The Computational and Systems Biology Research Group (CSBRG) at Durban University of Technology (DUT), under the leadership of Professor Saheed Sabiu from the Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Faculty of Applied Sciences, in collaboration with the International Centre for Genetics Engineering & Biotechnology (ICGEB) and the Department of Science Technology and Innovation (DSTI) successfully hosted a Computational and Systems Biology (CSB) Workshop. The three-day event was held at the Faculty of Applied Sciences (FAS) computer lab in Steve Biko campus from Monday, 24 to Wednesday 26 February 2025.
Held under the theme Computational and Systems Biology in the Digital Era, the event brought together postgraduate students, emerging and established researchers in the field of theoretical advances and applications of artificial intelligence and other computational tools in knowledge areas related to biology and medicine. Through combination of practical skills and theoretical knowledge, the event provided participants a foundational appreciation of computational and systems biology workflows and subfields, while availing them the opportunity to interact, network and forge new collaborations on various CSB-based research findings.
The official welcoming remarks of the workshop was enthusiastically delivered by Professor Feroz Swalaha, the Head of Department, Biotechnology and Food Science. In his remarks, Prof Swalaha welcomed the esteemed guests and speakers, industry representatives, students from various campuses and delegates, and appreciated the local organising committee, led by Prof Sabiu for putting together such a forum to discuss and learn about CSB-based findings and applications.
“The theme for this workshop is “Computational Systems Biology in the Digital Era” so over the next two days we will attempt to do just that by having a hands-on workshop, on the computational systems that are used to produce the theoretical models that will mould the solutions for the new frontiers in biotechnology, biopharmaceutics, drug discovery and even novel drug design. We hope that the skills to be learned over these two days will inform many of the decisions of tomorrow regarding innovation in our very vibrant and wide field of biotechnology and more specifically in Computational Systems applied to solve complex biological problems,” said Prof Swalaha.
Thereafter, the event was official declared opened by the representative of the Executive Dean, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Professor Kugen Permaul, who highlighted that, the workshop resonates well with one of the aims of the faculty in fostering an environment where theoretical models and experimental data can interact seamlessly, leading to innovative solutions and advancements in the biological sciences. Prof. Permaul further enjoined participants to take advantage of the workshop to challenge conventional thinking and seek fruitful collaborations. He also thanked the organizers and the attendees, especially the five keynote speakers [Prof. Fidele Tugizimana (University of Johannesburg), Prof. Martin Nyaga (University of the Free State), Prof. Mahmoud E. Soliman (University of KwaZulu-Natal), Prof. Mahloro Hope Serepa-Dlamini (University of Johannesburg), and Prof. Rajshekhar Karpoormath (University of KwaZulu-Natal)] for being part of this important forum.
Anchored by the energetic Dr Charlene Pillay, a Senior Lecturer from the department of Biotechnology and Food Science, and the Chair of the workshop’s logistics committee, the presentations by the five keynote speakers commenced on Day 1 and Dr. Pillay kept the attendees captivated with her overflowing energy while giving an insight on the purpose of the day. “This workshop is designed to introduce you to the fascinating world of computational and systems biology, where we will explore how to model, analyse and understand complex biological systems that is crucial in responding to global health challenges. This will allow you to learn from leading experts in the field, and collaborate with peers on exciting projects. Our goal is to equip you with skills and knowledge to apply computational approaches to your own research or work and explore real-world applications of systems biology,” said Dr Pillay.
Day 1 of the event saw the keynote speakers delving into topics ranging from computational drug discovery and development, bacterial genomics deciphering to appreciation of NGS data sets in proffering solutions in knowledge areas related to biology and medicine. Specifically, 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. The sessions for the keynote speakers were brilliantly concluded with panel discussions, offering participant opportunities to engage with the experts and interrogate some of their findings. The sessions, outstandingly anchored by Prof Permaul, had good participation from the delegates with the speakers also responding professionally to their queries.
Another highlight of the event were the presentations by company representatives who graced the occasion as exhibitors and sponsors of the event.
Day two and three of the workshop featured hands-on practical sessions, where the delegates and postgraduate students in attendance were trained on critical aspects of CSB ranging from metabolomics workflow and data processing, construction of new chemical entity scaffolds, density functional theory analysis, ensemble and multiple ligands docking workflows, molecular fingerprinting, to metagenomics data analyses. These sessions were diligently and professionally handled by experts from DUT and other national institutions such as University of Johannesburg, University of South Africa, Stellenbosch University, and ICGEB. Noteworthily, the workshop, which was well-appreciated, had over 105 participants from 15 institutions in attendance.
The workshop came to a wrap with closing remarks by Prof Sabiu, who 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 acknowledged the local organizing subcommittees led by Dr Charlene Pillay, Ms Priscilla Phillips, Dr Christina Aruwa, Halimat Lukman, and the entire members of the CSBRG for their dedication and hard work that culminated in the success of the programme. “The workshop would not have been a success without all the attendees who stayed throughout the event, and the exclusive 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 workshop was funded by the International Centre for Genetics Engineering and Biotechnology, and the Department of Science Technology and Innovation.
Pictured: CSB Workshop delegates
Thubelihle Dumakude / Sinamile Sithole
