Laboratory: Immunology and Molecular Biology of Parasites

Information about the Research Line

Emerging zoonoses as causes of Intermediate Duration Fever in the islands of La Palma and El Hierro, Canary Islands

• Identification of the infectious causes of IDF on the islands of La Palma and El Hierro and their incidence, as well as the associated epidemiological profile.

Funding: ACIISI ProID2020010071, in collaboration with the University of Barcelona and the Canary Islands Health Service.

Transcriptional analysis for the evaluation of the response to parasitic protozoan infection, using large-scale RTqPCR

• Determination of biomarkers of infection and progression.
• Evaluation of drugs or vaccines that may be effective against parasites.

Updated list of staff and their type of employment.

Emma Carmelo Pascual, Professor of Parasitology

Genesis Palacios Cortés, PhD student, ACIISI Contract

Wilson Silvestre del Carvalho Correia, PhD student.

Services that are carried out

High-throughput RTqPCR for large-scale transcriptional analysis

Determination of biomarkers using High-throughput RTqPCR

PCR for the determination of microorganisms

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Research Area

Biomarkers in the diagnosis and progression of diseases

Description:

This research investigates various potential biological markers due to their relevance in the diagnosis and monitoring of the progression of different respiratory, dermatological, and cancerous diseases. These biomarkers include those related to aging, such as telomere shortening, as well as various markers of oxidative stress, inflammation, and/or tissue repair, all studied in both humans and animal models.

Staff list

-Angélica Domínguez de Barros. Biologist hired to lead Research Project- FICIC

-Olga Malena Gajate Arenas. Doctoral candidate in the Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Development and Quality of Life program.

– Elizabeth Córdoba Lanús. Postdoctoral Researcher, PI of the laboratory

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Name lines of research

– Antiparasitic Chemotherapy

– Research on Free-Living Amoebas

Description:

He Antiparasitic Chemotherapy Laboratory This research focuses on the search for new molecules of natural and/or synthetic origin to combat parasitic and emerging protozoa. The laboratory uses four in vitro models of protozoa: Leishmania spp., Trypanosoma cruzi, Acanthamoeba spp., and Naegleria fowleri. In this area, the laboratory collaborates with national and international centers (Germany, Tunisia, Morocco, Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Austria, Italy, among others) to study natural sources such as medicinal plants, seaweed, and other marine animals, as well as synthetic products and their validation as potential drugs against infections caused by these protozoa, for which there are currently no highly effective treatments, and those that exist are highly toxic.

He Free-Living Amoeba Laboratory (FLAV) This research focuses on the morphological and molecular study and characterization of these opportunistic pathogens. Within this group, which includes amoebae capable of living in any type of environment (water, soil, air, etc.), there are four genera/species with pathogenic potential for humans and other animals: Balamuthia mandrillaris, Naegleria fowleri, Acanthamoeba spp., and Sappinia spp. These pathogens can cause infections in the central nervous system, leading to encephalitis, which in the case of N. fowleri is rapid and fulminant.

This laboratory conducts environmental distribution studies of acanthamoeba keratitis (AKF), enabling it to detect these pathogens on nearly every continent where it collaborates. Furthermore, they work to improve our understanding of the pathogenesis processes of these organisms. They also provide diagnostic services for AKF (Acanthamoeba keratitis, amoebic encephalitis) to the Canary Islands Health Service and members of the Cooperative Research Network on Tropical Diseases (RICET), serving as a national reference center for these pathogens. They also offer this service to external companies or individuals. Recently, due to the inclusion of the Canary Islands Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health in the CIBER (Network of Biomedical Research in Infectious Diseases), the same service will be provided to CIBER members.

Another available service is the detection of AVL in drinking and/or recreational waters due to the increase in AVL infections through these routes in recent years.

Members

Head of Laboratory (Therapy): Dr. José E. Piñero Barroso, Full Professor of Parasitology

Head of Laboratory (Amoebas): Dr. Jacob Lorenzo Morales, Full Professor of Parasitology

Other members:

Dr. Atteneri López Arencibia, Assistant Professor of Parasitology

Dr. Ines Sifaoui, Postdoctoral Researcher

Dr. María Reyes Batlle, Postdoctoral Researcher

Dr. Ikrame Zeouk, CEI Junior Postdoctoral Researcher-ULL

Dr. Pedro Rocha Cabrera, Collaborating Researcher

Mr. Aitor Rizo Liendo, FPI-Gobcan Predoctoral Researcher

Mr. Carlos J. Bethencourt Estrella, FPI-Gobcan Predoctoral Researcher

Mr. Rubén L. Rodríguez Expósito, FPI-Gobcan predoctoral researcher

Ms. Desirée San Nicolás-Hernández, FPI-Gobcan Predoctoral Researcher

Mr. Iñigo Arberas Jiménez, FPI-Gobcan Predoctoral Researcher

Ms. Patricia Pérez Pérez, FPI-Gobcan Predoctoral Researcher

Mr. Javier Chao Pellicer, Predoctoral Researcher

Mr. Christian Martín Real, collaborator

Available services

Code	Concept	IGIC
3	Acanthamoeba PCR diagnosis	General

Rates

T3	55,00 €
T4	70,00 €
Code		Concept	IGIC
4		Diagnosis Naegleria fowleri PCR	General

Rates

T3	55,00 €
T4	70,00 €
Code	Concept	IGIC
5	Diagnosis of free-living amoebae (Culture)	General

Rates

T3	40,00 €
T4	55,00 €

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Laboratory name:

Biological Alerts Laboratory

Description:

Since January 29, 2019, the IUETSPC has been a member of the Biological Alert Laboratory Network (RELAB), regulated by Order PCI/1381/2018. This international network was created in February 2009 by Order of the Presidency of the Government (Order PRE/305/2009, of February 18). It is a scientific and technical infrastructure providing operational support to the National Crisis Management System for responding to threats from hazardous biological agents. Currently in Spain, it comprises nine microbiology laboratories with high-containment biosafety facilities, specializing in the different fields considered high-risk (human, animal, environmental, plant, and food health).

This Network is connected to health alert coordination bodies and biological threat surveillance and response networks established in various national and international health sectors, with mechanisms for the rapid exchange of information regarding biological risks that may affect different health sectors. In turn, the laboratories comprising RE-LAB serve as reference and support laboratories within the corresponding surveillance networks established in their respective areas.

The Canary Islands, due to their proximity to the African continent, are at a geostrategic point for trade, the exchange of goods, tourism, and investment with the neighboring continent. This implies the movement of people from Africa through Europe, and therefore carries the potential risks of the development and transmission of diseases, whether parasitic or viral, in our environment. This laboratory offers diagnostic support primarily for these emerging infections and for the handling of BSL-2 and BSL-3 samples, as it has an attached P-3 laboratory.

That is why the Institute has expanded into new possible lines of research, such as the diagnosis of Ebola and COVID-19.

As a result of the current health crisis, since April 10, 2020, the IUETSPC has been authorized by the Carlos III Health Institute as a support center for PCR analysis of clinical samples with COVID-19, a diagnosis that is being carried out in the center's Biological Alerts laboratory, under the resolution of the Directorate

General of Public Health of the Canary Islands Health Service of May 4, 2020, authorization number COVID.002/2020 is available for carrying out the aforementioned tests.

Members:

Head of Laboratory: Dr. Jacob Lorenzo Morales, Full Professor of Parasitology

Other members:

Dr. Aida Elizabeth Córdoba Lanús, Postdoctoral Researcher

Mr. Omar García Pérez, Predoctoral Researcher

Mr. Javier Chao Pellicer, Predoctoral Researcher

Available services

List of Services

Code	Concept	IGIC
1	COVID-19 PCR Diagnosis	General

Rates

T3	90,00 €
T4	120,00 €
Code	Concept	IGIC
2	COVID-19 diagnostic test strip	General

Rates

T3	20,00 €
T4	25,00 €
Code	Concept	IGIC
6	Express COVID-19 Diagnosis	General

Rates

T3	150,00 €
T4	180,00 €
Code	Concept	IGIC
7	COVID-19 Pool Diagnostic	General

Rates

T3	110,00 €
T4	145,00 €
Code	Concept	IGIC
8	COVID-19 diagnosis in saliva	General

Rates

T3	80,00 €
T4	100,00 €
Code	Concept	IGIC
9	Doctor technician assistance / hour	General

Rates

T3	50,00 €
T4	100,00 €
Code	Concept	IGIC
10	Senior technician assistance / hour	General

Rates

T3	42,00 €
T4	80,00 €
Code	Concept	IGIC
11	Assistance from a mid-level technician or specialist technician / hour	General

Rates

T3	35,00 €
T4	70,00 €
Code	Concept	IGIC
12	Preparation of results analysis reports / hour	General

Rates

T3	100,00 €
T4	120,00 €
Code	Concept	IGIC
13	Travel times / hour	General

Rates

T3	35,00 €
T4	70,00 €
Code	Concept	IGIC
14	CT RT-PCR SARS-Cov2 calculation	General

Rates

T3	40,00 €
T4	80,00 €
Code	Concept	IGIC
15	Detection of SARS-CoV-2 variant	General

Rates

T3	80,00 €
T4	110,00 €

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Laboratory name:

Immunology and molecular biology of parasites

Laboratory IP: Enrique Martínez Carretero

The main lines of research are:

Studies of the immune response to parasitic infections

Obtaining specific antibodies against specific antigens

Development of monoclonal antibodies

Serological and Molecular Diagnosis of parasitic diseases.

Equipment

Laura Charola Ramos, Pharmacy Graduate, Doctoral Candidate and Laboratory Technician

Elisa González Guerra, PhD candidate, graduate in Biology

Daniel Reyes Estevez, PhD Candidate, Pharmacy Graduate

María José Sanz Doctoral Student Graduated in Pharmacy

Pedro Laínez Roldán, PhD candidate and collaborating physician specializing in internal medicine

Ariana Filomena Freira PhD Student (University of Cape Verde UCV)

María José Bernal, Research Collaborator at Loro Parque, PhD in Biology

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Laboratory name:

Laboratory of Parasitic Faunistics and Zoonoses

Information on the lines of research

-Studies are conducted related to parasitic fauna, parasitic biodiversity analysis, ecoepidemiology studies, molecular phylogeny and parasitic diagnosis.

-Analysis of zoonotic agents, detection, morphological and molecular characterization, location of risk foci, and ecoepidemiology studies are developed.

Updated list of staff and their type of employment.

Pilar Foronda Rodríguez, Full Professor

Natalia Martín Carrillo, Contracted Project Researcher

Néstor Abreu Acosta, Contracted Project Researcher

Román Pino Vera, Contracted Project Researcher

Katherine García Livia, Predoctoral Research Fellow. M-ULL Scholarship

Elena Izquierdo Rodríguez, Predoctoral Research Fellow. M-ULL Grant

Edgar Baz González, Research Staff in Predoctoral Training. FPI Scholarship

Government of the Canary Islands

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Laboratory name

MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY

Information on the line of research:

Vector-borne diseases, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), account for more than 171% of all infectious diseases and cause more than 700,000 deaths each year. In the last decade, major outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging diseases such as dengue, malaria, chikungunya fever, yellow fever, and Zika virus disease have strained the health systems of numerous countries.

In Madeira, a neighboring archipelago, the first dengue epidemic in Europe since the 1920s occurred in 2012, with 1,891 cases of the DENV-1 serotype detected by the end of November of that year. It is worth noting that this outbreak of such magnitude occurred less than a decade after the introduction of Aedes aegypti to the territory.

Therefore, early detection of the vector enables rapid action to control populations and prevent their spread. Thus, the implementation of entomological surveillance of these species directly impacts the health of the islands' population, since early detection of the vector allows us to reduce the risk of the emergence and re-emergence of these diseases in our archipelago. For this reason, in 2013 the Canary Islands joined the project.

“Technical work on Entomological Surveillance in airports and ports against imported vectors of exotic infectious diseases and surveillance of potential autochthonous vectors of said diseases” co-financed by the Ministry of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare and the Government of the Canary Islands. The results of said Entomological Surveillance Service The data collected by the medical entomology laboratory are included in an annual report that indicates both the presence or absence of invasive species and those native species detected in the traps located at the established Points of Entry (POE).

As a result of the experience acquired in recent years in the field of entomological surveillance, our laboratory and the University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands (IUETSPC), together with the University of La Laguna (ULL) are leading the Interreg MAC 2014-2020 Territorial Cooperation project called “Institutional Cooperation to raise the effectiveness and efficiency of the public health policy linked to the introduction of tropical diseases in Macaronesia” (AEDENET) in cooperation with Cape Verde for the improvement of Entomological Surveillance in both archipelagos and the development of a Preparedness and Response Plan against mosquito-borne diseases in the Canary Islands.

On the other hand, the Entomology Laboratory at IUETSPC conducts research related to the vector capacity of native species that transmit pathogens in our archipelago. One line of research focuses on detecting insecticide-resistant variants in the Anopheles mosquito species that were responsible for malaria transmission in the islands during the last century. This information is crucial for having proactive control tools in the event of outbreaks of diseases transmitted by these vectors.

Regarding the chemical control of culicids and anophelines, the medical entomology laboratory and the Canary Foundation for the Control of Tropical Diseases (FUNCCET) have established since 2017 and currently maintain a collaboration agreement with the company Termobiomasa SL to carry out tests with insecticidal products with various species of mosquito vectors of pathogens.

Since the Canary Islands are endemic for the transmission of canine dirofilariasis, studies have also been developed to characterize the mosquito species responsible for the circulation of this disease.

In the current context, rapid identification of vectors is crucial to prevent the establishment of invasive species of the genus Aedes spp. Therefore, the laboratory has the necessary tools for the molecular identification of mosquito specimens or other arthropod vectors, using molecular markers of proven efficacy (COI, 16S rRNA, ITS). It also maintains a molecular database of resident mosquitoes on the islands, as well as those of doubtful origin and potentially invasive species, allowing for verification of morphological identification when necessary.

Another line of research at the Medical Entomology Laboratory focuses on the study of arbovirus circulation in vectors and hosts. Following the transfer of methodology from the Arbovirus and Imported Viral Diseases Unit of the Carlos III Health Institute, the national reference laboratory, the laboratory is equipped to detect arboviruses of the Flavivirus, Alphavirus, and Phlebovirus genera. Studies initiated in this area have focused, on the one hand, on the search for arboviruses in mosquitoes, having analyzed 15,000 mosquitoes grouped into 729 pools to date, and on the other hand, on the study of neurological conditions in humans, with a total of 378 samples analyzed. The results of this study form part of the ongoing doctoral thesis entitled “Emerging Tropical Diseases in the Canary Islands: A Study of Arbovirus Circulation in Mosquitoes.”

Finally, our laboratory also studies other arthropod vectors, such as sand flies, which are responsible for transmitting diseases caused by bacteria of the genus Bartonella, viruses of the genera Phlebovirus, Vesiculovirus, and Orbivirus, and parasitic protozoa of the genus Leishmania. Regarding the emergence and re-emergence of these pathogens in Europe, the phleboviruses Naples virus (SFNV), Sicilian virus (SFSV), and Toscana virus (TOSV), and the parasite Leishmania infantum, stand out due to their increased incidence and distribution range, while the vesiculovirus Chandipura is noteworthy for the risk of its introduction to the continent.

Staff list:

NAME	LINKAGE
Antonio del Castillo Remiro	Full Professor at the University of La Laguna in the Area of Parasitology
Carolina Fernández Serafín	Predoctoral Researcher in the Area of Parasitology
Sara Rodríguez Camacho	Predoctoral Researcher in the Area of Parasitology
Irene Serafín Pérez	Predoctoral Researcher in the Area of Parasitology

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Laboratory name:

Water and Environment Laboratory

Lines of research

• Biological water quality control
• Aeromicrobiology. Study of airborne microorganisms

Information about the line of research

Within the water quality control area, a services division has been developed, targeting private and public entities, given the extensive experience in the fields of parasitology and microbiology. In the research area, the company collaborates with the group led by Dr. Luisa Mª Vera Peña, from the Department of Chemical Engineering and Pharmaceutical Technology, on various nationally and regionally funded projects aimed at improving the quality of reclaimed water, reducing its environmental impact, and increasing resource reuse.

Research in the field of Aeromicrobiology has always gone hand in hand with the GOTA research group of the ULL, led by Professor Juan Pedro Díaz González, with whom we have participated in 3 projects in the last decade, focused on knowing the microbiological composition of the air in the Canary Islands and studying the impact of environmental factors, especially Saharan air intrusions.

Within this framework, other collaborations have been established. At the national level, with Drs. Ángeles Aguilera Bazán and Elena González Toril, from the Center for Astrobiology of Madrid (CAB-INTA), with whom we are working on a project within the national plan for the microbiological analysis of air in arid environments, analogous to those found on the planet Mars.

Also at the international level, since 2016, we have participated in two NASA-funded projects. One of them, led by Dr. Andrew C. Schuerger of the University of Florida, laid the groundwork for studying the influence of Saharan and Asian air intrusions on U.S. ecosystems and served as the platform for a new NASA project call. In this latest call, we are participating in a project led by Dr. Hosein Foroutan of Virginia Tech, designed to study the airborne transport capacity of microorganisms within the dust clouds generated in the Sahara Desert.

Updated list of staff and their type of employment.

Dr. Cristina González Martín. Head of the Water and Environment Laboratory. FGULL Contractor.

Mr. Jonathan Martín Armas. Laboratory Technician. FGULL Contractor.

Services

WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL LABORATORY SERVICES

• Detection and enumeration of indicator bacteria by culture (fecal coliforms, E. coli, intestinal enterococci, Pseudomonas spp., Clostridium perfringens, etc.)
• Detection and identification of pathogenic bacteria (Legionella, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Vibrio, etc.) through culture and biochemical tests
• Detection and identification of bacteria using molecular biology
• Analysis of dispersal patterns of intestinal parasitic helminths in water samples
• Analysis of dispersal patterns of intestinal parasitic protozoa in water samples (regenerated, purified) using direct immunofluorescence
• Analysis of dispersal methods of intestinal parasitic protozoa in water samples (reclaimed, purified, drinking water, swimming pool, etc.) using molecular biology
• Analysis of bacteriophage viruses using double-layer culture
• Analysis of bacteriophage viruses using molecular biology
• Detection and enumeration of human intestinal viruses (Rotavirus, Enterovirus, Adenovirus, etc.) in clean water samples (swimming pools, drinking water) by concentration in positive charge filters and molecular biology
• Analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in wastewater according to the MITECO protocol
• Analysis of fungi and yeasts by plate count
• Analysis of fungi using molecular biology

NOTE: We perform on-site sampling. If you are interested in any of these services, or would like to inquire about other services not listed here, please do not hesitate to contact the laboratory.

Water and Environment Laboratory

Email: iuetspc.laboratoriodeaguas@gmail.com

Phone: 922 316502 ext. 6112