MyGLIP team launches TB research collaboration in South Africa
On March 27, 2026, members of the MyGLIP team, Albertus Viljoen, Martine Gilleron and Jérôme Nigou, met with their partners at the Aerobiology Unit of the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF) in Masiphumelele, Cape Town, South Africa, to kick off their collaborative project, DetectTbTransmitters.
Funded jointly by the French ANRS-MIE and the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), the project is co-led by Dr. Jérôme Nigou (IPBS-CNRS) and Prof. Robin Wood (DTHF). Its goal is to deepen our understanding of tuberculosis (TB) transmission, a disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB spreads through lung aerosols, microscopic droplets released when we breathe, sing, or cough. Recent studies suggest that individuals with sub-clinical TB or even healthy people may unknowingly emit aerosols containing M. tuberculosis, making them potential transmitters.
By identifying these individuals, the project aims to support programmatic actions that could help reduce TB transmission in high-risk communities. The partnership combines the expertise of both teams in TB transmission, aerobiology, mycobacteriology, and the biochemistry of mycobacterial cell envelope lipids and glycoconjugates. This collaboration could lead to improved TB diagnostics and new approaches for detecting individuals likely to transmit M. tuberculosis.