The Computational and Systems Biology Research Group (CSBRG) at Durban University of Technology, under the leadership of Professor Saheed Sabiu from the Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Faculty of Applied Sciences, successfully hosted the Computational and Systems Biology Conference 2024. The event took place at the Coastlands Hotel in Musgrave, Durban, between 24 June and 26 June 2024.
The theme of the conference was “Bridging the gap between theoretical and experimental biological sciences through computational systems biology”. The event brought together researchers and practitioners interested in both theoretical advances and applications of artificial intelligence and other computational tools in knowledge areas related to biology and medicine.
The aim of the event was to give participants a foundational appreciation of computational and systems biology (CSB) workflows and subfields, while availing them the opportunity to interact, network, forge new collaborations, present and discuss various CSB-based research findings.
The official welcoming remarks of the workshop and conference was enthusiastically delivered by Professor Suren Singh, the Executive Dean, Faculty of Applied Sciences. In his remarks, Prof Singh welcomed the esteemed guests and speakers, and appreciated the Department of Biotechnology and Food Science and the local organising committee, led by Prof Sabiu for putting together such a forum to discuss and learn about CSB-based findings and applications.
“Our aim is to foster an environment where theoretical models and experimental data can interact seamlessly, leading to innovative solutions and advancements in the biological sciences. Whether you are here to present your findings or to meet with other scientists or students, this serves as a catalyst for your professional growth. As we embark on this journey together, let us look at collaborations and challenge conventional thinking. Thank you for being part of this extra ordinary event, we look forward to your insights and discussion. I hope you find the conference informative, inspiring, and enriching,” added Prof Singh.
Prof Swalaha further thanked everyone for attending the conference and added that he believes that many people will benefit from the initiative. “I welcome all the speakers, delegates and guests. I hope that we will have a fruitful and interesting sessions at the conference,” said Prof Swalaha.
The event kicked off with a pre-conference workshop held on the first day at the computer laboratory of the Steve Biko campus of DUT. The delegates and postgraduate students in attendance had hands-on practical sessions on critical aspects of CSB ranging from metabolomics workflow and data processing, construction of new chemical entity scaffolds, multiple ligands docking workflows, molecular fingerprinting, to metagenomics data analyses. Incredibly, the workshop, which was well-appreciated, had over 75 participants from 12 institutions in attendance.
Days two and three of the conference had over 35 high-end presentations from seven renowned international and national keynote speakers as well as 27 oral and nine poster presentations, respectively. The keynote speakers shared their highly insightful findings, leveraging on the application CSB workflows in a way that inspired and motivated the young scholars and postgraduate students in attendance.
Another highlight of the conference was the presentation on possible funding opportunities from the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) delivered by Dr Xolisa Melamane, followed by presentations by company representatives who graced the occasion as exhibitors and sponsors of the event.
The conference came to a wrap with awards and prizes given to best poster and oral presenters alongside peoples’ choice presenter recognition. These awards sponsored by both QIAGEN and DIPLOMICS and were presented to the winners by Prof Tukayi Kudanga, the Deputy Dean, Faculty of Applied Sciences and Prof Swalaha. Excitingly, DUT’s postgraduate students including Adedayo Lanrewaju (first position oral presenter and peoples’ choice presenter), Athika Rampadarath (third position oral presenter and peoples’ choice presenter) and Prasiddhi Parab (best poster presenter), under the supervision of Prof Swalaha, Prof Sabiu and Prof Pillai, respectively, were some of the winners at the event.
In his closing remarks, Prof Sabiu emphasised the need for knowledge transfer and human capacity development of next generation of scholars, which was the focal point of the event, and enjoined participants to always take advantage of such opportunities when they present themselves. He further appreciated the local organizing subcommittees led by Dr Charlene Pillay, Dr Babalola Yusuf and Halimat Lukman, and the entire members of the CSBRG for their dedication and hard work that culminated in the success of the conference. “The conference would not have been a success without the unwavering support of my Executive Dean and HoD as well as the highly skilled facilitators that proficiently handled the hands-on session of the programme,” said Prof Sabiu.
The conference was partly funded by the National Research Foundation’s Knowledge Interchange and Collaboration (KIC) instrument.
Pictured: Delegates at the the Computational and Systems Biology Conference 2024 .
Photography: Mnqobi Mngobese
Patience Makhaye
