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

The H3ABioNet Consortium

doi:10.1101/gr.196295.115

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

The H3ABioNet Consortium

College of Medicine and Health Sciences

3/Institute of Infection and Global Health
University of Liverpool
University of Cape Town
Covenant University
Centre National de Transfusion Sanguine
University of Tunis El Manar (UTM)
University of Ghana
University of Sciences
University of Khartoum
Institut National de Recherche Agronomique
Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership
University Mohammed First
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
University of Sheffield
Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie de Rabat
University of Mauritius
University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign
University of Pretoria
Faculty of Medicine - Ain Shams University
Medical Research Council-Uganda Virus Research Institute
Centre for Proteomic and Genomic Research
University of Dar es Salaam
Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences
Faculty of Agriculture
International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology
Abdelmalek Essaadi University
National Biotechnology Development Agency, Nigeria
Centre de Recherche Médicale et Sanitaire
Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR)
University of the Free State
Institut Pasteur du Maroc
Faculte des Sciences
Institut National d’Hygiène
Rhodes University
University of the Western Cape
Management and Development for Health
Malawi-LiverpoolWellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

119 Scopus citations

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.

Original language	British English
Pages (from-to)	271-277
Number of pages	7
Journal	Genome Research
Volume	26
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1101/gr.196295.115
State	Published - Feb 2016

Access to Document

10.1101/gr.196295.115

OpenUrl availability

Full text

Cite this

@article{c14c1361e8f143fa96792a23daaa1f42,

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

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.",

author = "\{The H3ABioNet Consortium\} and Mulder, \{Nicola J.\} and Ezekiel Adebiyi and Raouf Alami and Alia Benkahla and James Brandful and Seydou Doumbia and Dean Everett and Fadlelmola, \{Faisal M.\} and Fatima Gaboun and Simani Gaseitsiwe and Hassan Ghazal and Scott Hazelhurst and Winston Hide and Azeddine Ibrahimi and Fakim, \{Yasmina Jaufeerally\} and \{Victor Jongeneel\}, C. and Fourie Joubert and Samar Kassim and Jonathan Kayondo and Judit Kumuthini and Sylvester Lyantagaye and Julie Makani and Alzohairy, \{Ahmed Mansour\} and Daniel Masiga and Ahmed Moussa and Oyekanmi Nash and Oukem-Boyer, \{Odile Ouwe Missi\} and Ellis Owusu-Dabo and Sumir Panji and Hugh Patterton and Fouzia Radouani and Khalid Sadki and Fouad Seghrouchni and Bishop, \{{\"O}zlem Tastan\} and Nicki Tiffin and Nzovu Ulenga and Marion Adebiyi and Ahmed, \{Azza E.\} and Ahmed, \{Rehab I.\} and Maaike Alearts and Mohamed Alibi and Shaun Aron and Shakuntala Baichoo and Hocine Bendou and Gerrit Botha and David Brown and Emile Chimusa and Alan Christoffels and Jennifer Cornick and Entfellner, \{Jean Baka Domelevo\}",

note = "Funding Information: H3ABioNet is supported by the National Institutes of Health Common Fund (National Human Genome Research Institute) under grant number U41HG006941. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. The authors thank all the Consortium members for their contributions to H3ABioNet activities. A full list of H3ABioNet Consortium members can be found at http://www.h3abionet.org/home/consortium. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 Mulder et al.",

year = "2016",

month = feb,

doi = "10.1101/gr.196295.115",

language = "British English",

volume = "26",

pages = "271--277",

journal = "Genome Research",

issn = "1088-9051",

publisher = "Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press",

number = "2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - H3ABioNet, a sustainable pan-African bioinformatics network for human heredity and health in Africa

AU - The H3ABioNet Consortium

AU - Mulder, Nicola J.

AU - Adebiyi, Ezekiel

AU - Alami, Raouf

AU - Benkahla, Alia

AU - Brandful, James

AU - Doumbia, Seydou

AU - Everett, Dean

AU - Fadlelmola, Faisal M.

AU - Gaboun, Fatima

AU - Gaseitsiwe, Simani

AU - Ghazal, Hassan

AU - Hazelhurst, Scott

AU - Hide, Winston

AU - Ibrahimi, Azeddine

AU - Fakim, Yasmina Jaufeerally

AU - Victor Jongeneel, C.

AU - Joubert, Fourie

AU - Kassim, Samar

AU - Kayondo, Jonathan

AU - Kumuthini, Judit

AU - Lyantagaye, Sylvester

AU - Makani, Julie

AU - Alzohairy, Ahmed Mansour

AU - Masiga, Daniel

AU - Moussa, Ahmed

AU - Nash, Oyekanmi

AU - Oukem-Boyer, Odile Ouwe Missi

AU - Owusu-Dabo, Ellis

AU - Panji, Sumir

AU - Patterton, Hugh

AU - Radouani, Fouzia

AU - Sadki, Khalid

AU - Seghrouchni, Fouad

AU - Bishop, Özlem Tastan

AU - Tiffin, Nicki

AU - Ulenga, Nzovu

AU - Adebiyi, Marion

AU - Ahmed, Azza E.

AU - Ahmed, Rehab I.

AU - Alearts, Maaike

AU - Alibi, Mohamed

AU - Aron, Shaun

AU - Baichoo, Shakuntala

AU - Bendou, Hocine

AU - Botha, Gerrit

AU - Brown, David

AU - Chimusa, Emile

AU - Christoffels, Alan

AU - Cornick, Jennifer

AU - Entfellner, Jean Baka Domelevo

N1 - Funding Information: H3ABioNet is supported by the National Institutes of Health Common Fund (National Human Genome Research Institute) under grant number U41HG006941. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. The authors thank all the Consortium members for their contributions to H3ABioNet activities. A full list of H3ABioNet Consortium members can be found at http://www.h3abionet.org/home/consortium. Publisher Copyright: © 2016 Mulder et al.

PY - 2016/2

Y1 - 2016/2

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84956889187

U2 - 10.1101/gr.196295.115

DO - 10.1101/gr.196295.115

M3 - Article

C2 - 26627985

AN - SCOPUS:84956889187

SN - 1088-9051

VL - 26

SP - 271

EP - 277

JO - Genome Research

JF - Genome Research

IS - 2

ER -

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

Abstract

Access to Document

OpenUrl availability

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this