NUST opens biobank for health research

THE National University of Science and Technology (NUST) is breaking new medical ground with the establishment of a regional biobank that will collect, process, store and manage biological samples to support research aimed at developing new medicines and vaccines.

The groundbreaking facility, to be known as the NUST Institute of Immunopharmacology and Biobanking, is envisioned as a leading African centre of excellence in advancing immunopharmacology, vaccine innovation and clinical research to combat infectious diseases.

The institute was officially launched yesterday at the university's Professor Phineas Mogorosi Makhurane Technovation Centre. The event brought together academics and researchers from Zimbabwe, Uganda and Scotland, as well as NUST medical students.

A leading figure in global health infection and immunity, Professor Francesca Mutapi — co-director of the Global Health Academy at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland — highlighted the significance of the initiative in addressing Africa's unique health challenges.

Speaking on the sidelines of the launch and a series of lectures by medical professionals, Prof Mutapi said the biobank and its related research would play a key role in reducing the cost of medicines and vaccines in Zimbabwe.

"One of the most important advantages of a biobank is that it can be used to develop diagnostics, drugs and vaccines in-country," she said.

She cited ongoing work on bilharzia, one of the most prevalent diseases affecting African children after malaria, as an example of how locally driven research can deliver targeted solutions.

"Our work on bilharzia through TIBA (Tackling Infections to Benefit Africa) focuses on developing diagnostics that work for a specific country, so that vaccines and treatments can be produced in that particular nation," Prof Mutapi said.

She explained that producing medicines locally significantly reduces the regulatory hurdles associated with importing drugs developed elsewhere.

"When a particular drug is made in Zimbabwe for Zimbabweans, we don't have to test it over and over again to see if it will work for local populations, thereby shortening the time spent on research and production," she said.

Prof Mutapi noted that drugs developed in Western countries often perform well in laboratory settings but fail to deliver the same results in African communities due to biological, environmental and social differences.

"A drug might be good in the laboratory but turn out to be a bad product in the field. Those medicines are also usually expensive because the cost of production and repeated testing is very high, and pharmaceutical companies have to recover those costs," she said.

She added that local research, development and production of medicines and vaccines would ultimately make treatments more affordable and accessible to patients.

The establishment of the NUST Institute of Immunopharmacology and Biobanking is expected to strengthen regional research capacity, foster international collaboration and position Zimbabwe as a key player in Africa's biomedical innovation landscape.