CSIR-CRI TRAINS OVER 100 RESEARCHERS ACROSS AFRICA IN DRY LAB ESSENTIALS
Fumesua, Kumasi — August 2026. The Molecular Biology Laboratory of the Biotechnology, Seed and Postharvest Division at the CSIR-Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI) successfully hosted a two-day virtual Dry Lab Essentials Training from 3rd to 4th August 2026, drawing researchers, students, and technicians from across the African continent to strengthen their skills in molecular biology and bioinformatics.
Held entirely online and supported by The Company of Biologists, the training brought together an estimated 120 participants from eleven countries — Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, Senegal, Egypt, Cameroon, Benin, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia — reflecting the strong continent-wide demand for accessible, high-quality training in plant molecular biology techniques.
A Two-Day Deep Dive into PCR and Sanger Sequencing
The programme was structured around two core themes central to modern molecular biology research: PCR primer design and Sanger sequencing analysis.
Day 1 — Primer Design introduced participants to the fundamentals of primer design, followed by hands-on exercises and a discussion of why sound primer design is critical to reliable plant molecular research.
Day 2 — Sanger Sequencing covered the principles of Sanger sequencing, guided participants through hands-on sequence analysis, and closed with practical work on interpreting and visualizing sequence data.
Across the two days, participants built practical, transferable skills in:
- Primer design
- Sequence quality assessment
- Chromatogram interpretation
- Sequence editing and alignment
- Sequence analysis using BioEdit and FinchTV
Beyond the technical curriculum, the training gave researchers, students, and technicians from very different institutional and national contexts a shared platform to learn from experts, work through hands-on practical exercises together, and network with fellow scientists from across West Africa and beyond.
By equipping participants with stronger molecular biology and bioinformatics skills, the training directly supports research applications in agriculture, genetics, genomics, biotechnology, and plant breeding — disciplines at the heart of CSIR-CRI’s mandate to advance crop research and food security in Ghana and the wider region.
The Dry Lab Essentials Training reflects CSIR-CRI’s ongoing commitment to capacity building, regional scientific collaboration, and equipping the next generation of African researchers with the practical laboratory and analytical skills needed to advance agricultural science.
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