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Biosciences eastern and central Africa Hub: Capacity Building
Empowering African scientists to solve Africa’s agricultural challenges
Segenet KelemuDirector, BecA HubNairobi, Kenya
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 Africa2. 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.
BecA Hub: Core activities
1. ResearchCore competencies and research programs in agriculture: crop, animal health and microbial sciences
2. Capacity building and training3. Research and Technology-related services4. Focal point for the agricultural research community in eastern and
central Africa5. Promotion of product development and delivery
BecA Hub Core competencies
• Genomics/Metagenomics• Functional genomics • Bioinformatics • Genetic engineering• Diagnostics • Molecular breeding (marker development and application)• Proteomics• Vaccine technology/Immunology• Vectors (e.g. ticks)• Mycotoxins
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
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
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)
ABCF Research Fellowships
Research outputs, plusBuilding capacity to do research
Technical skills Good lab practice and H&S Research ethics Science communication
• Presentations, posters • Publications
Develop partnerships Research sustainability
ABCF fellowship projects: examples of outputs
Photo credit: A. Bombom
• 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
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
ABCF Fellows: leveraging funding
Thank youAustralia, Benin, Cameroon, England, Ethiopia, Italy, Kenya, USA
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