The West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) has concluded a two-week hands-on training workshop on Antimicrobial Resistance, Bacterial Genomics, and Bioinformatics, equipping participants from sub-Saharan Africa with the skills to monitor, detect and combat AMR-a global health challenge.

The workshop, held from February 3 to 14, 2025, at WACCBIP, brought together 20 participants from different countries, including Benin, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Eswatini, Ghana, Morocco, Sudan, and Tanzania.

The workshop’s facilitators and coordinators were Dr. Lucas Amenga-Etego, Professor Samuel Kwofie, Dr. Collins Morang'a Misita, Dr. Isawunmi Abiola, Dr. Samuel Duodu, Dr. Dominic Selorm Yao Amuzu, Ms. Bandoh Kukua, Ms. Joyce Mwongeli Ngoi, Ms. Dzidzor Ayeke, Ms. Becky Tetteh, Mr. Cyril Mawutor Komla, Mr. Appiah Vincent, Mr. Dzabeng Francis, Ms. Maame Esi Mpere, and Ms. Lady Baaba Donkoh.

The training was designed for two groups: wet lab and computational.

In the wet lab, participants gained hands-on experience in library preparation, sample quantification, dilution techniques, and sequencing using the MiSeq platform. The computational sessions were centered on bacterial genome annotation, genome assembly, AMR gene discovery, and NGS data analysis. In addition to instruction in R and Python for bioinformatics, participants worked with software tools like CARD, ResFinder, PATRIC, and Prokka.

Collaboration was another key component of the program, bringing the two groups together to pool their expertise in AMR data analysis.

With support from GSK, this program aligns with WACCBIP's efforts to enhance regional capacity in the study and surveillance of AMR. The workshop is one of a series of training activities lined up for this year to equip scientists with advanced skills to stimulate AMR research in Africa and provide evidence-based approaches in the battle against antimicrobial resistance.

Beyond technical capacity development, the workshop also provided opportunity for collaboration and networking, fostering knowledge sharing and research collaborations.

After the workshop, participants shared their thoughts on the training experience. Among them was Mary Kameni, a PhD student from the Molecular Diagnosis Research Group at the University of Yaoundé 1, Cameroon. Reflecting on her journey, she highlighted the impact of the workshop on her work:

“I have been struggling with some part of my research. I really wanted to learn more about next-generation sequencing, and I was opportune to be selected among the 20 participants for hands-on training in WACCBIP on antimicrobial resistance, genomics of bacteria, and bioinformatics. So, coming to WACCBIP in these two weeks has really enhanced my skills because I wanted to learn about next-generation sequencing for so long. I have tried several opportunities, but I couldn’t get it. So, this opportunity enabled me to gain hands-on experience in whole genome sequencing of bacteria using the Illumina sequencing kit, going through DNA preparation and quantification, tagmentation, and all the steps for sequencing. So, I am happy and thankful to WACCBIP and GSK for granting me this opportunity because the invaluable resources and skills I have gotten here are going to help me pursue my research activities back home in Cameroon.”

Through initiatives like this, WACCBIP continues to empower African scientists, bridge knowledge gaps, and advance biomedical research to address global health challenges.