Rwanda taps Chinese expertise to boost genomic research #rwanda #RwOT

Genomics is the study of an organism's complete set of DNA, including all of its genes and their interactions with each other and the environment.

The development was highlighted during a week-long visit to China, which ended on October 25, where Dr. Claude Mambo Muvunyi, Director General of the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) held discussions with executives and researchers from BGI Genomics, BGI Research, and BGI College, all subsidiaries of the world-leading BGI Group.

The meetings focused on collaboration in genomics, joint research, capacity building, and technology transfer.

Speaking to The New Times, Dr. Claude Mambo Muvunyi, Director General of the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), said the move aligns with Rwanda's vision to build a sustainable healthcare system powered by artificial intelligence and bioinformatics.

'We are exploring how partnerships in genomics and precision medicine can strengthen our disease surveillance, diagnosis, and treatment capacity,' he said. 'Our goal is to localize advanced genomic research and training to make Rwanda a regional hub for precision health.'

While touring BGI's laboratories in Shenzhen, Muvunyi observed how genomic data is used to guide clinical decisions and improve public health planning.

He also delivered a keynote address at the 20th International Conference on Genomics (ICG-20), where he presented Rwanda's genomic sequencing achievements during the COVID-19 pandemic.

'Although there are gaps in pathogen genomics for surveillance across Africa, Rwanda built sequencing capacity during COVID-19,' he said. 'That foundation helped us identify and trace the Marburg virus in bats. Genomics play a role in strengthening public health resilience.'

In Hangzhou, Muvunyi met with officials from the Zhejiang Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to explore cooperation in disease surveillance and epidemic preparedness.

'The Zhejiang CDC model provided valuable lessons for Rwanda as we enhance our surveillance and emergency response capacities,' he noted.

The visit also included talks with Pékin Teaching University of Shenzhen on cervical cancer screening and research training for Rwandan scientists.

Genomics is a comprehensive study of an organism's complete set of DNA, called a genome, including all of its genes and their interactions with each other and the environment.

IGIHE

Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/rwanda-taps-chinese-expertise-to-boost-genomic-research