Mobile laboratories are becoming increasingly important for quick response to epidemic outbreaks in remote areas. Due to climate change and rising temperatures, emerging arboviruses (Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus, West Nile Virus, Rift Valley fever, Dengue fever) are finding their way into Europe through geographically expanding arthropod vectors (mosquitoes, ticks), and are becoming a major public health concern. Optimally monitoring zoonotic outbreaks requires a "One Health" approach, in which not only human, but also animal and environmental samples are analysed, as close as possible to the vectors' habitat. Also returning travellers might carry haemorrhagic Ebola/Marburg virus or respiratory pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2. A survey of existing European mobile laboratory capacity revealed several shortcomings: the majority of labs were exclusively for human diagnostics; had no accredited quality management system in place; and only 3% had the bio-safety level needed for (haemorrhagic) arbovirus handling of risk group 4.

MOBILISE, funded through Horizon Europe, aims to close this diagnostic gap, by developing a novel, quality-assured, mobile One Health laboratory solution, to provide the capacity to many European countries for diagnosing risk group 4 pathogens. It will receive human/animal/environmental samples for molecular diagnostics, serology, microbiology, and host a whole genome sequencing platform for pathogen discovery and epidemiological analysis. We will further develop novel rapid diagnostic tests for BSL-3/4 pathogens, and produce results in machine-readable form. A novel AI-based "Emergency Operating Centre and Decision Support System" software will assist end-users in coordinating MOBILISE fleets across Europe and manage outbreaks in real-time. Using solar and wind-energy, it will also reduce CO₂ emissions in compliance with the European Green Deal. The lab will be field-tested to TRL-7 by National agencies and first-responders in Austria, Romania, Greece and Africa.

For further details please visit the MOBILISE website.