The building

Physical infrastructure

This is a two storey building constructed with funds from NWO-WOTRO through the APRIORI Program and EDCTP through the EACCR and VITA Projects. The ground floor accommodates the clinical trial unit with necessary sections required for GCP compliant clinical trials; rooms for registration, examination, pharmacy, drug administration, observation and management of adverse events, laboratory, and kitchen. The trial unit has two wards with twelve beds for continuous observation e.g. in continuous pharmacokinetic studies. The first floor is for administration, finances, logistics, ICT, boardroom, and video-teleconferencing facility. The second floor accommodates offices for ICT, data management, data archiving, PhD rooms, electronic library, room for research monitors (DSMB), and lecture rooms.

The Biotechnology and Research Laboratories

The BL is a high technology laboratory which was built by KCMC with a grant from BMGF through KCMC-LSHTM collaboration. Over a period of time the laboratory has been equipped and staffed by several projects. BL and other research laboratories at KCMC form the KCRI department of Biotechnology and Research laboratories. They are the backbone of the laboratory activities of KCRI; they have reduced greatly transfer of research materials to other laboratories abroad.

The range of laboratory equipments available include: equipments for haematology (e.g. Cell Dyn, Beckman Coulter), for biochemistry (Cobas Integra 400plus, Refletron machine), for immunology (ELISA Reader – Bio-Rad, Biotex, BD Facs caliber, Flow Cytometry, ELISPOT Reader, Olympus Inverted microscope, Bio-plex), for bacteriology (Bactec - BACT/ALERT3D, MGIT 960, Fluorescent microscope, p3 safety cabinet, Gen probe loader), and for molecular (HIV RNA sample processor, HIV1 DNA PCR, QIA cube sample processor, Corbett Robotics, Thermocyclers). 

Procedures done include Serological tests, HIV testing (ELISA, Rapid tests and Western blot), HIV-1 RNA Viral load – using Abbott M2000RT, HIV1 DNA testing, real time PCR for TB, Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC) processing, Phenotypic analysis for lymphocytes, Biochemistry, Microbiology, cultures for serial colon counting, Bacterial and Mycobacterial identification and drug susceptibility testing.