2nd DELGEME Summer Course from October 22 to November 17, 2018 Bamako-Mali

Context

The DELGEME programme continues its development by prioritizing capacity-building activities for its fellows.

To this end, the 2nd summer course was organized from October 22 to November 17, 2018, for the new Master, PhD, and Post-Doc programmes. These courses coincided with the online bioinformatics courses organized by H3ABionet, also benefiting students from the first cohort.

Participants from seven countries—Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, and Tanzania—gathered in Bamako for a four-week training session.

General presentation of the training

Following the 1st summer course held in the largest conference room of the MRTC, DELGEME hosted its 2nd edition in its own bioinformatics training facility, designed to prepare future scientific leaders.

The courses lasted four weeks:

• Week 1: Introduction to bioinformatics, basic Linux commands, sequence comparison, comparative genomics, phylogeny and evolution, protein-protein interaction networks, NGS technology, platforms, data files, and applications.
  • Facilitators: Dr. Alia Ben Kahla & Dr. Kais Ghedira
• Week 2: Genome annotation, programming in Python, RNASeq analysis, metagenomics (16S rRNA), and structural bioinformatics.
  • Facilitators: Dr. Oussama Souiai & Dr. Emna Harigua
• Week 3: Ethics in genomic research and biobanking.
  • Facilitators: Dr. Paulina Tindana
• Week 4: Genetic inheritance and Mendelian genetics.
  • Facilitators: Dr. Alfred Amambua & Dr. Lucas Amenga-Etego

The Programme’s lead office team organized the administrative and logistical aspects of the course.

Handover of laptops and certificates to students

After completing high-level courses, students returned to their respective institutions with newfound knowledge to address challenges in the scientific world.

Each DELGEME fellow (MSc, PhD, and Post-Doc) received a laptop from the Programme Directorate, led by Professor Abdoulaye Djimdé. This initiative, aimed at facilitating access to bioinformatics data, was conducted in the presence of the Dean of Pharmacy, Prof. Aboubacar Traoré. Certificates were also awarded to participants at the course’s conclusion.

As part of their experience, the students visited the historical site of “Sibi,” located about 50 kilometers from Bamako.

The 2nd summer course hosted 20 participants, 50% of whom were women.

See you at the next summer course in 2019!