It was during a workshop that took place from the 24th to 28th March 2025 as part of the AVecGen project.
Participants during a practical session
The theme of this second in-house workshop was «Making functional genomic techniques accessible to African scientists ». The course is part of Aim 4 of the African Centre for Vector Genomics (AVecGen) project, with Activity 1 focusing on « Advanced capacitation of staff at CRID in functional genomics ». The workshop spanned five days, combining theoretical principles and practical skills. The objective was to provide a comprehensive foundation in functional genomics and systems biology to 15 participants, including Ph.D students, research assistants, and post-doctoral researchers. From the outset, they were updated on the importance of this discipline and how functional genomics is indispensable for scientists aiming to publish in peer review high-impact journals.
On a daily basis, participants explored and acquired skills on different modules among which: Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) cloning; An overview of GAL4-UAS system of transgenic Drosophila flies; An overview of in vitro recombinant protein expression; An overview on in vitro metabolism assay; An overview of the Ribonucleic acid interference (RNAi) induced gene silencing technique.
The programme included practical sessions, during which participants were able to prepare a needle and inject mosquitoes, as well as identify and collect colonies of bacteria cells after overnight culture. Another practical session was on DNA polymorphism analysis. Here, the participants were guided on the use of DNA sequence polymorphism (DnaSP) software to generate the genetic parameters table. They were also mentored on using the Templeton Crandall Singleton (TCS) software and TCS beautifier software to generate and beautify the haplotype network, making the data more appreciable and suitable for publication. In addition, participants learnt how to analyze metabolism assay results on Microsoft excel and graphically present the results using GraphPad prism statistical software. In the flies’ room, they were able to differentiate between male, female, virgin female, flies containing a gene construct and driver line (GAL4 flies).
Participants following a theoretical course
The final module of the training was an introduction to gene editing using CRISPR-Cas9 technology, an advanced functional genomic tool. Theofelix Tekoh, PhD student at CRID facilitated this course. Drawing on the expertise he acquired on the topic during his 1-year tuition at the Harvard School of Public Health, he carried out a genuine transfer of skills. Other facilitators of this workshop were Carlos Djoko, Vanessa Ngannang and Nelly Tatchou, all research assistants at CRID; Dr Mersimine Kouamo and Dr Abdullahi Muhammad, Post docs at CRID.
On terminating this one-week intensive training program, the 15 participants felt greatly empowered by the skills acquired and were eager to apply in their various research activities. For Fleuriane Djondji, Research Assistant, « One of the most fascinating aspects was the module dedicated to cloning and heterologous expression, where I learned how to clone genes of interest and express them in bacteria cells, using specific vectors for in-vitro functional characterisation ». A sentiment shared by Michel Deukam, Ph.D student, as he says « On a practical level, the training provided me a solid understanding of the various techniques used for the functional validation of genes. Given that my Ph.D research focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying insecticide resistance, the methods I learned such as RNA interference (RNAi), metabolic assays, and especially CRISPR-Cas9 will be extremely valuable for my progress ».
All graduates share the common ambition of making a meaningful contribution to the fight against malaria and other vector-borne diseases in Cameroon and beyond.
