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Biosciences eastern and central Africa Hub: Capacity Building

Biosciences eastern and central Africa Hub: Capacity Building Empowering African scientists to solve Africa’s agricultural challenges. Segenet Kelemu Director, BecA Hub Nairobi, Kenya. Initial hosting arrangements and the creation of BecA.

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Biosciences eastern and central Africa Hub: Capacity Building

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  1. Biosciences eastern and central Africa Hub: Capacity Building Empowering African scientists to solve Africa’s agricultural challenges Segenet Kelemu Director, BecA Hub Nairobi, Kenya

  2. Initial hosting arrangements and the creation of BecA AU/NEPAD – Africa Biosciences Initiative (ABI):Creation of four regional networks: 1. BecA(Biosciences eastern and central Africa) for countries in eastern and central Africa 2. SANBio(Southern African Network for Biosciences) for southern African countries 3. WABNet(West African Biosciences Network) consisting of ECOWAS countries 4. NABNet(North African Biosciences Network) for the countries in North Africa.

  3. BecAHub: Core activities • 1. Research • Core competencies and research programs in agriculture: crop, animal health and microbial sciences • Capacity building and training • Research and Technology-related services • Focal point for the agricultural research community in eastern and central Africa • Promotion of product development and delivery

  4. BecAHubCore competencies • Genomics/Metagenomics • Functional genomics • Bioinformatics • Genetic engineering • Diagnostics • Molecular breeding (marker development and application) • Proteomics • Vaccine technology/Immunology • Vectors (e.g. ticks) • Mycotoxins

  5. Capacity Building Objectives • Strengthen capacity of individuals and institutions to harness the latest biosciences technologies to improve agriculture in Africa • Support African scientists efforts to lead and sustain biosciences research in Africa • Promote access to world-class research and training facilities at the BecA–ILRI Hub

  6. Capacity building activities • Research placements and individual/small group trainees (275 from 21 African countries since 2007) • Training workshops (49 workshops; 1120 trainees from 21 African countries since 2007) • Institutional capacity building • Creating linkages and partnerships; information sharing; creating awareness of BecA-ILRI Hub • Conferences

  7. Africa Biosciences Challenge Fund (ABCF) • Established in September 2010 • New and innovative way of building African biosciences capacity while tackling agricultural constraints • Established as part of the BecA-CSIRO partnership with funding from AusAID • Expanded with funding from BMGF and the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs through Sida • Core support from Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture • Growing number of capacity building partners providing co-support (AWARD, ASARECA, UNECSO, LEAP, IFS)

  8. ABCF Research Fellowships Research outputs, plus Building capacity to do research • Technical skills • Good lab practice and H&S • Research ethics • Science communication • Presentations, posters • Publications • Develop partnerships • Research sustainability

  9. ABCF fellowship projects: examples of outputs Striga resistance in sorghum Passion fruit virus diagnostics Maize-sorghum hybrids PPR thermostable vaccine East Coast fever: rapid sero-diagnostics Disease studies • Cassava virus - CBSD - first description in DRC • Potential new races of wheat stem rust Ug99 (Kenya) • Possible new Taro virus (Ethiopia/Burundi) • New virus (Ndumu) in pigs - (Uganda) • African Swine Fever diversity (Uganda) • Northern limit of East Coast fever in South Sudan Photo credit: A. Bombom

  10. ABCF Fellows: leveraging funding Alexander Bombom (Uganda) Maize-sorghum hybrids Invited BMGF proposal Dr Felix Meutchieye (Cameroon) Cameroon goat diversity BecA-Sweden project Dr Dora Kilalo (Kenya) Passion fruit virus rapid diagnostics BecA-Sweden project

  11. Partners …and many more

  12. Thank you Australia, Benin, Cameroon, England, Ethiopia, Italy, Kenya, USA

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