Accueil > Our missions

Glossary

  • Chloroplast DNA

    constitutes the chloroplast genome: transmitted only by mothers, very little variation over time, makes it possible to track maternal lineages

  • Mitochondrial DNA

    constitutes the mitochondrial genome: transmitted only by mothers, very little variation over time, makes it possible to track maternal lineages

  • Apoptosis

    ability to induce programmed cell death

  • Blood-brain barrier Barrier (BBB)

    barrier between the peripheral blood and central nervous system

  • Endothelial cell

    specialized cell that is part of the composition of blood vessels

  • NK cells

    class of immune cells with a cytotoxic function

  • Chloroplasts

    cellular compartments in plants responsible for photosynthesis. Transmitted only by mothers.

  • Cytoadherence

    ability to adhere to cells, particularly endothelial cells

  • Epitope

    immunogenic protein fragment

  • Phylogenetic Study

    Development study of the genetic evolution of a living being (micro-organism, plant, animal)

  • Hepatocyte

    specialized liver cells

  • Hepatoma

    malignant liver tissue cell

  • Isolate

    a parasite strain isolated from the field

  • Deep microvascular beds

    small blood vessels in the deep tissues, in particular the brain

  • Mitochondria

    cellular structures in animals, responsible for energy synthesis. Transmitted only by mothers.

  • Pathogenicity

    ability to induce disease

  • PBMC

    peripheral blood mononuclear cells

  • Phenotypic

    related to the structure

  • Phylogeography

    analysis that also takes into account the geographical distribution of the lines studied

  • Primatology

    study of the species of the order of primates

  • Primatologist

    someone who specializes in the science of primates.

  • CTL response

    cytotoxic immune response

  • Reservoir

    animal species that hosts a pathogen over a long period

  • Trypanosomiasis

    sleeping sickness

Research

Research is a priority and focuses on various topics directly related to the situation in Gabon.

Five (5) research units and two (2) service laboratories with specific goals :

Research Units

RESEARCH UNIT ON EMERGING VIRAL DISEASES

Objective: The natural history of Ebola in Central Africa and pathophysiology; circulation and microcirculation of arboviruses in Gabon.

 

RESEARCH UNIT ON RETROVIROLOGY

Objective: Pathophysiology research through primate animal models and epidemiological, serological and molecular surveillance of retroviruses and hepatitis viruses in Gabon.

 

RESEARCH UNIT ON MEDICAL PARASITOLOGY

Objective: Studies of parasitic diseases of regional medical interest.

 

RESEARCH UNIT ON HEALTH ECOLOGY

Objective: Environmental risk, faunistic inventory of hosts and vectors of zoonotic diseases, ecology and conservation (WCS collaboration for rainforest species).

 

RESEARCH UNIT ON HAEMATOLOGICAL DISEASES

Objective: Development of systematic screening test for sickle cell disease, genetic diagnosis of haematological diseases.

 

Service Laboratories

LABORATORY FOR MEDICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ANALYSES AND RESEARCH IN PUBLIC HEALTH

Objective: Medical Analysis Laboratory: haematology, biochemistry, serology, bacteriology, parasitology.

 

THE PRIMATE CENTRE

Objective: Research in various scientific fields, in particular SIV, malaria and Ebola. Primate Centre: 400 primates from Gabon (chimpanzees, gorillas, mandrills, sun-tailed guenons, white-collared mangabeys, hocheur monkeys), from Africa (vervets) and Asia (rhesus macaques and cynomolgus macaques).

 

Three field research stations

Gorilla and Chimpanzee Research Station in the Lope National Park (ecology and genetics of the equatorial rainforest);
Research Station in Batéké Plateau National Park (savannah forest ecology)
Carbon Project (L White ANPN)
Dienga Health Observatory (parasitology, virology, public health)

One Biological Resource Centre
Biological Resource Centre: Over 250,000 biological samples (December 2009)
Internal service for the management of collections and genetic data / computer data obtained on the rainforest objects (sensu lato).

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