NEWS SPOTLIGHT

KRISP NEWS

the gem - genomics, epidemics & microbes Nov/Dec 2025

As 2025 draws to a close, the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), the KZN Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP) and SACEMA reflect on a year marked by scientific excellence, global collaboration, and meaningful advances into the future of AI-driven health innovation. This edition of the gem magazine captures highlights of that journey.

Sweat Africa Tech Event 2026 - We are on a mission to help and create founders in Africa

Sweat Africa: Inspiring young people to pursue careers in tech and entrepreneurship. We are on a mission to help and create founders to change the world from Africa.

Prof Tulio de Oliveira among Clarivate’s 2025 Highly Cited Researchers

For the second year in a row, the Director of the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI) at Stellenbosch University (SU), Prof Tulio de Oliveira, has secured a spot on the prestigious Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers list for 2025, specifically in the Cross-Field category

Stellenbosch University and CERI host Bavarian delegation to power innovation on biotechnology

As part of their visit to the Stellenbosch University, the universities in the Bavarian delegation toured CERI’s state-of-the-art facilities at the Tygerberg Campus on 4 November. Accompanied by Prof Tulio de Oliveira and senior researchers, the group explored how CERI is driving innovation in genomic surveillance and building scientific partnerships across Africa

Fostering Capacity - HIV Research Trust Fellow, Dr Armando Djiyou, visits KRISP

Avisiting HIV Research Trust Fellow from Cameroon, Dr Armando Djiyou, joined KRISP for a month-long training and knowledge exchange programme. Based at the University of Yaoundé I, Dr Djiyou wished to deepen his expertise in genomics and clinical research methods.

Inspiring Young Minds -IkamvaYouth Learners enjoy a Day of Science, Discovery, and Inspiration

As part of its commitment to strengthening STEM education and scientific capacity in South Africa, KRISP recently welcomed 30 Grade 9 learners from the Umlazi and Chesterville branches of IkamvaYouth for an immersive outreach day at its laboratories. This initiative is part of KRISP’s broader efforts to spark early interest in genomics, biotechnology, and life sciences among curious young learners.

Advancing AI Technologies in Africa - AIMS South Africa visits CERI at BMRI

The new cohort of students from the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) and Google DeepMind Fellows visited the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI) at the Biomedical Research Institute (BMRI) on Stellenbosch University’s Tygerberg Campus on 28 November.

PUBLICATIONS SPOTLIGHT

KRISP SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

Tracing the spatial origins and spread of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron lineages in South Africa.
Dor G, Wilkinson E, Martin DP, Moir M, Tshiabuila D, Kekana D, Ntozini B, Joseph R, Iranzadeh A, Nyaga MM, Goedhals D, Maponga T, Maritz J, Laguda-Akingba O, Ramphal Y, MacIntyre C, Chabuka L, Pillay S, Giandhari J, Baxter C, Hsiao NY, Preiser W, Bhiman JN, Davies MA, Venter M, Treurnicht FK, Wolter N, Williamson C, von Gottberg A, Lessells R, Tegally H, de Oliveira T, Nature Communications (2025), 28;16(1):4937. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-60081-0:.

Genomic Surveillance of Climate-Amplified Cholera Outbreak, Malawi, 2022–2023.
Chabuka L, Choga W, Mavian C, Moir M, Morgenstern C, Tegaly H, Sharma A, Wilkinson E, Naidoo Y, Inward R, Bhatt S, WilliamWint G, Khan K, Bogoch I, Kraemer M, Lourenço J, Baxter C, Tagliamonte M, Salemi M, Lessells R, Mitambo C, Chitatanga R, Bitilinyu-Bango J, Chiwaula M, Chavula Y, Bukhu M, Manda H, Chitenje M, Malolo I, Mwanyongo A, Mvula B, Nyenje M, de Oliveira T, Kagoli M, Emerging Infectious Diseases (2025), 31(6):. doi: 10.3201/eid3106.240930.:.

Importance of outbreak response research in bridging knowledge gaps on emerging infectious diseases.
Breiman R, Osoro E, Reithinger R, Wang D, Diamond M, Van Voorhis W, Wasserheit J, Rabinowitz P, Mboup S, Hemingway-Foday J, de Oliveira T, Boon A, Schieffelin J, Sempowski G, Moody M, Vasilakis N, Hanley K, Nasimiyu C, Situma S, Ngere I, Kyobe Bosa H, Nyakarahuka L, Bakamutumaho B, Woodson S, Njenga M, BMJ Global Health (2025), 10(6):e018297. doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2024-018297.:.

Artificial intelligence for modelling infectious disease epidemics.
Kraemer M, Tsui J, Chang S, Lytras S, Khurana M, Vanderslott S, Bajaj S, Scheidwasser N, Curran-Sebastian J, Semenova E, Zhang M, Unwin H, Watson O, Mills C, Dasgupta A, Ferretti L, Scarpino S, Koua E, Morgan O, Tegally H, Paquet U, Moutsianas L, Fraser C, Ferguson N, Topol E, Duchêne D, Stadler T, Kingori P, Parker M, Dominici F, Shadbolt N, Suchard M, Ratmann O, Flaxman S, Holmes E, Gomez-Rodriguez M, Schölkopf B, Donnelly C, Pybus O, Cauchemez S, Bhatt S, Nature (2025), 638(8051):623-635. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08564-w.:.

Spatiotemporal disease suitability prediction for Oropouche virus and the role of vectors across the Americas.
Poongavanan J, Dunaiski M, D’or G, Kraemer M, Giovanetti M, Lim A, Brady O, Baxter C, Fonseca V, Alcantara L, de Oliveira T, Tegally H, medRxiv (2025), doi: 10.1101/2025.02.28.25323068.:.

Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 intrahost genetic evolution in vaccinated and non-vaccinated patients from the Kenyan population.
Lugano D, Mwangi K, Mware B, Kibet G, Osiany S, Kiritu E, Dobi P, Muli C, Njeru R, de Oliveira T, Njenga M, Routh A, Oyola S, medRxiv (2025), doi: 10.1101/2025.03.03.25323296.:.

Unveiling novel features and phylogenomic assessment of indigenous Priestia megaterium AB-S79 using comparative genomics.
Adeniji A, Chukwuneme C, Conceição E, Ayangbenro A, Wilkinson E, Maasdorp E, de Oliveira T, Babalola O, Microbiology Spectrum (2025), doi: 10.1128/spectrum.01466-24.:.

KRISP VIDEOS

COVID-19 | News sub-variant being monitored closely
By: Tulio De Oliveira and CERI and KRISP teams

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