PhD & Postdoc

Emmanuel Boateng

Malaria Diagnostics · University of Ghana

Emmanuel Boateng develops a LAMP-based nucleic acid amplification test for Plasmodium falciparum that is sensitive enough to detect the sub-microscopic parasitaemias — below 100 parasites per µL — carried asymptomatically by an estimated 30% of school-age children in Ghana's seasonal malaria zones. At the University of Ghana's Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, supervised by Prof. Kwesi Frimpong, Emmanuel has designed a six-primer set targeting the P. falciparum var gene family, achieving a limit of detection of 0.02 parasites per µL when run at 65 °C for 45 minutes on a simple heat block. Crucially, his protocol uses dried blood spot samples on filter paper collected by community health workers — eliminating cold-chain requirements and enabling remote district deployment. A field trial across 847 school children in three Volta Region districts found 22% more positive cases than standard RDTs detected, fundamentally altering the measured school transmission reservoir. Emmanuel's collaboration with the Ghana Health Service National Malaria Control Programme means the assay is under evaluation for integration into the national school-based mass drug administration programme. His ASTMH conference abstract and discussions with molecular diagnostics companies about LAMP reagent licensing underscore his industry ambitions.

Thesis Topic

Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay for Sub-Microscopic Plasmodium falciparum Detection in Asymptomatic School Children

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