By MaryAnn Francis, 15 March 2018, Durban. The Technology Innovation Agency (TIA)-funded KZN Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP) recently hosted its second Durban Spark Innovation breakfast featuring UKZN's A-rated scientist Professor Fernando Albericio as the keynote speaker.

KRISP Talks by Dr. Eduan Wilkinson, KRISP, UKZN, 6th March 2018 (15:00 - 16:00), K-RITH building, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, UKZN, Durban, South Africa. All welcome!

In our second issue of 2018, we would like to bring attention to a partnership with SPARK Global Program at Stanford, innovation meeting, news, publications, collaborators and capacity building workshops

Here we provide a summary of the process you should follow, along with contact information for the people who can provide immediate assistance as you proceed to grant application. This assay focus on the pre-award process.

The development of innovation, small businesses and entrepreneurship should be the cornerstones of development in order to alleviate poverty and improve health on the African continent. In order to respond to these challenges, KRISP and UKZN have partnered with some of the world's leading innovative organizations to learn from the successful innovation in the Silicon Valley.

KRISP video highlighting the important role that grants and project management play in allowing researchers to achieve scientific excellence in South Africa.

KRISP maintains a list of selected funding sources and databases. In addition, our grants managers maintain an email list for KRISP, APACHE and UKZN interested researchers that highlights new opportunities.

CAPRISA annual strategic meeting was presented at the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Durban. We were present and two of our manuscripts (Lancet HIV 2017 and Science 2018) were presented.

KRISP Talks by Dr. Veron Ramsuran, KRISP, UKZN & CAPRISA, 26 January 2018 (15:00 - 16:00), K-RITH building, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, UKZN, Durban, South Africa. All welcome!

F1000 has produced another retrospective list of the top 20 influential conservation papers of 2017 as assessed by experts in the field. The manuscript by Tomita, Vandormael et al. Lancet Planetary Health 2017 on green environment and depression made this influencial list...

The study, published in the prestigious journal Science (Ramsuram et al. 2018), was led by South African scientists who, together with an international research team, discovered that a specific-type human leucocyte antigen (HLA) gene helps infected cells to evade the body's first line of defence

HIV/AIDS researchers have never understood why people infected with HIV developed Aids at different times? but now they suspect that it all has to do with their genes. A study by South African and US researchers (Ramsuran et al. Science 2018) has shed new light on how specific genes in people can lead to the faster progression of Aids-related illnesses in people living with HIV who are not on treatment.

Mercury Reporter, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 19 Jan 2018: Scientists led an in ternational research team which discovered new genetic markers that identify why the onset of Aids appears to occur so quickly in some people after they are infected with HIV The study published in the journal Science (Ramsuran et al. Science 2018), sheds new light on how specific human genes can lead to a faster deterioration for people living with HIV who are not on treatment.

The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) gene complex varies enormously among individuals and helps explain individual variation in immunity to infectious diseases. Ramsuran et al. (Science 2018) examined data from almost 10,000 HIV infections.

The Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) and UKZN have signed an agreement for the establishment of KRISP - the KwaZulu-Natal Research and Innovation Sequencing Platform.

Many parameters are examined to try to understand HIV transmission in endemic areas. Tanser et al. (Science TM 2017) use longitudinal population-based data from rural South Africa to show that population viral load indices incorporating geographical location and local HIV prevalence can be used to infer HIV transmission potential.

The Mercury, 14 December 2017, KwaZulu-Natal-based medical research organisations have developed an improved method to accurately predict where the highest rate of new HIV infections will likely occur in a community. Press coverage of our KRISP paper by Tanser et al. (Science TM 2017)

By Katharine Child, 05 December 2017. SA's policy to reduce HIV infections is to do what the UN recommends, which is to get 90% of people tested, 90% of HIV-positive people taking antiretrovirals and 90% of those on treatment taking it properly so they are not infectious. Press coverage of our KRISP paper Iwuji et al. (Lancet HIV 2017).

By Linda Nordling, 2 December 2017, Quartz Africa. Antiretrovirals 'the drugs used to keep HIV in check' don't only prevent people from getting AIDS; they also keep virus levels low, making those taking them less likely to pass the infection to others. Press coverage of our KRISP paper Iwuji et al. (Lancet HIV 2017).

By Sikhulile Moyo, 1 December 2017. The conversation, press coverage of our KRISP paper Moyo et al. (PLoS One HIV 2016). A critical part of reaching zero new HIV infections by 2030 as the 'UN's Sustainable Development Goal aims to do' is to be able to track accurately when specific high risks groups become infected with the virus.

Drug resistance in HIV is rising to more than 10% in people with HIV who are preparing to start (or re-start) first-line antiretroviral therapy, according to a recently published meta-analysis. Press coverage of our KRISP paper Gupta et al. (Lancet ID 2017).

HIV drug resistance is approaching and exceeding 10% in people living with HIV who are about to initiate or reinitiate first-line antiretroviral therapy, according to the largest meta-analysis to date on HIV drug resistance. Press coverage of Gupta et al. (Lancet ID 2017).

Commentary by Jens Lundgren & Andrew Phillips, Lancet HIV, 30 November 2017.

KRISP Talks by Dr. Aliza Monroe-Wise, University of Washington, 16 November 2017 (11:00am - 12:00), K-RITH building, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, UKZN, Durban, South Africa. All welcome!

KRISP Talks by Prof. Andrew Rambaut, Edinburgh University, 15 November 2017 (15:00 - 16:00), K-RITH building, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, UKZN, Durban, South Africa. All welcome!

KRISP staff are based in a state of the art building in Durban and have access to fast advancing technologies such as genomics, epigenetics, bioinformatics and epidemiology.

KRISP Talks by Dr. Wim Delva, SACEMA (Stellenbosch), 23 October 2017 (11:00am - 12:00), K-RITH building, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, UKZN, Durban, South Africa. All welcome!

Bioinformatics is now a strategic area for Brazil and all Latin America and, therefore, it is also strategic to the development of Science, Technology and Economy. The X-Meeting is a Brazilian event with international reach which has an average of 400 participants.

KRISP Talks by Prof. Philip Goulder, Oxford University, 20 September 2017 (14:00 - 15:00), K-RITH building, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, UKZN, Durban, South Africa. All welcome!

The workshop is targeted at 400 clinicians, clinical virologists and nurses working in the public sector who are currently involved in the treatment of patients with HIV and TB in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.