Introduction of overseas research bases
Okayama University India Center
Research into the elucidation of infection routes for infectious diarrhea, prevention and control of infection by causative microorganisms, and environmental factors that affect the occurrence, survival, and spread of Vibrio cholerae
In 2007, Okayama University established the Collaborative Research Center of Okayama University for Infectious Diseases in India within the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (from June 2024, the name of the institute was changed to the ICMR-National Institute for Research in Bacterial Infections) in Kolkata.
Through 17 years of local activities, research facilities have been developed and strong relationships of trust have been built with local researchers. Under these circumstances, in cooperation with local researchers, we are conducting various research projects to control infectious diarrheal diseases such as cholera. The target infectious diseases are cholera and vibrio infections, pathogenic Escherichia coli infections, drug-resistant bacterial infections, Salmonella infections (typhoid fever), viral diarrhea including rotavirus infections. In addition, we collect human diarrheal stool for the detection and isolation of diarrheal causative bacteria, livestock feces for the detection and isolation of novel pathogenic E. coli, and sewage and environmental water samples for the detection and isolation of Vibrio cholerae and other pathogens.
Major papers and achievements
- Effect of physicochemical and microbiological factors on the development of viable but non-culturable and resuscitation states of Vibrio cholera. Arch Microbiol. 2024, 206:224, doi: 10.1007/s00203-024-03956-y.
- Isolation of Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio vulnificus from estuarine waters, and genotyping of V. vulnificus Isolates using loop-mediated isothermal amplification. Microorganisms. 2024, 12:877, doi: 10.3390/microorganisms12050877.
- Rapid diagnostic tests and loop-mediated isothermal amplification method for the detection of Shigella species: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Infect Public Health. 2024, 17:1065-1078, doi: 10.1016/j.jiph.2024.04.013.
- Prevalence and changing antimicrobial resistance profiles of Shigella spp. isolated from diarrheal patients in Kolkata during 2011-2019. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2024, 18:e0011964, doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011964.
- Foodborne outbreak by Salmonella enterica serovar Weltevreden in West Bengal, India. Foodborne Pathog Dis. 2024 , 21:220-227, doi: 10.1089/fpd.2023.0064.
- Comprehensive full genome analysis of norovirus strains from eastern India, 2017-2021. Gut Pathog. 2024, 16:3, doi:10.1186/s13099-023-00594-5.
A word from our base
Okayama University was selected for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s “Program for Forming Research Centers for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases,” and opened the Collaborative Research Center of Okayama University for Infectious Diseases in India (India Base) as an overseas base in September 2007. After participating in the Ministry’s “Program for Promoting International Networks for Infectious Disease Research (FY2010-FY2014),” the university is now participating in the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development’s “Japan Initiative for Global Research Network on Infectious Diseases (J-GRID) (FY2015-FY2019),” and then in the same organization’s “Japan Program for Infectious Diseases Research and Infrastructure (Division of Basic Medical Research) (FY2020-).”
In this project, Okayama University has stationed two researchers and one administrative staff member at our center to conduct the studies on the reservoir, transmission, and spread of infectious diarrhea in Kolkata, India. We hope that many researchers will take advantage of our base in India.
Research Director or Center Director: Shin-ichi Miyoshi
Position: Professor, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Professor, Research Center for Intestinal Health Science, Okayama University
Degree: Doctor of Philosophy (Pharmaceutical Science）(Osaka University)
Biography
| 2024 - Present | Professor, Research Center for Intestinal Health Science, Okayama University |
|---|---|
| 2021 - Present | Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University |
| 2015 - 2020 | Professor, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University |
| 2002 | Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) India Diarrhea Control Project, Short-term Expert |