Aqsens Health and the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research sign an agreement to deepen their collaboration
The research collaboration will focus on lethal infectious diseases.
Finnish healthtech start-up Aqsens Health and Ghanaian research institute NMIMR deepen their collaboration to validate the AQ MALARIA test and to begin the development of saliva-based Cholera and Tuberculosis tests.
Accra, Ghana. Aqsens Health and the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) signed a collaboration and research agreement in Accra, Ghana. The project's goal is to develop new non-invasive tests and to clinically validate the AQ Malaria test and mobile test platform AQ MOBI first to the Ghanaian, Western African, and later to the wider African market.
Last year, Aqsens Health and NMIMR’s Immunology departments malaria diagnostic research team led by Dr. Linda Amoah completed a pilot study showing that the phage-based biosensor developed by Aqsens can accurately detect the presence of malaria parasites in a saliva sample. The successful pilot study led to the new larger-scale project agreement as well as to the company's plans to establish and incorporate an Aqsens subsidiary in Ghana.
This larger-scale research project includes the training of three NMIMR researcher assistants in Aqsens Health’s methodology, biosensor development processes, and sample analysis in Finland.
“We are happy to continue work with the Aqsens team and to expand it to new areas. It is also extremely important that we can lift this to the next level by familiarizing NMIMR staff with the world of Aqsens Health’s biosensors in Finland. Me and the whole team are excited and we are looking forward to what the year 2022 will bring us,” says Dr. Linda Amoah.
“After a year of joint research and encouraging results, we are excited to take the next steps in our collaboration with the NMIMR. Under this new agreement we will not only validate and develop new tests but build a foundation for the future. By training three talents in Finland we make a major competence transfer to Ghana and accelerate our operations in the country. More importantly, we’re making an impact on how lethal infectious diseases can be managed in developing economies,” Aqsens Health’s CEO Time Teimonen concludes.
Three new Ghanaian bioscience talents from NMIMR arrived in Finland on Valentine’s day and already began their six week training in the Aqsens laboratory in Turku. After the training they will be able to independently conduct biosensor research in Ghana.
For more information, contact:
CEO and Co-Founder
Timo Teimonen
+358 40 5853105
timo.teimonen@aqsens.com
Aqsens Health Oy is a Finnish health- and biotechnology startup developing non-invasive screening tests for different high-impact diseases. The company’s current research projects focus on developing a mobile screening platform fit for the needs of developing economies, and establishing a reliable and cost-efficient screening test for prostate cancer. The tests use Aqsens Health’s novel E-TRF technology in combination with bacteriophage-biosensors. The company’s laboratories and main office are located in Turku, Finland, with another office in the capital Helsinki.
The Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) is the premier medical research institute in Ghana, and one of the leading biomedical institutes in Western Africa. It is a part of the University of Ghana, and is located in the nation’s capital Accra. In the 21st century, the institute’s research has focused on several high-impact diseases like HIV and AIDS, TB, rotavirus, malaria, and most recently, the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana.
