Modular Laboratories—Cost-Effective and Sustainable Infrastructure for Resource-Limited Settings

Daniel J. Bridges Akros, Cresta Golfview Grounds, Lusaka, Zambia; President's Malaria Initiative, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mozambique; Entomology Branch, Centers for Global Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Abt Associates Inc., Bethseda, Maryland; President’s Malaria Initiative, U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington, DC; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Department of Clinical Research, London, United Kingdom; ZAMBART Project, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia

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James Colborn Akros, Cresta Golfview Grounds, Lusaka, Zambia; President's Malaria Initiative, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mozambique; Entomology Branch, Centers for Global Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Abt Associates Inc., Bethseda, Maryland; President’s Malaria Initiative, U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington, DC; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Department of Clinical Research, London, United Kingdom; ZAMBART Project, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia

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Adeline S. T. Chan Akros, Cresta Golfview Grounds, Lusaka, Zambia; President's Malaria Initiative, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mozambique; Entomology Branch, Centers for Global Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Abt Associates Inc., Bethseda, Maryland; President’s Malaria Initiative, U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington, DC; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Department of Clinical Research, London, United Kingdom; ZAMBART Project, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia

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Anna M. Winters Akros, Cresta Golfview Grounds, Lusaka, Zambia; President's Malaria Initiative, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mozambique; Entomology Branch, Centers for Global Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Abt Associates Inc., Bethseda, Maryland; President’s Malaria Initiative, U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington, DC; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Department of Clinical Research, London, United Kingdom; ZAMBART Project, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia

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Dereje Dengala Akros, Cresta Golfview Grounds, Lusaka, Zambia; President's Malaria Initiative, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mozambique; Entomology Branch, Centers for Global Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Abt Associates Inc., Bethseda, Maryland; President’s Malaria Initiative, U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington, DC; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Department of Clinical Research, London, United Kingdom; ZAMBART Project, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia

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Christen M. Fornadel Akros, Cresta Golfview Grounds, Lusaka, Zambia; President's Malaria Initiative, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mozambique; Entomology Branch, Centers for Global Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Abt Associates Inc., Bethseda, Maryland; President’s Malaria Initiative, U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington, DC; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Department of Clinical Research, London, United Kingdom; ZAMBART Project, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia

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Barry Kosloff Akros, Cresta Golfview Grounds, Lusaka, Zambia; President's Malaria Initiative, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mozambique; Entomology Branch, Centers for Global Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Abt Associates Inc., Bethseda, Maryland; President’s Malaria Initiative, U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington, DC; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Department of Clinical Research, London, United Kingdom; ZAMBART Project, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.14-0054
Volume/Issue:
Volume 91: Issue 6
Page(s):
1074–1078
Restricted access
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High-quality laboratory space to support basic science, clinical research projects, or health services is often severely lacking in the developing world. Moreover, the construction of suitable facilities using traditional methods is time-consuming, expensive, and challenging to implement. Three real world examples showing how shipping containers can be converted into modern laboratories are highlighted. These include use as an insectary, a molecular laboratory, and a BSL-3 containment laboratory. These modular conversions have a number of advantages over brick and mortar construction and provide a cost-effective and timely solution to offer high-quality, user-friendly laboratory space applicable within the developing world.

Author Notes

* Address correspondence to Daniel Bridges, Akros, Cresta Golfview Grounds, Unit 5, Gt East Road, Lusaka, Zambia. E-mail: dbridges@akros.com

Financial support: We thank the various funding agencies, i.e., PMI (Insectary Lab in Mali), PATH (Molecular lab in Zambia) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BSL3 Lab in Zambia) for enabling these designs to become a reality.

Disclosure: Since the initial submission of this manuscript the author B. Kosloff has become a paid scientific advisor to Air Filter Maintenance Services (AFMS) and Biocontainment Infrastructure Solutions (BIS), both of Johannesburg, South Africa, suppliers of modular BSL3 infectious disease laboratories and BSL2 molecular laboratories, respectively. Although this manuscript compares modular versus brick-and-mortar laboratories, the authors do not endorse any specific manufacturers or products.

Authors' addresses: Daniel J. Bridges and Anna M. Winters, Akros, Cresta Golfview Grounds, Lusaka, Zambia, E-mails: dbridges@akros.com and awinters@akros.com. James Colborn, President's Malaria Initiative, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mozambique, E-mail: jcolborn@cdc.gov. Adeline S. T. Chan, Entomology Branch, Centers for Global Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, E-mail: asc8@cdc.gov. Dereje Dengala, Abt Associates Inc., Bethesda, MD, E-mail: Dereje_Dengela@abtassoc.com. Christen M. Fornadel, President’s Malaria Initiative, U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington, DC, E-mail: cfornadel@usaid.gov. Barry Kosloff, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Department of Clinical Research, London, UK, and ZAMBART Project, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia, E-mail: bkosloff@zambart.org.zm.

Copyright:
© The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 2014
Received:
22 Jan 2014
|
Accepted:
19 Jul 2014
|
Published Online:
03 Dec 2014
Cover The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Print ISSN:
0002-9637
Online ISSN:
1476-1645

Expert Committee on Hepatitis

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