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Biosciences eastern and central Africa BecANet: An opportunity for capacity building in East and Central Africa Kubata Bruno Kilunga Biosciences eastern and central Africa Biosciences eastern and central Africa Vision To enable African scientists and institutions to use technologies and make technological innovations by undertaking bioscience research and innovation targeted at issues affecting Africa’s development, while accessing the best of science worldwide. Mission To improve the livelihoods of resource-poor people in Africa trough the development and use of new technologies for sustaining agricultural production, improving human health, and conserving the environment. Biosciences eastern and central Africa Opportunities of countries and/or institutions to participate in BecA programs Biosciences eastern and central Africa BecA Design • BecA Hub and Secretariat – – – – Located on the campus of ILRI in Nairobi, Kenya Provide common biosciences research platform Deliver research related services Facilitate capacity building and training opportunities • Network of regional nodes, National Programs and other laboratories – Distributed throughout institutions in eastern and central Africa – Conduct research on priority issues affecting Africa’s development Biosciences eastern and central Africa BecA Objectives 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Provide focal points for the regions biosciences community on agricultural products for farmers Strengthen human resources in biosciences Aggregate critical mass of scientists to undertake cutting edge research Increase access to worldclass research facilities in the region Produce, manage and disseminate bioscience information and knowledge in the region 6. Facilitate access to advice and training on biosciences regulatory issues 7. Attract additional investment for biosciences 8. Forge partnerships with other biosciences laboratories and product development/delivery entities 9. Strengthen the role of women in African agriculture 10. Use bioscience to protect the environment and conserve biodiversity Biosciences eastern and central Africa BecA Core Competencies Scientific & Technical • • • • • • • • • • • Bioinformatics Biometrics Diagnostics Genomics Functional genomics Gene sequencing Molecular breeding Transformation Tissue culture Vaccine technology Vectors Non-Scientific • Laboratory management • Equipment maintenance • Biosafety policies and practices • Communication and knowledge management • Information technology • Intellectual property management • Other regulatory management • Partnerships for technology delivery • Science writing • Proposal preparation Biosciences eastern and central Africa Design phase targets 2004-2006 • • • • • • • • • Coordination of the consultative development of governance and management structures and research agenda, Establishment of a steering committee, Support for NEPAD’s development of links to other biosciences facilities in the region, Development of work plans based on regional priorities, To carry out both the Environmental Impact assessment and Strategic Environmental assessments of the project, Enhancement of existing laboratory facilities, Development of innovative institutional arrangements for the sharing of the Facility and research service platforms by national, regional and international partners, Capacity building in African institutions for biosciences research, Establishment of a grant mechanism that develops capacity of African scientists to conduct and fund cutting-edge research. Biosciences eastern and central Africa Design Phase Achievements • Fully functional Steering Committee and Scientific Advisory Council representative of the diversity of the stakeholders. • Creation of a dynamic Business plan • Development of an Implementation plan detailing short, medium and long term targets and activities • Regulatory approvals of the EIA and SEA studies • Development of Basis of Design specifying the Hub facility scope of works and informing the detailed design elements, • Establishment of a state of the art Bioinformatics facility, • Upgrading of Server and 20 student computer training facility to complement the Bioinformatics platform, • Establishment of medium throughput sequencing and genotyping facility featuring “ ABI DNA analysers. Biosciences eastern and central Africa Workshops and symposia • November 2004: Sorghum annotation meeting in Tucson, Arizona • Jan 2005: Sorghum Millet, Rice Annotation Meeting (A meeting for African scientists to understand how to utilise the annotation data) • March 2005: Bioinformatics Workshop • March 2005: African Genome Initiative (AGI) Annual Conference Cracking Africa’s killer diseases co-hosted with BecA, ILRI and ICIPE Biosciences eastern and central Africa Capacity building • Nov–December 2004 Training of 21 participants from the region on Molecular Breeding course ‘Unlocking Plant Diversity for the resource-Poor using the tools of modern genomics, specifically marker assisted breeding techniques’ applied on Unlocking Plant Diversity for the resource-Poor using the tools of modern genomics, specifically marker assisted breeding techniques • Ongoing BecA/Rockefeller /GCP Program on Tapping Crop Biodiversity for the Resource-Poor in East and Central Africa, supporting 2 PhD candidates working on Cassava and Sorghum. Biosciences eastern and central Africa Plant/crop biotechnology - Genetic transformation - Plant breeding with MAS - Diagnostics - In vitro propagation/tissue culture/ micro-propagation - Genomics/bioinformatics Focus on products - Nutritionally-enhanced crops - Abiotic stresses (e.g., drought, other physical) - Biotic/disease stresses Application on the following crops: - Cereals: Maize, millet, rice, sorghum, wheat - Legumes: Beans, cowpea, groundnut - Vegetative crops: Banana/plantain, cassava, sweet potato - Cash crops: Coffee, cotton, oil palm, and sesame Biosciences eastern and central Africa Livestock biotechnology • Animal health/production • Nutrition • Improving disease control • Delivery of genetic change • Animal genetic resources Specific disease areas •East Coast fever (caused by Theileria parva), •Animal trypanosomiasis, •Contagious Bovine Pleuro Pneumonia (CBPP) •Rift Valley fever virus, African Swine Fever virus, •Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiensei, •Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Brucella abortus, •Mycoplasma mycoides •Anthrax •Avian flu Biosciences eastern and central Africa Project Areas Environmental application – – – – Genotyping of indigenous plant and wildlife species Better characterization Conservation Management Biosciences eastern and central Africa Thank you so much for your attention Biosciences eastern and central Africa BecA Success NUMBER OF: • Scientists (Women? Young? From Post-Conflict Countries?) – produced with MSc, Ph.D. and postdoc in Biosciences – provided access to BecA research laboratories and containment faculties – from regional agricultural research institutions and universities trained – working with BecA in the region – from African Diaspora returning to the region • Publications produced by BecA driven initiatives • New bioscience applications developed to solve regional problems – Agricultural products? – Health products? – Environmental products?