Seeding courage (and COVID-19 tests) for the future of Armenia

One of the 100,000 COVID-19 test kits developed by the Institute of Molecular Biology of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia

Pictured above: One of the 100,000 COVID-19 test kits developed by the Institute of Molecular Biology of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia

When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in Armenia, Arsen Arakelyan, PhD, director of the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, had a particular challenge.

He and his lab were tasked with delivering reliable COVID-19 diagnostic tests to fulfill the increased demand for testing, while considering the existing peculiarities of national infrastructure.

The IMB didn’t just deliver the tests… In a time of enormous pressure, these talented scientists proved that, with the necessary infrastructure, they could address national challenges now and well into the future.

In just seven months, Dr. Arakelyan and his colleagues produced:

  • 100,000 COVID-19 test kits tailored to the unique challenges of Armenia’s biomedical infrastructure
  • A reliable viral transport medium that safely preserves testing samples until they can be processed in the lab, a product the IMB could produce independent of the strained supply chain
  • A sustainable roadmap for population-wide testing in settings with limited scientific infrastructure
  • Optimism that scientists trained and researching in Armenia can respond in times of crisis and prepare for the challenges that lie ahead

Since the Armenian government awarded the IMB with a contract in April 2020, Dr. Arakelyan’s lab has produced 100,000 test kits that respond to the unique nature of COVID-19 testing in Armenia. The tests do not require extraction, meaning scientists can analyze them more rapidly without using specialized automated extraction equipment rarely found in Armenian laboratories.

Infrastructure enables immediate response

With equipment from Instrumental Access, Dr. Arakelyan and colleagues at the IMB successfully developed both the COVID-19 test kit and a viral transport medium, which preserved the samples over long distances from testing sites to laboratories.

The results were immediate. When the IMB delivered its test kits to the government, the number of daily COVID-19 tests administered went from 2,000 to more than 5,000 throughout the country.

Portrait of Dr. Arakelya
Dr. Arsen Arakelyan

The entire project, he says, was only possible because of the scientific infrastructure and hands-on training enabled by their 2017 Instrumental Access shipment. With the IMB’s Instrumental Access award, scientific access in Armenia has seen a notable expansion, with robust teaching and research programs at the institution.

“We had students trained on the very same machines; they learned how to use the PCR machine and isolate RNA,” he says. “If we didn’t have these instruments, I wouldn’t have proposed this project to our government. We were sure that we were backed up with equipment that would allow us to do what we planned. Having this support gave us the courage to organize and implement the entire project.”

Scientists of the Institute of Molecular Biology of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia
"If we didn't have these instruments, I wouldn't have proposed this project to our government.

We were sure that we were backed up with equipment that would allow us to do what we planned.

Having this support gave us the courage to organize and implement the entire project."

Dr. Arsen Arakelyan
Director, Institute of Molecular Biology of the
National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia
& Instrumental Access Awardee

Increased capacity, increased results

COVID-19 test kits, Dr. Arakelyan says, are only the beginning. He and his colleagues have a paper under review detailing the testing procedures they implemented in Armenia and providing a roadmap for addressing similar challenges in the future. They are in discussions to continue developing the viral transport medium for PCR kits for diagnosing other diseases.

They also started screening for COVID-19 mutations by sequencing the entire coronavirus genome in order to identify variants of concern, as well as mutations that can be unique to viral strains in Armenia.

The implications go well beyond the current global demand for COVID-19 research, though. For Dr. Arakelyan, the IMB’s quick and efficient response speaks to the possibilities for biotechnology in Armenia for the future.

“We are trying to break the suspicion that there are not enough Armenian specialists in a field that are capable of solving everyday problems related to health and biotechnology,” he says. “For me, it could be even more important to demonstrate to the local government and business environment that Armenia has a successful scientific community.”

Preparation & Investment

The IMB’s remarkable progress is the result of preparation and investment. Having the necessary equipment and training students on that equipment allowed the IMB to quickly and effectively address the problems of the present and prepare to more efficiently tackle the questions yet to come.

“Without equipment from Seeding Labs, this simply wouldn’t be possible,” says Dr. Arakelyan. “We don’t know the timeframe when we will be hit with something like COVID-19 again, but I’m sure that we will. All the techniques and knowledge accumulated will be much more efficiently used next time.”

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EK Wahome

EK Wahome
Logistics Intern

EK Wahome started working for Seeding Labs in 2024 primarily in the Instrumental Access Program. She is currently a Junior at Tufts University studying Biochemistry and Biotechnology.

EK is passionate about making research equitable and accessible to all.

Jennifer Raymond

Jennifer Raymond
Director of Corporate Relations

Jennifer partners with corporations, universities, and nonprofit organizations to identify opportunities to repurpose surplus scientific laboratory equipment that will in turn empower talented scientists in developing countries through the Instrumental Access program.

Prior to joining Seeding Labs, Jennifer served as a Development Officer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, where she managed relationships with donors, foundations, and corporations to advance the groundbreaking work of research scientists.

She also directed membership programs for the Boston Symphony Orchestra and alumni relations for the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. Jennifer graduated from Wellesley College with a BA in French studies and a minor in philosophy.

Manisha Patel

Manisha Patel
Scientific Director

Manisha uses her scientific expertise to implement the equipment-related aspects of Seeding Labs’ programs and plays a key role in Instrumental Access.

She provides support to Instrumental Access awardees, helping them choose the instruments that best meet their research and teaching goals. She also advises the Corporate Relations team on equipment that would be useful in our awardees’ labs.

Manisha has extensive experience in managing academic research labs with knowledge spanning lab setup, compliance, and equipment training. Most recently, she oversaw labs at Harvard University.

For the past decade, Manisha directed an undergraduate internship program focused on one of her passions:  diversity and inclusion in STEM. She holds a BS in ecology from Rutgers University and an MS in ecology from the University of Vermont.

Micaela Leaska

Micalea Leaska
Programs Specialist,
Metrics & Evaluation

Micalea works with the Programs team to develop and implement metrics and evaluation tools, and to monitor the worldwide impact of Instrumental Access. She compiles and analyzes quantitative data and qualitative stories that exemplify our mantra, “talent is everywhere.”

Her prior work experience includes consulting for the World Bank, working on Water Security Assessments for Peru and Central America, and improving access to safe water in rural Ecuadorian communities with the nonprofit WaterStep.

Micalea holds a BA from Saint Michael’s College and completed her Master’s degree in Climate Change and Global Sustainability from SIT Graduate Institute, where she studied global science issues alongside scientists, stakeholders, and community members in Iceland, Tanzania, and Ecuador.

Chiudo Ehirim

Chiudo Ehirim
Instrumental Access
Consultant

After completing an Atlas Corps Fellowship with Seeding Labs, Chiudo now provides support to our Instrumental Access partners from his Rumines Ltd. office in Lagos, Nigeria. Chiudo is CEO of Rumines, an environmental technology and management consulting company.

Prior to his fellowship, Chiudo was a country manager for Nigeria with Climate Scorecard, a US-based organization that monitors how the top 25 greenhouse gas-emitting countries implement the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Chiudo earned a BS in pure and industrial chemistry from the University of Nigeria and a Master’s of Science in environmental technology and management from the University of Port Harcourt in Nigeria.

David Borman

David Borman, PhD
Communications
Director

David works to highlight the innovation and scientific successes of Instrumental Access awardees. In telling these scientists’ stories, he helps to show the global impact of the Seeding Labs mission.

Prior to joining Seeding Labs, David worked as the alumni affairs director for Brevard College in North Carolina and managed communications for Kids Center for Pediatric Therapies, a nonprofit in Louisville, Kentucky, that provides services to children with special needs.

David earned his PhD in English from the University of Miami. He holds an MA in English from the University of Louisville and a BA in English from Bellarmine University.

Christine Srivastava

Christina Viola Srivastava

Vice President of Programs

Christina is responsible for program development, planning, and implementation at Seeding Labs. 

Christina has experience as a research program evaluator and science policy analyst. She’s held roles with the consulting firm Abt Associates, Inc. and the Science and Technology Policy Institute.

Prior to entering the consulting world, Christina worked for the Boston-area nonprofits Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics and Urban Ecology Institute. She holds an undergraduate degree in biology from Swarthmore College

Rick Sherman

Rick Sherman

Vice President of Philanthropy

Rick is responsible for the fundraising activities at Seeding Labs, engaging with corporations, foundations, and individuals to increase their financial and equipment donations to the organization.

Prior to joining Seeding Labs, Rick spent 17 years working in a similar capacity at a number of science-focused organizations, including Keystone Symposia, the Carnegie Institution for Science, and the Chemical Heritage Foundation (now the Science History Institute).

Rick earned an MS in Finance from Drexel University, and a BS in Paper Science and Engineering from State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

David Qualter

Vice President of Operations

David is responsible for global logistics at Seeding Labs, overseeing the efficient movement of lab equipment worldwide.

He joined Seeding Labs from Image Arts, a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards, where he provided logistics direction for the company with $110 million in annual sales.

He brings 20 years of supply chain management experience with in-depth knowledge of international logistics, warehouse execution, and distribution center operations.

Originally an art student at Southeastern Massachusetts University, David now uses his creative talents to develop logistics strategies that produce operational efficiencies and quality customer service.

Melissa P. Wu, PhD

Melissa P. Wu, PhD

Chief Executive Officer

Please direct speaking requests to media@seedinglabs.org


As the CEO of Seeding Labs, Dr. Melissa P. Wu connects scientists and institutions around the world to help reduce barriers to scientific discovery.

Part scientist, part engineer, and part facilitator, Melissa brings strategic insight and rigorous methodology to her work, together with a dedication to helping people.


Melissa is driven by two overarching values: that scientific research is a critical tool for improving human lives, and that research thrives and we as a community make the best discoveries when we foster diversity in perspectives, approaches, and ideas. Joining these two ideas has given her a career focus on creating opportunities for people of all backgrounds to engage in scientific research.


Prior to being named CEO of Seeding Labs in 2019,
Melissa served as Senior Vice President of Operations. She revamped Seeding Labs’ Instrumental Access program to increase its efficiency while expanding its impact.


Melissa’s previous positions at the Harvard Office for
Diversity Inclusion and Community Partnership and the BioBuilder Educational Foundation helped spread scientific knowledge to students nationwide.

She is proud to have mentored many students through
programs at the Journal of Emerging Investigators, Harvard, Boston Children’s Hospital, and MIT.

Melissa earned a PhD in Cellular and Developmental
Biology from Harvard University and holds an SB in Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.