In June 2025, Prof Wim de Villiers and Dr Richard Gordon visited the UK (London and Cambridge) to explore a number of collaboration opportunities. These included the pharmaceutical sector (Glaxo Smith Kline), funding agencies (Wellcome Trust, Children’s Innovation Fund Foundation (CIFF)) as well as several UK funding agencies such as UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

This June, as South Africa commemorated Youth Day, we at KRISP took a moment to reflect on the importance of this day—not just in remembrance of the past, but in celebration of the present and the promise of the future. Youth Day marks a powerful moment in our nation’s history, honouring the courage of the 1976 student uprisings and reminding us of the role young people continue to play in driving change.

In the last month, our work within the CERI Data Science Unit was showcased across two international discussion panels in Oxford and Berlin contributing to insightful public discourse on pathogen spillover dynamics and AI for infectious disease modelling.

This has been a busy month. In addition to launching three new programs, I also navigated school holidays as a single parent, as my wife was in Portugal to strengthen her Portuguese—essential for her upcoming projects in Lusophone countries. As a result, the release of this edition of the gem came a bit later than usual. That said, it’s a great new issue, packed with timely developments and new grant awards, which are much needed in this era of shrinking global health funding.

The Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI) at Stellenbosch University (South Africa) and the Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) (Senegal), in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, invite applications for the African STARS MBA Fellowship; a fully funded opportunity to pursue a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Health Care Leadership at Stellenbosch Business School, South Africa

Join this five-day hands-on workshop on metagenomic virus discovery, hosted by global experts in bioinformatics and virology. Gain practical skills in project design, pipeline development, and downstream analysis, including phylogenetics and virus evolution.

In an age where misinformation spreads faster than facts, it has never been more crucial for scientists to engage the public. An open lecture by Prof. Marina Joubert.

On 14 May 2025, CERI hosted an interactive photography workshop in the famous glassenclosed “fishbowl” boardroom at the School for Data Science and Computational Thinking.

SACEMA’s flaship short course, Introduction to Epidemiological Analysis, recently concluded a successful week of training, equipping participants with essential skills in epidemiological thinking and data analysis. Designed for students, researchers, and public health professionals, the course combined rigorous academic content with hands-on application, delivering a dynamic and impactful learning experience.

Graduation season is upon us—and at KRISP, we’re proudly celebrating the academic achievements of five exceptional team members who have reached major milestones in their scientific journeys.

On Friday, 23 May, KRISP had the honour of hosting 21 enthusiastic Grade 12 learners from KwaMathanda High School, part of the IkamvaYouth Science Track in Umlazi. This inspiring outreach day formed part of KRISP’s broader mission to create meaningful opportunities for young South Africans to engage with science and consider future careers in genomics and research.

In a significant stride toward enhancing next-generation sequencing (NGS) expertise across the continent, the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP) hosted a comprehensive 7-day Illumina Library Preparation and Sequencing workshop this May. Held from the 6th to the 14th of May at KRISP’s cutting-edge facility, the workshop brought together 15 enthusiastic participants from diverse research backgrounds, all eager to deepen their understanding of NGS—from wet lab techniques to data analysis.

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) - UK Branch delegation has come for a high level visit to the Parliament of South Africa on May 1923, 2025, in Cape Town. The visit aimed to deepen relations between the U.K .Parliament and the South African Parliament, with the delegation meeting members of both the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces.

On 22 May, we at the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), together with the LaunchLab, officially launched LaunchLab CERIBIO; a new biotechnology laboratory aimed at supporting biotech startups in South Africa. The occasion also marked a major milestone for LaunchLab, which is proudly celebrating 10 years of empowering innovators and entrepreneurs.

We are nearly halfway through the year. A year so dynamic and challenging that it feels more like a decade. It began with the threat of funding cuts to science, which has now become a reality. Just in May, CERI alone lost six NIH grants. Despite these difficulties, we remain committed to doing what South Africa and Africa do best: moving forward with determination and optimism so we can shape our own future.

the gem is a monthly magazine produced by CERI, SACEMA and the Data School at Stellenbosch University and KRISP at UKZN. The objective is to provide stories of world class African science that impact lives and train the next generation of scientists in Africa.

In order to become an organization that value funding raising and career development at every stage and generate the most impactful results and best scientists in Africa. CERI, KRISP & SACEMA are organizing Monthly Fund-Raising Meetings. Prof Tulio de Oliveira & Dr. Cheryl Baxter on June 2025 opportunities.

CERI and QIAGEN are offering a fully funded two-day hands-on training on the QIAcuity Digital PCR system in Cape Town. The workshop focuses on digital PCR applications for pathogen detection and is open to professionals from five African countries.

Creating one of the most advanced biotech focused spaces on campus with a 300 m2 state of the art shared laboratory to incubate biotech companies. Launch forms part of the 10-year celebration of the LaunchLab, that has raised around ZAR 1 billion rands to create 35 commercial companies in Stellenbosch, of which 10 of them in the biotech space.

Stellenbosch University is opening LaunchLab CERI BIO on the 22 May 2025. LaunchLab CERI BIO is a biotechnology laboratory for startups. This facility is an extension of the services offered to entrepreneurs by SU’s business incubator, the LaunchLab. The laboratory has been specifically designed to provide entrepreneurs with the necessary equipment and incubation support to commercialise their biotech research.

the gem is a monthly magazine produced by CERI, SACEMA and the Data School at Stellenbosch University and KRISP at UKZN. The objective is to provide stories of world class African science that impact lives and train the next generation of scientists in Africa.

For a few weeks, we’ve been hosting hands-on next-generation sequencing (NGS) and bioinformatics training at CERI Stellenbosch University , supported by The World Bank and coordinated through the CLIMADE consortium and the African STARS Fellowship.

Prof de Villers will work with leading academics and executives at the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI) and the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) to turbocharge the development of medical science and innovation in Africa.

Dr. Nonsikelelo Hlongwa and PhD student Keith Dube attended the Anvi’o Workshop and Early-Career Researcher Symposium in Germany, gaining advanced training in microbial ‘omics and engaging with the international microbial ecology community.

PhD students Nosipho Hlalukana and Mayibongwe Buthelezi conducted pioneering research in Antarctica, exploring how marine microbes influence climate change and seeking biotechnologically relevant compounds in the Southern Ocean.

Dr. Richard Lessells joined collaborators in Kampala, Uganda, for the unblinding of the HARVEST trial, a major South-South research initiative evaluating high-dose rifampicin for TB meningitis, culminating in the rapid drafting and submission of the study's main manuscript.

Dr. Jennifer Giandhari was honored with a Certificate of Recognition for her outstanding contributions to genomics at the inaugural Women Technology Innovation Programme by TIA, celebrating the role of women in driving innovation and inclusivity in STEM.

the gem is a monthly magazine produced by CERI, SACEMA and the Data School at Stellenbosch University and KRISP at UKZN. The objective is to provide stories of world class African science that impact lives and train the next generation of scientists in Africa.

SACEMA has received the Societal Impact Award at the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Academic Innovation Awards for its impactful work in infectious disease modelling. The centre has played a pivotal role in shaping public health strategies and training epidemiological experts across Africa.

Join us and Christina Riley from Akros for a seminar on how genomics and geospatial data are revolutionizing disease surveillance and public health response strategies. The event takes place on 26 March 2025 at SU Tygerberg Campus and online.