Participants join this program with a project that they either are already working on or want to develop during this program.
For this round of the Openseeds program, we are happy to have 27 participants with 10 projects.
Projects
Community Building in Biomedical Data Science in Sudan
By: 
Mentored by: 
Keywords: Biomedical Data Science
This project aims to build and strengthen a biomedical data science community in Sudan through educational workshops, networking events, and collaborative projects. We will create a platform for data science professionals and enthusiasts to connect, share knowledge, and advance their skills.
Building a Community of a Critical mass of Bioinformaticians in Nigeria: Leveraging Open Science Principles
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Mentored by: 
Keywords: Community building, Open Science
This project aims to build a critical mass of bioinformaticians in Nigeria by leveraging open science principles to address the current expertise deficit in the field. We plan to establish a robust community through a combination of training workshops, mentorship programs, and the development of open-access resources. Key activities include organizing workshops to equip participants with essential bioinformatics and open science skills and knowledge, creating resources that will help the community adapt open science tenets to their work and launching an open training and mentorship program to connect enthusiast with experienced with professionals. By fostering a culture of openness, we aim to enhance the quality and reproducibility of scientific research in Nigeria, encouraging collaboration and continuous learning. This initiative will create a sustainable ecosystem of professionals capable of driving innovation and contributing to global scientific advancements, ultimately bridging the expertise gap and promoting a more inclusive scientific community.
Developing a genetic information management system towards precision medicine
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Mentored by: 
Keywords: Genetics, Information management
Without such a tool, implementation of precision medicine is difficult if not impossible. Existing genetic information management tools are subscribed for, which pushes the genotyping service way up. Guidelines in common use were developed mostly using genetic and phenotypic information from other population that are not of African ancestry, making the generalisation of the recommendations difficult and less useful. The proposed project aims to address these shortcomings by taping into the wealth of genetic information and lessons learnt on African populations ignorer to make the solution relevant to Africa, and Zimbabwe in particular.
CABANAnet (Capacity Building for Bioinformatics in Latin America)
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Mentored by: 
Keywords: Training, eLearning
The CABANA project is a program that strengthens individual, institutional, and regional capacity through six main activities: secondments (long-term visits and exchanges), train-the-trainer activities, training workshops, eLearning, research projects, and knowledge exchange meetings (KEM).
TidyScreen: managing large drug screening campaigns
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Mentored by: 
Keywords: Drug screening, Python
Research efforts oriented towards the virtual screening of drugs encompasses the work with huge chemical libraries covering a massive chemical space. The nature of this chemical space is mainly governed by the biophysical features of the therapeutic target in study, as well as the synthetic protocols envisioned to obtain new drug candidates. In this way, a plethora of Python packages have been developed in order to solve different problems related to the associated screening workflows. However most of the available solutions as Python packages for the work with chemistry problems functions in an isolated manner, and generates a vast amount of information in heterogeneous ways. In this context, developing systematic and organized approaches to perform such scientific explorations, involving the development of reproducible and adequately organized data processing and storing workflows within structured query databases maximizes the success rate of drug discovery research campaigns. This project is oriented towards generating this kind of solutions, allowing both new and experienced researchers to perform adequately designed and reproducible virtual drug screening campaigns.
Building a Collaborative Network to Advance Bioimaging in Latin America
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Mentored by: 
Keywords: Bioimaging
LABI is a regional network that promotes bioimaging in Latin America. We are dedicated to building capacity and fostering collaboration in the region. Through training programs, professional development and opening access to infrastructure, we seek to democratize knowledge and technology in bioimaging. Our goal is to foster scientific research and technological innovation, promoting quality standards and best practices in the use of imaging technologies. In addition, we facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experiences among researchers and technicians from the region and the world. We work in close collaboration with academic institutions, research centers, companies and international organizations to advance the field of bioimaging and contribute to scientific and technological progress in Latin America.
Standards in bioinformatic pipelines
Mentored by: 
Keywords: Reproducibility, Bioinformatic pipelines
Sometimes it is dificult to reproduce a scientific paper, we want to set a mínimo of rules to make reproducible the bioinformatic pipelines, that all papers should contain. How we must set up the project in GitHub, in English and Spanish version
MolerHealth
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Mentored by: 
Keywords: Electronic health records, Healthcare system
The Molerhealth project aims to revolutionize healthcare in Nigeria by developing an open-source electronic health records (EHR) application. This initiative addresses the critical issue of disease misdiagnosis by enhancing information sharing and collaboration among healthcare providers, leading to better patient outcomes and a more efficient healthcare system. Molerhealth offers a secure, user-friendly platform for individuals to access, update, and share their comprehensive health records, regardless of location or healthcare provider. This EHR system ensures seamless continuity of care by making patients’ medical history, test results, medications, allergies, and treatment plans readily available to healthcare professionals. Leveraging technology, Molerhealth will significantly reduce misdiagnoses in Nigeria. Doctors will access complete, up-to-date patient profiles, enabling accurate diagnoses, appropriate treatments, and timely specialist referrals.
Deciphering the Role of Phosphatidylethanolamine Transferase (PEMT) in Glioblastoma MULTIFORME CELL INVASION, PROLIFERATION AND AGGRESSION
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Mentored by: 
Keywords: Cancer
Introduction: Cancer cells reorganize their metabolism to sustain cell growth and adapt to unfavorable microenvironments. Kang and colleagues (2018) state that metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells result in diverse metabolic dependent perturbations that may be targeted for cancer treatment. Generally, for instance, lipid metabolism powers the rapid growth, migration, invasion, and metastasis of tumor cells (Cheng et al., 2016). Nonetheless, little is known about the functions of PEMT in tumor aggression, especially in GBM. Therefore, we hypothesize that PEMT contributes greatly to increased GBM invasion, proliferation and aggression capacities. Methods: To investigate the role of PEMT in GBM aggressiveness, we cloned the PEMT gene into U251 cell lines to overexpress the gene shRNA-mediated knockdown to silence the gene. Overexpression (OE) and knockdown (KD) were validated by microscopy, WB and RT-PCR. We conducted functional assays including, cell proliferation and cell viability. Subsequently, we confirmed epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) driving markers by RT-PCR and WB.
Enhancing Openness in the Prediction of Bacterial Pathogens in Yellowing Disease of Coastal Kenyan Coconuts through Machine Learning
By: 
Mentored by: 
Keywords: Bacterial pathogens, Open-access database
The project focuses on leveraging machine learning to predict bacterial pathogens responsible for the yellowing disease in coastal Kenyan coconuts. By developing an open-source platform, we aim to foster collaboration, transparency, and community engagement in agricultural research. The project involves creating an open-access database of bacterial pathogens and coconut plant health data, which researchers and agricultural professionals can use and contribute to. We will develop machine learning algorithms for pathogen identification and disease prediction, providing valuable tools for proactive disease management. A user-friendly web-based platform will ensure easy access to data and tools, catering to users with varying technical expertise. This project enhances research capabilities, empowers local communities with predictive models, promotes openness and collaboration, and builds capacity through training and educational resources. The goal is to create a collaborative environment where knowledge is share
Participants
I am a bioinformatics fellow at Pwani University, an open science enthusiast, genomics researcher. I love sharing knowledge and collaborating with other scientists to grow and discover new innovations.
I am a professor and reasearcher at FCQ-UNC, with research interest in the field of compuational medicinal chemistry aimed to drug discovery and development capaigns.
An experienced researcher and lecturer in the fields of genetics, molecular biology, genomics, and bioinformatics, with a passion for human health and a commitment to helping others.
I am a biologist in public policy, who believes that science is the key to transcend any geografical or cultural barrier. Building bioimaging community and capacities in latina america to create an environment for innovation to drive science forward.
Ayomide is a Medical Laboratory Scientist working in the department of Medical Laboratory Science of Lead City University, Ibadan, Nigeria. He holds a Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science Degree from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria.
I am a research scientist at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) in the Center for Microbiology Research (CMR), working under the Department of Laboratory Services Project. Currently, I am pursuing a graduate degree in Medical Laboratory Science with a focus on virology at Kenyatta University, where I am conducting research on rotavirus. I am also an active member of the Biochemistry Biotechnology Professionals Society of Kenya (BBPSK) and the Bioethics Society of Kenya (BSK), contributing to advancements in biochemistry and ethical research practices in Kenya.
Emmanuel Adamolekun is a Research fellow with Helix Biogen Institute, Ogbomosho, Nigeria ,a research organization focused on accelerating research in life through in-depth technical skills, training and capacity building in Bioinformatics and Genomics. Emmanuel graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Science from the prestigious Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Oyo State, Nigeria. He is currently a member of the Education and Internship committee of the International Society for Computational Biology-Student Council (ISCB-SB). He is a fellow of the Open Life Science (OLS) Mentorship programme where he is designing a Bioinformatics outreach for universit
Biomedical Scientist & IT professional
I’m an enthusiastic coder who finds joy in crafting elegant solutions to complex challenges. Beyond lines of code, I’m passionate about forging meaningful connections, fostering new friendships, and embarking on collaborative journeys to bring innovative ideas to life.
George Lugonzo is a dedicated Microbiologist with an unwavering commitment to advancing disease surveillance through cutting-edge technology and contributing to the development of ground-breaking diagnostic kits and treatment solutions.
I am a person who likes to learn new things.
I’m Onabajo Monsurat, a dynamic and versatile professional skilled in data science, machine learning engineering, and Python development. I am passionate about utilizing data to conquer challenges in Healthcare, Research, and Open-source fields. I am known for my adaptability, diligence, and dedication. I am recognized for delivering impactful solutions that bring positive results.
Full-stack Software Engineer with an interest in developing AI and ML powered mobile and web applications.
Capacity Building Enthusiast
Pan-African , Genomic Scientist
A genomics scientist, enthusiastic about bioinformatics
I am a researcher and professor at the University of Costa Rica. We study the human microbiome in babies and mothers. I am also the coordinator of CABANAnet.
Role in OLS:
Resident Fellow
Seun, a biochemistry graduate from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, he is co-leading the Bioinformatics Outreach Nigeria (BON) project which aims to improve bioinformatics capacity using open science principles among early-career researchers, he has published ten peer-reviewed articles, and he currently serves as an OLS Resident Fellow.
Am a Biotechnologist and computational biologist with a special focus on bioinformatics, molecular biology, and genomics. His research interests are in designing and production of small therapeutic proteins, pharmacogenomics, applied genomics and bioinformatics. Zedias is a certified Data carpentries instructor and one of the lead members of the applied bioinformatics team in Zimbabwe tasked at raising awareness and applying bioinformatics to produce products.