The African Orphan Crops Consortium (AOCC; www.africanorphancrops.org) and the African Plant Breeding Academy (AfPBA) have issued the Call for Applications to its newest initiative, an intensive training to build capacity of African molecular scientists in national agricultural programs in gene editing in order to facilitate multidisciplinary approaches to crop improvement. The AfPBA CRISPR Course is implemented through a partnership of AOCC Members: UC Davis, The Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI), IITA, ILRI, World Agroforestry (ICRAF), African Union Development Agency (AUDA) NEPAD, and Morrison Foerster. The course features an intensive 6-week program conducted over one year, enabling course participants in the how-to of CRISPR gene-editing technology, from design through validation.
This course aims to amplify and extend the AOCC/AfPBA outcomes to date by
- Leveraging the DNA sequence information of the 101 traditional African crops that include a diversity of vegetable, fruit, nut, legume, oilseed, cereal, and tree species,
- Connecting Trait Development to Cultivar Improvement in 520+ breeding programs across 29 African countries, involving 125 crop species including 60 African Orphan Crops,
- Expanding the current Community of Practice of 150+ plant breeders who are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and tools to utilize genomic information and resources to accelerate development of improved crop varieties, for a more comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approach to nutritional security.
The AfPBA CRISPR Course is strategically positioned to maximize probability of commercial varieties with gene-edited traits being delivered to the marketplace for impact. To be eligible, applicants must be:
- Scientists holding a PhD in Molecular Biology (or similar field), actively working “at the bench”
- Currently employed at an African Institute that has established (or plans to establish) a gene editing program directed toward crop improvement and supportive of post-course mentorship of the graduate in their specific program
- Proficient in the English language
- Available for all three sessions, with the endorsement of their management.
The AfPBA CRISPR Course dates for Class III are:
- Session 1: Jan 20 – 31, 2025
- Session 2: April 28 – May 10, 2025
- Session 3: Sept 29 – Oct 10, 2025
With all sessions meeting in Nairobi, Kenya.
Preference in this third cohort will be given to applicants from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Women are encouraged to apply, and applicants from the same institutions represented in Classes I and II are welcomed. Applicants can be focused on genetic improvement of any crop (including but not limited to orphan crops). Class size is limited to 15 participants.
Costs for tuition and travel for this cohort of participants are fully covered through generous sponsorship by Stephen M. Badger, Syngenta, FFAR (Foundation for Food and Agriculture), and other donors. Furthermore, course graduates can avail mentorship to help establish their gene-editing program at their home institution.
