Bioinformatics proficiency among African students

Ashraf Akintayo Akintola^{1 2}, Abdullahi Tunde Aborode^{2 3}, Muhammed Taofiq Hamza^{2 4}, Augustine Amakiri^{2 5}, Benjamin Moore⁶, Suliat Abdulai^{2 7}, Oluyinka Ajibola Iyiola⁸, Lateef Adegboyega Sulaimon^{2 9}, Effiong Effiong^{2 10}, Adedeji Ogunyemi¹¹, Boluwatife Dosunmu¹², Abdulkadir Yusif Maigoro^{2 13}, Opeyemi Lawal¹⁴, Kayode Raheem^{2 15}, Ui Wook Hwang^{1 16 17}

Affiliations

¹ School of Industrial Technology Advances, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
² NOBLEKINMAT Ltd. Bioinformatics Research Group, Ibadan, Nigeria.
³ Department of Chemistry, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, United States.
⁴ Green Climate Fund, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
⁵ ProCogia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
⁶ European Molecular Biology Laboratory - European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom.
⁷ Department of Biochemistry, Fountain University, Osogbo, Nigeria.
⁸ Department of Zoology, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.
⁹ Department of Biochemistry, Crescent University, Abeokuta, Nigeria.
¹⁰ Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Nigeria.
¹¹ Center for Biotechnology and Genomics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States.
¹² University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States.
¹³ Department of Life Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
¹⁴ Department of Food Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
¹⁵ Cancer Research Artificial Intelligence (CARESAI), Hobart, Australia.
¹⁶ Department of Biology, Teachers College and Institute for Phylogenomics and Evolution, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
¹⁷ Institute for Korean Herb-Bio Convergence Promotion, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.

PMID:38966162
PMCID: PMC11222312
DOI: 10.3389/fbinf.2024.1328714

Bioinformatics proficiency among African students

Ashraf Akintayo Akintola et al. Front Bioinform.2024.

.2024 Jun 20:4:1328714.

doi: 10.3389/fbinf.2024.1328714. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ School of Industrial Technology Advances, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
² NOBLEKINMAT Ltd. Bioinformatics Research Group, Ibadan, Nigeria.
³ Department of Chemistry, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, United States.
⁴ Green Climate Fund, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
⁵ ProCogia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
⁶ European Molecular Biology Laboratory - European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom.
⁷ Department of Biochemistry, Fountain University, Osogbo, Nigeria.
⁸ Department of Zoology, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.
⁹ Department of Biochemistry, Crescent University, Abeokuta, Nigeria.
¹⁰ Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Nigeria.
¹¹ Center for Biotechnology and Genomics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States.
¹² University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States.
¹³ Department of Life Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
¹⁴ Department of Food Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
¹⁵ Cancer Research Artificial Intelligence (CARESAI), Hobart, Australia.
¹⁶ Department of Biology, Teachers College and Institute for Phylogenomics and Evolution, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
¹⁷ Institute for Korean Herb-Bio Convergence Promotion, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.

PMID:38966162
PMCID: PMC11222312
DOI: 10.3389/fbinf.2024.1328714

Abstract

Bioinformatics, the interdisciplinary field that combines biology, computer science, and data analysis, plays a pivotal role in advancing our understanding of life sciences. In the African context, where the diversity of biological resources and healthcare challenges is substantial, fostering bioinformatics literacy and proficiency among students is important. This perspective provides an overview of the state of bioinformatics literacy among African students, highlighting the significance, challenges, and potential solutions in addressing this critical educational gap. It proposes various strategies to enhance bioinformatics literacy among African students. These include expanding educational resources, fostering collaboration between institutions, and engaging students in research projects. By addressing the current challenges and implementing comprehensive strategies, African students can harness the power of bioinformatics to contribute to innovative solutions in healthcare, agriculture, and biodiversity conservation, ultimately advancing the continent's scientific capabilities and improving the quality of life for her people. In conclusion, promoting bioinformatics literacy among African students is imperative for the continent's scientific development and advancing frontiers of biological research.

Keywords: Africa; bioinformatics; literacy; students; training.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Authors AsA, AbA, MH, AuA, SA, LS, EE, AM, and KR are members of NOBLEKINMAT Ltd. Bioinformatics Research Group. Authors MH was employed by Green Climate Fund. Author AuA was employed by ProCogia. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

**FIGURE 1**
Responses of participants when asked how happy they were with the(A) Length(B) Modules(C) Balance of presentations, demos, and exercises(D) Quality of presentation, and(E) if they would recommend the workshop to their colleagues.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

1. African CDC (2023). First bioinformatics training workshop kicks off at the Africa CDC state-of-the-art laboratory and training center. Available at:https://africacdc.org/news-item/first-bioinformatics-training-workshop-k... (Accessed December 27, 2023).
1. Akintola A. A., Aborode T. A., Hwang U. W. (2022a). Africa needs genomic epidemiologists - correspondence. Int. J. Surg. 108, 106999. 10.1016/j.ijsu.2022.106999 - DOI - PubMed
1. Akintola A. A., Hwang U. W., Aborode A. T. (2022b). Africa needs more bioinformaticians for population studies. Nature 605 (7911), 619. 10.1038/d41586-022-01378-8 - DOI - PubMed
1. Anderson N. R., Lee E. S., Brockenbrough J. S., Minie M. E., Fuller S., Brinkley J., et al. (2007). Issues in biomedical research data management and analysis: needs and barriers. J. Am. Med. Inf. Assoc. 14, 478–488. 10.1197/jamia.m2114 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Aron S., Gurwitz K., Panji S., Mulder N., Consortium H. (2017). H3ABioNet: developing sustainable bioinformatics capacity in Africa. EMBnet.J. 23, e886. 10.14806/ej.23.0.886 - DOI

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources
- Frontiers Media SA
- PubMed Central
Miscellaneous
- NCI CPTAC Assay Portal

Movatterモバイル変換

Account

Save citation to file

Email citation

Add to Collections

Add to My Bibliography

Your saved search

Create a file for external citation management software

Your RSS Feed

Full text links

Actions

Bioinformatics proficiency among African students

Affiliations

Bioinformatics proficiency among African students

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Miscellaneous