ArticlePLoS computational biology2016
The Development of Computational Biology in South Africa: Successes Achieved and Lessons Learnt.
Article in PLoS computational biology, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed.
- Reframing bioinformatics capacity development in Africa: from training supply to research-driven demand.Journal of community genetics · 2026Review
- Unlocking the African bioeconomy and strengthening biodiversity conservation through genomics and bioinformatics.npj biodiversity · 2025Review
- BioStruct-Africa's capacity building workshops as a model for advancing the emerging community of structural biologists in Africa.Communications chemistry · 2025Article
- Challenges and opportunities of developing bioinformatics platforms in Africa: the case of BurkinaBioinfo at Joseph Ki-Zerbo University, Burkina Faso.Briefings in bioinformatics · 2024Article
- Establishing African genomics and bioinformatics programs through annual regional workshops.Nature genetics · 2024Review
- A mentorship and incubation program using project-based learning to build a professional bioinformatics pipeline in Kenya.PLoS computational biology · 2023Article
- Infrastructure for bioinformatics applications in Tanzania: Lessons from the Sickle Cell Programme.PLoS computational biology · 2023Article
- A Perspective on Nanotechnology and COVID-19 Vaccine Research and Production in South Africa.Viruses · 2021Article
- Bioinformatics in Sudan: Status and challenges case study: The National University-Sudan.PLoS computational biology · 2021Article
- High-Throughput Sequencing Application in the Diagnosis and Discovery of Plant-Infecting Viruses in Africa, A Decade Later.Plants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2020Review
- Designing and running an advanced Bioinformatics and genome analyses course in Tunisia.PLoS computational biology · 2019Article
- Strategies and opportunities for promoting bioinformatics in Zimbabwe.PLoS computational biology · 2018Review
- Highlights on the Application of Genomics and Bioinformatics in the Fight Against Infectious Diseases: Challenges and Opportunities in Africa.Frontiers in genetics · 2018Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Bioinformatics is now a critical skill in many research and commercial environments as biological data are increasing in both size and complexity. South African researchers recognized this need in the mid-1990s and responded by working with the government as well as international bodies to develop initiatives to build bioinformatics capacity in the country. Significant injections of support from these bodies provided a springboard for the establishment of computational biology units at multiple universities throughout the country, which took on teaching, basic research and support roles. Several challenges were encountered, for example with unreliability of funding, lack of skills, and lack of infrastructure. However, the bioinformatics community worked together to overcome these, and South Africa is now arguably the leading country in bioinformatics on the African continent. Here we discuss how the discipline developed in the country, highlighting the challenges, successes, and lessons learnt.
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