Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 is helping us spot new variants and figure out how to respond. What else could it help us do?

Presenter: Dr. Jennifer Giandhari and PhD Candidate, Houriiyah Tegally, 23 February 2022, Locations: STIAS, Breakaway Room, Wallenberg Centre, University of Stellenbosch or *VIRTUALLY

‘Reported’ deaths in South Africa have increased substantially in the past week or so – but it’s got nothing to do with the BA.2 variant.

Stellenbosch University’s (SU) Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) hosted a high-level international delegation, led by the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) director-general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, at its Tygerberg campus in Cape Town on Friday.

In this webinar, we will hear about the setting up of sequencing and bioinformatic pipelines for SARS-CoV-2, timeliness of data generated and the overall system coordination to inform public health action, with experiences and lessons learned from Denmark, South Africa and Argentina.

A collaborative partnership will ensure a boost in vaccine production capabilities in low to middle-income countries. WHO boss, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, visited the vaccine research sites in CT and said it was a 'strategic solution' to vaccine inequity.

In our January/February issue of 2022, we focus on the visit of our president Cyril Ramaphosa and minister Dr. Blade Nzimande to CERI’s new facilities at Stellenbosch University. We also highlight two students that graduated with a PhD and a MMedSci Cum Laude at KRISP at UKZN and the new papers and news about Omicron variant.

Presenter: Prof Tulio de Oliveira, Date: 2 February 2022, Locations: JN de Villiers Auditorium, Clinical Building, University of Stellenbosch Tygerberg Campus & K-RITH Tower Building, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, UKZN.

Congratulations to Ugochukwu (Jacob) Anyaneji. Mr Anyaneji, who has been awarded a Master of Medical Science (MMedSci) Cum Laude at the School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences College of Health Sciences, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal in January 2022.

We would like to present to you Dr. Emmanuel James San. Dr. San has been awarded his Ph.D. in Medicine at the College of Health Sciences, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal in January 2022.

We at CERI and KRISP are very used to epidemic and pandemic responses. One of the crucial tools for fast communication of results across the scientific community, media, government, and general population is Twitter. Follow us for real-time updates

A South African woman suffering from inadequately treated HIV, and who harboured Covid-19 for nine months saw the respiratory virus develop at least 21 mutations while in her body, according to a study.

The highly transmissible variant emerged with a host of unusual mutations. Now scientists are trying to work out how it evolved. Nature news piece covering the original Omicron paper and the main theories of how the variant emerged.

County secures funding to hire scientists, build laboratories. Other nations to get training to enhance sequencing capability

President Cyril Ramaphosa, along with the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Blade Nzimande, and the biotech investor of NantAfrica (a division of NantWorks), Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong, visited the Stellenbosch University (SU) Biomedical Research Institute (BMRI) today (19 January 2022) to view the cutting-edge facilities of the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), which will provide the genomic sequencing for the development and evaluation of vaccine therapies in South Africa. CERI is to be officially launched later this year.

In Durban, South Africa, scientists led by Dr. Tulio de Oliveira, director of the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI) at Stellenbosch University, were conducting routine genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 from different regions when they noticed worrying variations in genomes clustered in Gauteng Province.

An Omicron investigator, a Mars explorer and an AI ethics pioneer are some of the people behind the year’s big research stories. The Nature’s 10 list explores key developments in science this year and some of the people who played important parts in these milestones. Along with their colleagues, these individuals helped to make amazing discoveries and brought attention to crucial issues.

Scientists in a cutting-edge laboratory at CERI and KRISP do part of the work. Local health workers on foot do the rest. Front Page NYTimes Sunday edition paper covering our work.

Little is known about the Omicron variant, which was first detected in Southern Africa, but the nature of its mutations and its seemingly rapid emergence have concerned governments around the world. Interview with Prof. Tulio de Oliveira at the New Yorker.

What do a seaweed farmer from Tanzania, a scientist in South Africa and a Senegalese influencer all have in common? The BBC's Malu Cursino looks back at how Kaije, Tulio de Oliveira and Khaby made their mark in 2021.

Cape Town - In December 2020, South Africa detected the Beta variant and in May 2021 the Delta variant, thanks to robust genomic surveillance. Professor Tulio De Oliveira, a renowned bioinformatician who identified the Beta variant, explains the criticality of genomic sequencing. Professor De Oliveira is the Director of the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP) and Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI) based in South Africa.

The launch of a new genomics facility, CERI, in South Africa bolsters the continent’s epidemic and pandemic public health response

Billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong has partnered with local universities. He has set up the biggest genomics facility in Africa at Stellenbosch University. He also set up centres of excellence at the universities to research cancer, Covid-19, HIV/AIDS and TB.

SA born billionaire and former local physician Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong has announced an investment of R3 billion to advance vaccine research.

South African-born biotech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong’s NantWorks has agreed to invest in a manufacturing plant and complex in the country’s Western Cape and aims to produce COVID-19 and cancer vaccines.

CERI: Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation to expand pathogen surveillance capability in Africa in partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will be the guest of honour today, Thursday, 23 September 2021, at an announcement by Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong, founder of the multinational conglomerate, NantWorks LLC, of an initiative ambitious initiative to build capacity for advanced health care in Africa.

As United States reveals its plan to offer an extra dose of COVID-19 vaccine, equity and scientific questions abound

The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University is seeking to appoint two molecular biologists with great potential and ambition to become leading scientists. These two positions will work with some of the best pathogen and bioinformatics genomics program in the world, which is currently focused on the COVID-19 response. These full-time contract positions are offered for a period of up to three years.

KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP) at UKZN is seeking to appoint 2 Bioinformaticians with great potential and ambition to become leading scientists. Postdoctoral fellows will support researchers with genomic data management and analysis. These full-time contract positions are offered for a period of 3 years and will be affiliated to the School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences in the College of Health Sciences.