The Mobile Malaria Project

Overview

The Mobile Malaria Project was a Royal Geographical Society and Jaguar Land Rover sponsored journey with two main aims. The first was to document and communicate the diverse and innovative malaria research currently being performed across sub-Saharan Africa. This was achieved by driving a unique transect coast to coast across Africa, from Namibia to Kenya, interviewing researchers and recording and documenting our experiences as we traveled.

Secondly, we worked with two specific groups, in Zambia and Kenya, to explore mobile genetic sequencing of malaria parasites and mosquitoes. Our main ambition with these groups was to teach them the basics of nanopore sequencing, from both a practical and computational point of view. Working together, we learnt the potential of these machines to be used in the future.

The Mobile Malaria Project was a collaboration between British and African scientists and a major ambition for the expedition is to raise awareness for the need for scientific training and infrastructure investment in Africa so that future African scientists can perform similar analyses to those undertaken during the expedition.

Film

Checkout our film about the project, shot by Ezra Byrne

Team

The MMP team comprised three scientists from the UK and several scientific collaborators from Namibia, Zambia and Kenya.

Oxford University

• Dr George Busby
• Dr Isaac Ghinai
• Dr Jason Hendry

University of Namibia

• Dr Davis Mumbengegwi

Zambia NMEC

• Dr Daniel Bridges
• Mulenga Mwemba

Kenya

• Dr Eric Ochomo

Outputs

The MMP helped to build capacity and awareness for portable DNA sequencing in resource limited settings. The key outputs of the project are listed below:

Science

• During the Covid-19 pandemic, nanopore sequencers deployed in Zambia by the MMP were used to sequence the virus in Zambia Mwenda et al 2021
• Dr Jason Hendry and his team have published protocols and analyses intiated through collaborations built with the MMP deCesare et al 2024

Public Engagement

• We recorded some conversations as we travelled for the Lab Roving podcast
• George delivered the 5th and final Peter Allen Talk at the RGS, November 2019
• George delivered an hour long presentation on the MMP at the British Science Festival 2019
• The Phoenix Comic produced a 10 week comic series on the MMP for primary aged children

Contact

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• GitHub

Elements

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