Côte d’Ivoire

As part of a recent trip to Côte d’Ivoire, Professor Carolina de Weerth and postdoctoral fellow Bonnie Brett (who recently completely a study examining probiotic effects on cognition in children in Abidjan, the capital) visited the Insitut Pasteur: Côte d’Ivoire to learn how biological samples taken during the study were stored and analyzed.

While there, they not only learned about the procedures relating to their own data but also had the opportunity to visit the only biobank in West Africa, where samples from all over the region are stored. In addition to rooms full of industrial freezers, Carolina and Bonnie viewed nitrogen storage tanks, used to keep samples at nearly -200 degrees Celsius! They also saw cutting edge technology that allows the storage of DNA in tiny metal capsules with no liquid medium, and a venom research center focused on producing anti-venom treatments for local species of venomous wildlife.

In addition to being quite pleased with the state of their own samples, Carolina and Bonnie were thrilled to see the interesting work being done at the Institut Pasteur!