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CSIR Biosciences joined the University of Pretoria’s
Pharmacology Department in co-hosting a national symposium followed by
a workshop on proteomics. The successful event drew close to 70
delegates from across the country to a two-day symposium held on 11 and
12 July followed by an oversubscribed two-day hands-on workshop. The
symposium was a follow-up to an inaugural meeting that was hosted by
the Universities of Pretoria and the Witwatersrand in 2009.
The symposium’s focus was to bring together researchers,
stakeholders and industry from across the country to present and
discuss the scope and state of proteomics research in South Africa. The
symposium also offered a platform for researchers to discuss new
developments and challenges in the field and provided a unique
opportunity for groups to network and initiate collaborations. The
workshop was aimed at providing intensive hands-on training for
research scientists from a variety of backgrounds.
The initial focus of the workshop was the application of
two-dimensional gel electrophoresis in proteomics, which was hosted by
the event organiser Dr Duncan Cromarty at the University of Pretoria
and the CSIR by Dr Tsepo Tsekoa, Dr Stoyan Stoychev and Sindi
Buthelezi. The CSIR team then provided in-depth training on sample
preparation, high-performance liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry,
and bioinformatics for proteomics.
Participants to the event were drawn from the universities of the
Western Cape, Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Free State, Limpopo,
Witwatersrand, Johannesburg and Pretoria. Institutes included the
Agricultural Research Council and representatives from the
Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (OBP/OVI). Other stakeholders
included the African Centre for Gene Technologies and the National
Research Foundation, while industry participation saw representation
from BioRad, AB Sciex, Bruker, Thermo Fisher, Anatech, Biocom Biotech,
BD, Separations, Vacutec, Waters, Chemetrix, and Whitehead Scientific.
Speaking at the event, CSIR Biosciences Director Dr Joe Molete
highlighted the importance of developing technologies such as
proteomics in cutting-edge research, and their role in creating new
capacity and entrepreneurial opportunities in the country’s fledgling
biotechnology sector.
One of the organisers, Dr Dalu Mancama from CSIR Biosciences, says,
“Proteomics represents one of the fastest growing areas of biological
sciences research. The technology offers the ability to simultaneously
study proteins involved in the function, organisation, diversity and
dynamic variety of cells or whole tissues. Its broad application
potential and foreseen impact spurred the establishment of a proteomics
platform at CSIR Biosciences, enabling the acquisition of essential
tools and supporting technologies required to perform cutting-edge
research in this field.
“Today the platform contributes to driving the development of a wide
range of research interests at the CSIR, including drug and diagnostics
discovery and development, crop development, and veterinary science
research. The past two years have also witnessed increased access by
academia and industry to the platform’s state-of-the-art capabilities.
“The symposium and workshop offered the ideal opportunity for
sharing knowledge and networking with other role-players in this
growing field,” he concludes.
Further proteomics-based workshops are planned for the next six
months to try and meet the high demand for this type of quality
hands-on training.
News contributed by CSIR Strategic Communication and Stakeholder Relations
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Attendees of the proteomics workshop (CSIR, day 1) |
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