H3ABioNet, a sustainable pan-African bioinformatics network for human heredity and health in Africa

Publication Type

Journal Article

Journal Name

Genome Research

Name of Author

Nicola J. Mulder, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town
Ezekiel Adebiyi, Covenant University
Raouf Alami, Ibn Sina Hospital, Agdal Rabat
Alia Benkahla, Institut Pasteur de Tunis
James Brandful, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research
Seydou Doumbia, Université des Sciences, des Techniques et des Technologies de Bamako
Dean Everett, Malawi–Liverpool–Wellcome Programme
Faisal M. Fadlelmola, The Future University
Fatima Gaboun, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Morocco
Simani Gaseitsiwe, Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership
Hassan Ghazal, Université Mohammed Premier Oujda
Scott Hazelhurst, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Winston Hide, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Azeddine Ibrahimi, Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie de Rabat
Yasmina Jaufeerally Fakim, University of Mauritius
C. Victor Jongeneel, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Fourie Joubert, University of Pretoria
Samar Kassim, Faculty of Medicine - Ain Shams University
Jonathan Kayondo, Uganda Virus Research Institute
Judit Kumuthini, Centre for Proteomic and Genomic Research
Sylvester Lyantagaye, University of Dar es Salaam
Julie Makani, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences
Ahmed Mansour Alzohairy, Faculty of Agriculture
Daniel Masiga, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology Nairobi
Ahmed Moussa, Université Abdelmalek Essaadi
Oyekanmi Nash, National Biotechnology Development Agency, Nigeria
Odile Ouwe Missi Oukem-Boyer, Centre de Recherche Médicale et Sanitaire
Ellis Owusu-Dabo, Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR)

Publication Date

2-1-2016

Abstract

The application of genomics technologies to medicine and biomedical research is increasing in popularity, made possible by new high-throughput genotyping and sequencing technologies and improved data analysis capabilities. Some of the greatest genetic diversity among humans, animals, plants, and microbiota occurs in Africa, yet genomic research outputs from the continent are limited. The Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) initiative was established to drive the development of genomic research for human health in Africa, and through recognition of the critical role of bioinformatics in this process, spurred the establishment of H3ABioNet, a pan-African bioinformatics network for H3Africa. The limitations in bioinformatics capacity on the continent have been a major contributory factor to the lack of notable outputs in highthroughput biology research. Although pockets of high-quality bioinformatics teams have existed previously, the majority of research institutions lack experienced faculty who can train and supervise bioinformatics students. H3ABioNet aims to address this dire need, specifically in the area of human genetics and genomics, but knock-on effects are ensuring this extends to other areas of bioinformatics. Here, we describe the emergence of genomics research and the development of bioinformatics in Africa through H3ABioNet.

PubMed ID

26627985

Recommended Citation

Mulder, N., Adebiyi, E., Alami, R., Benkahla, A., Brandful, J., Doumbia, S., Everett, D., Fadlelmola, F., Gaboun, F., Gaseitsiwe, S., Ghazal, H., Hazelhurst, S., Hide, W., Ibrahimi, A., Fakim, Y., Victor Jongeneel, C., Joubert, F., Kassim, S., Kayondo, J., Kumuthini, J., Lyantagaye, S., Makani, J., Alzohairy, A., Masiga, D., Moussa, A., Nash, O., Oukem-Boyer, O., & Owusu-Dabo, E. (2016). H3ABioNet, a sustainable pan-African bioinformatics network for human heredity and health in Africa. Genome Research, 26 (2), 271-277. https://doi.org/10.1101/gr.196295.115