Safe development and application of biotechnology

Life sciences and related advances in biotechnology are opening up new opportunities to increase food production, stem environmental degradation, fight such diseases as malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, and add value to natural resources as well as promote industrialization in Africa. They can contribute to the reduction of poverty and improvement of the continent’s economic competitiveness.

The development of a new generation of safer and more affordable vaccines for human diseases such as meningitis, and for animal diseases such as rabies is set to enlarge prospects of human development in very profound ways. Already the application of biotechnology in agriculture has resulted new crop varieties with improved tolerance to pests and diseases, and higher nutritional value. A good example is the Golden Rice, which is biofortified and rich in Vitamin A. Vitamin A is important to prevent childhood blindness and for the proper functioning of the immune system.

Genomics make it possible for scientists to identify genes that are linked to particular diseases. This makes it possible to develop diagnostic tests that can better detect and facilitate prevention of human, animal and crop diseases. This science has advanced drug development in very profound ways and when combined with advances in imaging technology and sensors, medical practitioners can now use genomic approaches to diagnose many diseases and offer early treatment. The completion of the mapping of the malaria parasite genome and the many other parasitic organisms will pave the way for the development of vaccines and other control measures for many of diseases in Africa.

African countries have identified specific priorities for biotechnology development and application. These priorities are based on an analysis of current constraints, possible availability of new technologies, and/or potential for new R&D approaches to address previously intractable problems. These constraints can be grouped into two:

1. scientific and technical; and
2. limited capacity—human, infrastructure, policy, public awareness and funding.

The constraints include:

• Inadequate protocols for regeneration and rapid multiplication of disease-free planting materials including diagnostic systems;
• Lack of access to isolated genes and biotechnologies;
• Lack of new genes/markers and transformation protocols to address production constraints;
• A limited range of techniques and knowledge for application for sustainable mining and environmental restoration;
• Inadequate characterization, evaluation, and conservation of existing crop, animal, and soil-organism germplasm;
• Inadequate resources to develop and safely apply biotechnology (human, infrastructure, and funding);
• Inadequate policies and legal frameworks (biosafety, IPR, strategies);
• Lack of indigenous commercial enterprises to promote biotechnology product development; and
• Inadequate awareness and appreciation of the role of biotechnology in R&D.

Programme Objectives

This programme shall be dedicated to addressing the outlined and other emerging constraints. Its overall objective is to build Africa’s capacities to develop and safely apply biotechnology in agriculture, health, mining, industry and other areas. The programme and its projects will focus on mobilising and integrating at the continental level critical mass of physical and financial resources and expertise needed to enable Africa effectively harness and apply biotechnology. Institutions and expertise will be networked around joint project activities targeting specific developmental problems as well as enabling the continent to contribute to advancing knowledge.

Its specific objectives are to:

• Create a critical mass of African scientists and technicians with skills to engage in frontier life sciences;
• Increase access to and sharing of affordable state-of-art class research facilities for genomics, bioinformatics, gene technology, immunology, etc to be conducted in Africa by African scientists;
• Increase mobility of scientists across the continent to conduct research on common priority problems;
• Mobilize existing scientific expertise and direct it to address specific common research and innovation challenges; and
• Stimulate the emergence and growth of African biotechnology innovation hubs and related companies.

Indicative Projects and Activities

The flagship programme will be implemented through clusters of interrelated projects. Specific thematic areas of coverage will include:

1. Research and Training into gene expression and proteomics

This cluster of activities will largely focus on building knowledge base and training on gene expression and proteomics. The aim is to enable African scientists to decipher the functions of genes and their protein products, and to build information on the complex functioning of biological systems and processes. African researchers will be able to target genomics and proteomics to specific indigenous crops, livestock and human health aspects.

For example, in Eastern and Central Africa emphasis will be placed on accessing and using information from successful mapping of the genomes of other cereals and using the data to develop more drought tolerant and disease resistant lines of sorghum and pearl millet. This will be done with the use of new molercular tools and technologies which are efficient and targeted.

This knowledge and techniques will be diffused throughout the continent through the networks of centres of excellence. The African network of centres of excellence in biosciences will provide overall institutional leadership on cereal related genomics and proteomics research.

Research and innovation in health related genomics and proteomics will be led by the Southern Africa and North Africa regional networks. Emphasis will be put on identifying processes and developing products to cure opportunistic infections of people living with HIV/AIDS. Examples of such infections are oral thrush (Herpes simplex), shingles (Herpes zoster) and fungal diseases. The project shall integrate the use of existing traditional medicine into modern vaccine development.

2. Building and using capacity for bioinformatics

Bioinformatics — the development and use of computational and mathematical methods — is generating a spectacular increase in biological data. It has emerged as a multidisciplinary discipline bringing together life sciences, informatics, mathematics and information technology.

Bioinformatics is making it possible for scientists and industry to create and maintain databases of gene sequences. It is expanding the frontiers of biological sciences, shifting emphasis from individual biomolecules to the analysis of the interactions of complex networks that control biological systems. This multidisciplinary field offers enormous and growing opportunities to improve agricultural research and production, improve healthcare, and to conserve and sustainably use biological resources in developing countries.

Bioinformatics cannot be disregarded by any African country that intends to engage effectively with biosciences. In addition to this, African countries may also want to manage their own specific data on indigenous biological species, on local epidemiology and biodiversity programmes. These tasks clearly require that statisticians and informatics experts become advanced users of bioinformatics software and develop a capability to solve problems locally.

This project aims at establishing a continental platform for bioinformatics. The platform will be a network of leading centres that will be dedicated to the generation and provision of information on genomics to academic and research institutions in Africa. Activities on the platform will include training courses, exchange of information and expertise within Africa and between Africa and the international community, and joint genomics data generation and management.

3. Development of biopesticides and biofertilizers for sustainable agriculture

Expanding and intensifying African agriculture are currently based on increasing application of agrochemicals including, pesticides and fertilizers. Many of these agrochemicals have irreversibly negative impacts on human and animal health and are a major source of environmental degradation and pollution. Research will be conducted and used to develop environmentally sound biopesticides and biofertilizers. A detailed project proposal with specific research themes and innovation pathways will be prepared by a team of experts.

Institutional Arrangements for Implementation

This programme will be implemented by the African Biosciences Initiative that is being established under the auspices of NEPAD. The Initiative is largely a network of leading centres and consists of hubs and nodes. Four hubs have been identified and established as follows: Biosciences East and Central Africa (BecA) at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Kenya; the Southern African Network for Biosciences (SANBio) at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Pretoria, South Africa; the West African Biosciences Network (WABNet) at Institute Senegalais de Recherches Agricoles (ISRA) in Dakar, Senegal, and the Northern Africa Biosciences Network (NABNet) at National Research Centre (NRC) of Cairo, Egypt. These hubs possess the necessary physical infrastructure to develop and implement regional and continental biosciences projects.