A deal between a Swedish company that specialises in molecular research technology and a South African life science platform may help advance ‘omics’ science in Africa.
A deal between a Swedish company that specialises in molecular research technology and a South African life science platform may help advance ‘omics’ science in Africa.
The Uppsala-based company Olink announced on March 29 that D-Cyphr, a proteomics and metabolomics research facility in Cape Town, would be the first African location to use its targeted protein biomarker discovery technologies.
According to Tim Newman, programme manager for the Distributed Platform in Omics (Diplomatics) initiative, a South African research infrastructure to boost the nation’s omics capacity, its introduction “will dramatically improve the quality and throughput of advanced proteomics research in South Africa.”
Diplomatics, which receives funding from the nation’s Department of Science and Innovation, paid for the installation of the tools and the instruction needed to use the Olink technology.
Several studies from Africa have already used the Olink technology, but they had to send their samples to Uppsala or Boston in the US for analysis. The same research can now be conducted on the continent of Africa.
Liam Bell, lead facilitator at Diplomics stated that having the technology available in South Africa will give researchers cheaper access as well as assist them in avoiding expensive and challenging to obtain sample export permits.
Proponents claim that extensive proteomic analysis of samples stored in African biobanks could offer important health insights. Despite being based in South Africa, the facility is “capable and willing,” according to Bell, to process samples from any location. One of the first projects to make use of the technology is COVID-19, which focuses on tuberculosis.
According to Jonathan Blackburn, deputy director of the University of Cape Town’s Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, “the capacity to quantify large panels of secreted and cell surface antigens in clinical samples from tuberculosis patients using high-throughput, multiplexed Olink assays will enable new insights into immunopathogenesis in this important infectious disease.”
Olink’s CEO, Jon Heimer, expressed his company’s “immense pride” in supporting research in South Africa. He continued, “We are confident that our technology will encourage the advancement of ground-breaking science and improve the wellbeing of people everywhere.