Using the MARPLE kit to diagnose wheat rust in Ethiopia
MARPLE (Mobile and Real-time PLant disEase) Diagnostics is a revolutionary mobile lab developed by a team from the John Innes Centre (JIC), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR). It uses nanopore sequence technology to rapidly diagnose and monitor wheat rust in farmers’ fields.
Designed to be used without constant electricity and in varying temperatures, the suitcase-sized lab allows researchers to identify wheat rust to strain level in just 48 hours — something that used to take months using other tools.
The MARPLE team was recognized as Innovator of the Year for international impact in 2019 by the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
A new video from the John Innes Centre shows how the MARPLE Diagnostics kit will allow Ethiopia to quickly identify wheat rust strains, instead of sending samples to labs abroad.
UK aid partners with Gates Foundation to tackle global food insecurity ~ Agenparl
[…] Sharma and Mr Gates Bill participated in a demonstration of revolutionary kit, developed by the John Innes Centre, which helps farmers diagnose crop diseases within hours […]
Press release: UK aid partners with Gates Foundation to tackle global food insecurity ~ Agenparl
[…] Sharma and Mr Gates Bill participated in a demonstration of revolutionary kit, developed by the John Innes Centre, which helps farmers diagnose crop diseases within hours […]
UK aid partners with Gates Foundation to tackle global food insecurity - The Public Interest
[…] Sharma and Mr Gates Bill participated in a demonstration of revolutionary kit, developed by the John Innes Centre, which helps farmers diagnose crop diseases within hours […]
UK aid partners with Gates Foundation to tackle global food insecurity | | Skem News - The Top Source for Skelmersdale News
[…] Sharma and Mr Gates Bill participated in a demonstration of revolutionary kit, developed by the John Innes Centre, which helps farmers diagnose crop diseases within hours […]
UK Aid and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation join to support research to protect crops from pests and disease and increase climate-resilience » CGIAR Research Program on WHEAT
[…] Alok Sharma and Bill Gates participated in a demonstration of Mobile and Real-time PLant disEase) (MARPLE) Diagnostics, a mobile rust-testing lab developed by the John Innes Centre, the International Maize […]
MARPLE: the real-time cereal killer detective » CGIAR Research Program on WHEAT
[…] MARPLE, which was developed by the John Innes Centre in collaboration with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), is currently being rolled out across five major research hubs in Ethiopia. As sub-Saharan Africa’s largest wheat producer, Ethiopia is considered “a gateway for new rust pathogen strains entering from Asia”. […]