One effect of the integration of biology and information technology has been to make genome data available to anyone with some training in bioinformatics. The sequencing of the human genome and of other species relevant to health, agriculture and the environment in Africa has created the need to train African scientists in bioinformatics and the use of computational tools.

In this article, Daniel Masiga and Raphael Isokpehi review the different types of training available to African researchers. These include courses, workshops, and websites as well as national and continental networks and partnerships.

The authors say that developing countries will not benefit from the remarkable growth in resources and data unless researchers there obtain more training in the use of tools for processing and analysing genetic data. They support current initiatives but call for a greater commitment from African governments.

Link to full article in the African Journal of Biotechnology 

Reference: African Journal of Biotechnology 3, 117 (2004)