Scientists from Nepal and the JIDCuk charitable trust standing outside the National Animal Health Research Center (NAHRC) in Lalitpur, Nepal.

JIDCuk is a charity that supports the open access Journal of Infection in Developing Countries (JIDC) and otherwise invests in scientific research opportunities in low and middle income countries, led by local scientists.

The charity was founded by Professor John Wain and Dr Gemma Langridge, Group leaders at the Quadram Institute and University of East Anglia. Since its inception, JIDCuk has contributed to funding the research of numerous individuals in various countries and has provided in-person training in Fiji and Nepal. As well as funding researchers from low and middle income countries (LMIC) in their home countries JIDCuk fosters international collaboration and supports the development of accessible software and diagnostics for use in LMICs.

“We believe investing in masters students, PhD candidates, and scientists early in their careers is paramount for overcoming the hurdles preventing current scientists from building sustainable infrastructure in their home countries”, says Professor John Wain.

Facilitating Fiji’s microbiology sequencing capability

Some of the work done by those at JIDCuk has been facilitated by existing international collaborations, such as our strong links with Fiji National University and previous Quadram projects into water related diseases caused by microorganisms such as Salmonella.

In August 2023, Quadram Institute researchers Professor John Wain and Dr Emma Waters led a training visit to the university in Fiji to develop the country’s microbiology sequencing capability. The trip was a great success, Emma and John facilitated the first use of Nanopore sequencing in Fiji and the trip was a great success, ands the training provided the skills and resources to help identify the cause of an infection outbreak in a hospital unit for premature babies.

Nanopore training in Nepal

In 2024, JIDCuk supported the establishment of an Oxford Nanopore Technologies MinION sequencing facility at the National Animal Health Research Center (NAHRC) in Lalitpur, Nepal.

Dr Gemma Langridge, Dr Emma Waters and PhD student Alice Nisbet traveled to Nepal to conduct comprehensive in person training. The training covered both the science behind sequencing and and to delivered hands-on laboratory sessions for sequencing techniques. This training visit was facilitated by links made between the NAHRC, Dr Dipali Singh and ProfessorJohn Wain.

The training in Nepal was a great success, equipping local scientists with the understanding and the skills to perform DNA sequencing independently. This has a wed investigation of pathogens affecting local animal populations and the study of associated antimicrobial resistance profiles.

“The training was comprehensive and we are confident in our ability to undertake sequencing following the completion of the course. We look forward to ongoing communications with Dr Langridge, Miss Nisbet and colleagues at the Quadram Institute as we establish our sequencing capability at NAHRC,” says Dr Doj Raj Khanal, Executive Director, NAHRC.

Supporting postgraduate science across the globe

As well as these activities, JIDCuk currently supports students in Nigeria, Zimbabwe, the Philippines and Nepal.

The PhD candidate in Nigeria is researching Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi in Nigeria, while another a PhD candidate is researching Acinetobacter baumannii in Zimbabwe. Plus , a PhD candidate is investigating metagenomics of colorectal cancer in the Philippines.

The charity is funding two Masters by Research projects in bioinformatics and machine learning at the Nepal Applied Mathematics and Informatics Institute for Research.

These projects have been made possible by funding from the JIDCuk charitable trust and links between in-country institutions and the Quadram Institute, as well as collaborations with established researchers Dr Ben Evans and Dr Colin Cooper from the University of East Anglia who currently act as supervisors and contacts for some of the projects supported by JIDCuk.

An open access online journal

The JIDCuk charitable trust supports JIDC with its activities as an independent, online, open-access, science publication that promotes scientific development in lower income and middle income countries.

JIDC publishes the latest research from these countries, striving to make the scientific publication process more accessible to scientists worldwide.

Some Quadram Institute scientists have been involved with the peer review process for JIDC including John Wain, Alice Nisbet and Caroline Jarvis. This has been a valuable experience for UEA PhD students Alice Nisbet and Caroline Jarvis.

Future plans for the charity

JIDCuk also aims to expand its repertoire to provide equitable, accessible, open-source bioinformatics software for use in developing countries, alongside training on how to use the programmes. This ongoing project is led by Dr Claire Hill, Dr Lisa Crossman and collaborators at Theiagen Genomics.

Dr Cailean Carter is leading a research project with JIDCuk, developing a diagnostic test with the specific aim of accessibility to lower and middle income countries. This project is currently focusing on Nepal,

In the future, JIDCuk will continue to support masters students, PhD candidates, and scientists early in their careers in developing countries, and provide training to scientists in low-resource settings.

Read more about the efforts of JIDCuk to bridge the scientific development gap between low-income and high-income countries on the JIDCuk website and follow the charity on Bluesky and LinkedIn.