. It causes chytridiomycosis, a catastrophic disease of amphibians responsible for pushing over 501 species of amphibian towards extinction. Rapid identification of the disease and biosecurity are essential to prevent further spread, but current laboratory-based tests are laborious, costly and ill-suited to field testing in resource limited settings. Here, we describe the generation of a point-of-care diagnostic device specific to Bd and the related salamander pathogen Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal).
ONWARD WEBINAR 09- Water monitoring: diagnostic tools for the future
On December 9th, 2022, 2-3 PM UTC, we are very honoured to have Professor Katrina Campbell (Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast), She will give a lecture on Water monitoring – diagnostic tools for the future. Water monitoring for microbiological and chemical sources of contamination is of increasing importance. A huge investment in time and effort is placed on these activities by regulatory and industrial laboratories. Although sophisticated techniques such as chromatography and spectrometry provide accurate and conclusive results, screening tests allow for SMART - Sensitive Multiplex Accurate Real time Analysis with less operator training. Biosensors combine a biological recognition element with a transducer to produce a measurable signal proportional to the extent of interaction between the recognition element and contaminant.