04 May 2020 Significance of the genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2: SAAFoST webinar

The webinar explainS the “sequencing of South Africa’s SARS-CoV-2 virus”, and how this research will assist with the COVID-19 outbreak, with vaccine development and help the government to improve contact tracing and testing”.

On April 7, well into the lockdown, South Africa’s leading publications were buzzing with positivity headlines “South African scientists announces successful genome sequencing of COVID-19”.

One of those scientists, and lead researcher in this breakthrough, is Dr Mushal Allam (Senior Bioinformatics Scientist) at the Sequencing Core Facility, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, who presented this SAAFoST-hosted live event on 6 May 2020.

Before his 13-year stint at the NICD, Allam spent eight years as part of the Malaria Research Group, at the Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, in Sudan.

He holds a BSc (Hons) in Biology, MSc in Molecular Biology and PhD in Bioinformatics with more than five years’ experience in pathogen genomics.

His research interests focus on applications of genomics and bioinformatics in microbial diversity, evolution, pathogenesis, virulence and antimicrobial resistance.

The webinar is now available permanently on the SAAFoST website, click here to listen….