Newsroom

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. (more…)

Two Microarray Symposia were hosted on 12 and 13 July, titled “Latest Advances in Microarray Applications and Next-Generation Sequencing Target Enrichment Technology”. The Symposia attracted researchers and students actively utilising or envisaging the use of microarrays as part of their research. Attendees to the two-day Symposia were from the Universities of Johannesburg, Pretoria and the Witwatersrand; as well as the Agricultural Research Council and the CSIR. The event was sponsored by Anatech, vendors of Agilent microarray products in South Africa. (more…)

August 2011
Contract position 

About the job: The African Centre for Gene Technologies (ACGT) is a collaborative initiative of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), CSIR, and the Universities of Johannesburg, Pretoria and the Witwatersrand. The ACGT has a vacancy for an Intern. This is a contract position ending in March 2012. The CSIR Internship Programme aims to provide dynamic and newly-qualified people with an opportunity to gain in-service training at one of South Africa’s leading research organisations. The intern will support the ACGT administration, as well as assist in the ACGT management activities. The ACGT offices are situated on the University of Pretoria’s Experimental Farm and the candidate will be required to work from this office. To apply for this position and further information, click on the link below.
Apply/ for further information

Johannesburg — When Justin Omolo was growing up in Tanzania, he preferred Western medical clinics to African traditional healers. “I was the only one in my family who didn’t believe in all the traditional cures,” he said. “I guess I wanted proof.” (more…)

Having recently received a boost from the official incorporation of two new partners, the ACGT has kicked off the process of strategising its next phase of growth. On 14 June 2011 the Centre held its 2011-2015 Strategy Session to plot the trajectory for the next five years. (more…)

South Africa’s emerging bioeconomy will receive a significant boon through the recent approval of the CSIR’s Biosciences strategy. Spearheaded by Dr Joe Molete, ACGT Advisory Committee member and Executive Director of Biosciences at CSIR, this development is yet another indication of high-level commitment to addressing gaps so as to build national competiveness through science and innovation. (more…)

ACGT Centre Manager Dr John Becker and Research Intern, Jessika Samuels, recently visited the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) Biotechnology Platform’s new premises at the ARC’s Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute. In addition to viewing the facilities, the purpose of the visit was to provide support related to the audit and inclusion of the Platform’s equipment, staff and expertise on the ACGT database. (more…)

The Commonwealth Forestry Association has bestowed Prof Jolanda Roux with the Queen’s Award for her contribution to forestry. The award, which recognises the achievements and supports the future work of an outstanding mid-career forester, comprises a certificate, a cash prize and a travel grant. (more…)

The ACGT partners again rallied around the aim of building broader collaboration between institutions at the 3rd ACGT Regional Plant Biotechnology Forum on the 25th of March 2011. This time around, the Forum was sponsored by Monsanto and held at the Department of Science and Technology (DST). (more…)

From 14 to 16 March 2011, ACGT partners, CSIR and the University of Pretoria (UP) hosted a workshop introducing Taverna – an open-source scientific workflow management system. (more…)