Bioinformatics primer for Gabon

Cooperating countries: Gabon and Austria

Coordinating institution: Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), aadegnika@cermel.org 

Partner institution: Medical University Vienna (MUW)

Project duration: 1 May 2022 - 30 April 2024

Abstract:

Bioinformatics has become an essential tool for life sciences. However, lower- and middle-income countries lag behind in the usage of computational research tools, despite their obvious usefulness in domains such as biodiversity, bio-forensics, and epidemic awareness. In this project, we plan to provide training in bioinformatics to a significant number of researchers from diverse backgrounds and institutions in Gabon with the objective enabling Gabonese research centers to perform their own bioinformatic genomic data analyses on-site.
Five Gabonese institutions who perform research or training in health or ecology have been identified. At a site visit from researchers from the Medical University of Vienna, these institutions are visited, and information on their capacity, research interests, challenges, and proficiency in bioinformatics is gathered. One of these centers, CERMEL, will act as a center of excellence, and assist the other center in infrastructure and training.
Scalable computational infrastructure is configured and maintained jointly. A training workshop in basic bioinformatics is organized for eligible staff members of the institutions.
Two staff members of CERMEL involved in bioinformatic analysis will receive hands-on training at MUW.
The experience gathered with these activities will allow the partners to conceive a larger training program in the future and oriented at other African research and training organizations.