Laboratory Workshop on New Diagnostic Technologies & Coordination of Research (WP4)

12 - 13 October 2015

The WP4 4th workshop was organized at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Headquarters in Vienna on New Diagnostic Technologies and Coordination of Research. The WP4 meeting on the new diagnostic technologies was held on 12 October 2015. Forty four participants attended the meeting, including 16 speakers, out of which 9 were external invited lecturers. All the presentations have been uploaded to the e-resources section of the LinkTADs website.

This first session covered some of the latest diagnostic technologies being developed and used, e.g. molecular platforms, high throughput technologies, next generation sequencing, bioinformatics, field applications, etc. The aim was to review and discuss the current development of the advanced laboratory technologies in the field of animal health, the main streams in the research field in the diagnostic area and the instruments and adaptations needed to integrate the updated diagnostic platforms into the on-going control strategies and programmes.The second session on Coordination of Research (13 October) aimed to describe the main research initiatives in the EU, China and across the globe. The first two presentations were web-streamed through an open access platform, and were followed by 70 people in 21 institutions.

During the afternoon of the 13th October 2015 the participants visited the Animal Production and Health Laboratory (APHL) of the Joint FAO/IAEA Division in Seibersdorf, Austria. The participants were informed on the research activities of APHL in the fields of African swine fever (ASF), pestedespetits ruminants (PPR), influenza A(AIV) and Trypanosoma, the development and validation of diagnostic assays for syndromic diseases, as well as the adaptation of the advanced molecular platforms, such as the Ion Torrent NGS. The Technical Officers at the Seibersdorf laboratories also explained the role APHL has in the capacity building and technology transfer through the Technical Cooperation Programme of IAEA, as many of the Member States fellowships and training courses are organized at APHL. Additionally, a large component of the Coordinated Research Programme of IAEA, together with the partners in Member States, is performed at the facilities of the APHL in Seibersdorf.

The agenda for the meeting can be found attached below.