TReND courses on Genome editing
From basic research to vector control and biomedical applications
Vision
Bio-medical research and insect-born diseases control
Genome editing – the defined and targeted modification of a genome has for decades been the unapproachable dream of bio-medical scientists.
These genetic manipulations are essential to understand how genes encode biological functions, and what goes wrong during diseases. Until recently, these kind of studies were limited to very few model species where tremendous effort has been invested in the past to make them accessible for genetic studies.
This situation dramatically changed in the last decade with the development of TALE nucleases and the CRISPR/Cas system, which are making the manipulation of an ever-growing list of model and non-model organisms a standard approach in many laboratories.
Our courses aim at introducing these revolutionary tools to African scientists and to create a community of scientists able to implement them in their research projects.
Mission
Train students and researchers in Africa on genome-editing techniques
Form a network of students and researchers with a shared interest in genome editing
Get trainees in touch with experts in Africa who work towards implementing genome editing to attend local needs in their countries
To learn more about TReND courses, please visit https://trendinafrica.org/courses/
In collaboration with
Thank you to Volkswagen Stiftung
A great “THANK YOU” to VolkswagenStiftung for generously funding our workshops. To learn more about VolkswagenStiftung and their mission to support science click on the following link:
What is the GeneConvene Global Collaborative?
GeneConvene is a project within the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) that advances best practices and informed decision making for development of genetic biocontrol technologies to improve public health. GeneConvene offers technical information, advice, training and coordination for research on gene drive and other genetic biocontrol technologies.
Building on more than 10 years of work by the FNIH on genetic biocontrol approaches for public health, the GeneConvene team is experienced with important technical, regulatory and policy issues. Learn more about working with GeneConvene to advance the responsible exploration of genetic biocontrol tools.
GeneConvene currently focuses on exploration of the potential of gene drive technologies to combat mosquito-borne diseases, particularly malaria transmission by Anopheles mosquitoes in Africa.
What is TReND?
“TReND in Africa”, which stands for Teaching and Research in (Neuro)science for Development in Africa, is non-profit organization run entirely by volunteer scientists at universities worldwide.
We believe that true sustainable development can only come from through investment in higher education and scientific innovation. We run a wide range of educational activities, and support the establishment of top-level scientific facilities at several countries across the continent by leveraging large scale, low cost approaches to innovation and research. For this, we make use of latest technologies and developments, ranging from open source software and hardware approaches such as 3D printing, online teaching tools, and the use of the cost-effetive yet powerful model organism, the fruit fly Drosophila.
Visit our homepage for more infos about TReND: http://trendinafrica.org/