Research Project
Discover our various research projects
Study of the role of certain compounds in targeting mRNA polyadenylation in Trypanosoma brucei brucei
Description: Trypanosomes are parasites responsible for sleeping sickness in humans (Human African Trypanosomiasis) and Nagana disease in cattle, two neglected diseases with serious economic and health consequences in sub-Saharan Africa. In the absence of a vaccine, available treatments remain toxic and are becoming less effective due to increasing resistance.
This project aims to identify novel compounds capable of targeting mRNA polyadenylation in T. brucei , a post-transcriptional mechanism essential for the parasite's survival. The results of this project will also open therapeutic avenues for other diseases such as cancer, thalassemia, and Huntington's disease. This review examines the prospects and challenges of targeting RNA-binding proteins with small molecules, paving the way for new therapeutic approaches.
Collaborators: University of Uşak, Turkey · Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa · DKFZ /
University of Heidelberg, Germany
Funding: This project is funded by UNESCO-TWAS under the SG-NAPI programme, Agreement No.
FR3240330984 (2024–2026).
Wastewater monitoring: microbiome and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the DRC
Description: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most serious threats to global public health. In the DRC, several factors exacerbate this situation, such as the dispensing of antibiotics without a prescription, the misuse of treatments, and the near-total absence of wastewater treatment systems.
This project aims to investigate the role of hospital and domestic wastewater as environments for the emergence and concentration of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). The results are intended to position wastewater monitoring as an affordable and effective public health tool for the continent.
Collaborators: Typas Laboratory, EMBL Heidelberg, Germany; Pasteur Institute, Paris, France
Support: This project was supported by EMBL-UNESCO Fellowship 2025 and was conducted with the laboratory's own funding.
Our Collaborators
