While the original work plan focused on the technical and commercial validation of glyco-protein arrays for functional virus surveillance, part of the project effort was strategically redirected. This was driven by the emergence of novel reassortant H5N1 viruses in Cambodia, combining clades 2.3.2.1 and 2.3.4.4 alongside antigenically drifted H5 variants. These viruses, which showed high pathogenicity in humans (fatality rates up to ~70%) and continued circulation in live bird markets and backyard poultry, represent a significant pandemic threat. To address this, a PhD student was recruited to study these viruses in detail, generating critical biological insight and materials directly relevant to the functional surveillance objectives of the project. This work provides essential input for understanding receptor binding and antigenic variation in currently circulating high-risk strains—key parameters that the glyco-protein array platform is designed to assess. As a result of this strategic shift, some originally planned technical deliverables, particularly related to prototype field validation and scanner integration, were only partially achieved within the project period. However, the generated data and virus panels significantly strengthen the scientific and practical foundation for future implementation of the array technology in real-world surveillance settings.
the project has reached both industrial stakeholders and key technology providers. In particular, we have maintained and further strengthened our collaboration with Innopsys, a leading developer of fluorescence slide scanning technologies. As part of our ongoing efforts to improve and validate array readouts, we acquired and implemented the InnoQuant fluorescence slide scanner platform in our laboratory. This system enables high-resolution, quantitative, and multiplexed fluorescence imaging, including simultaneous multi-channel detection, which is essential for scaling up glyco-protein array analysis. The integration of this technology has allowed us to further optimize detection strategies, assess multiplexing capabilities, and improve reproducibility of array-based measurements. Importantly, this represents a concrete step toward translating the array platform into a robust and scalable tool, aligned with industrial standards and workflows. Beyond technology uptake, this interaction provides a pathway for future co-development of optimized detection systems and potential deployment of array-based surveillance tools in field-compatible formats.
