Photos & Field work

May 2023 | Field trip to Kisumu, Kenya

Prof. Tim Anderson, Dr. Frédéric Chevalier, and Dr. Winka Le Clec'h visited their collaborator, Dr. Eric Ndombi, and his team at KEMRI for a ten-day workshop. They taught the Kenyan team how to prepare DNA libraries from pools of miracidia for next-generation sequencing and learned how to catch snails in the field for microbiome sampling.

 

Snail rearing facility in KEMRI, Kisumu
Group photo in the snail rearing facility (the snail hut) in KEMRI, Kisumu
Snail rearing facility in KEMRI, Kisumu
Snails in the rearing facility in KEMRI, Kisumu
The snail rearing facility (snails hut) in KEMRI, Kisumu
The snail rearing facility (snail hut) in KEMRI, Kisumu
Molecular work to examine sequence variation in schistosome genes for molecular assessment of drug resistance (Winka Le Clec’h, Peter Olila , Erik Oyugi, Eric Ndombi).
Molecular work to examine sequence variation in schistosome genes for molecular assessment of drug resistance (Winka Le Clec’h, Peter Olila , Erik Oyugi, Eric Ndombi).
Molecular work to examine sequence variation in schistosome genes for molecular assessment of drug resistance (Winka Le Clec’h, Peter Olila , Erik Oyugi, Eric Ndombi).
Molecular biology training to examine sequence variation in schistosome genes for molecular assessment of drug resistance (Winka Le Clec’h, Peter Olila , Erik Oyugi, Eric Ndombi).
Frédéric Chevalier and Winka Le Clec’h collecting Biomphalaria spp. and Bulinus spp. snails with two collaborators, Churchil and Boaz
Frédéric Chevalier and Winka Le Clec’h collecting Biomphalaria spp. and Bulinus spp. snails on the shore of Lake Victoria, with two collaborators from KEMRI, Churchil and Boaz.
Frédéric Chevalier and Churchil Orao collecting Biomphalaria spp.and Bulinus spp. snails.
Frédéric Chevalier and Churchil Orao collecting Biomphalaria spp. and Bulinus spp. snails in the field (shore of Lake Victoria).
Frédéric Chevalier and Winka Le Clec’h collecting Biomphalaria spp. and Bulinus spp. snails with two collaborators, Churchil and Boaz
Frédéric Chevalier and Winka Le Clec’h collecting Biomphalaria spp. and Bulinus spp. snails on the shore of the Lake Victoria, with two collaborators, Churchil and Boaz, from KEMRI.
Production line processing of snail microbiomes in the Neglected Tropical disease Lab in KEMRI (Kisumu)
Production line processing of field snails for microbiome study in the Neglected Tropical disease Lab in KEMRI (Kisumu)
Extensive water contact and risk of schistosomiasis transmission in Lake Victoria
Extensive water contact and risk of schistosomiasis transmission in Lake Victoria.
Extensive water contact and risk of schistosomiasis transmission in Lake Victoria
Extensive water contact and risk of schistosomiasis transmission in Lake Victoria (fishermen).
Extensive water contact and risk of schistosomiasis transmission in Lake Victoria.
Extensive water contact and risk of schistosomiasis transmission in Lake Victoria (the fish market).

September 2024 | Field trip in Kenya to collect Schistosome parasites and their snail hosts

Dr. Jenna Hulke spent three weeks in Kenya, from September 9th to 30th, collecting Bulinus sp. snails and schistosome parasites: Schistosoma haematobium, which infects humans, and S. bovis, which infects cattle.

Over the course of three weeks, with the help of our Kenyan collaborators at KEMRI and Prof. Sam Loker from the University of New Mexico, Jenna collected snails, screened them for pre-existing infections, collected schistosome parasites from infected patients and cattle, and exposed uninfected snails to these parasites. She then returned to Texas Biomed with both exposed and some uninfected snails to establish S. haematobium and S. bovis parasite populations in the Anderson Lab. The goal is for Jenna to cross these two parasite species and evaluate the impact of hybridization on the fitness and genome of the hybrid offspring.

 

Water contact - Shore of the Lake Victoria
Boats used by fishermen along the shores of Lake Victoria highlight areas of water contact with Schistosoma parasites.
View from the shore of the Lake Victoria - Kisumu - Kenya
View from the shore of the Lake Victoria - Kisumu - Kenya
Collection of snails in Lake Victoria - Kisumu - Kenya
Collection of Bulinus spp. snails potentially infected with S. haematobium or S. bovis in Lake Victoria - Kisumu - Kenya
Processing cattle liver for S. bovis larvae recovery
Processing cattle liver for the recovery of S. bovis miracidia larvae and subsequent infection of Bulinus spp. snails.

2024 | Field trip in Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea to collect Schistosome miracidia from infected patients

Dr. Yves-Nathan Tian-Bi, from the University Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), spent several weeks in Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea collecting pools of Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma haematobium miracidia from infected patients. These miracidia pools will be shipped to Texas Biomed in San Antonio for gDNA extraction and the preparation of targeted capture libraries. The objective is to investigate the genetic diversity of several key parasite genes involved in drug response, including:

  • TRPMPZQ: Linked to praziquantel (PZQ) response
  • SOX13: Potentially associated with the expression of TRPMPZQ
  • SULT-OR: Linked to oxamniquine resistance

This project, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, aims to conduct molecular surveillance of Schistosomiasis endemic areas and screen for potential mutations in these critical Schistosoma genes. Identifying mutations that confer resistance or reduced sensitivity to anti-schistosome drugs will provide valuable insights for improving schistosomiasis treatment strategies.