“The START grant has made it possible to achieve our dreams to work towards achieving high resolution structural analysis of our proteins of interest. After working in the field of Structural Biology with limited tools in the past, the training sessions made possible by the START grant[1] have been a game changer in formulating the research questions to address health challenges. Now we can collaborate, and work seamlessly as Structural Biology scientists based in Africa seeking to provide solutions to the health problems common in Africa.”
Dr Tawanda Zininga, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
The GCRF START grant laid the foundations for great science and novel structures, evidenced by growing publication numbers in leading journals. Structural Biology research expertise has been established within groups that had no previous expertise in Structural Biology.
South African research groups have worked together, with workflows built at various sites to assist development, and which include students and researchers from historically disadvantaged Universities like Zululand and Venda, who would otherwise not be involved.
Capacity building has seen focussed laboratory visits and workshops, mentoring and training of early career UK- and Africa-based scientists, with an emphasis on inclusion and diversity. Postdoctoral Assistants and Fellows (PDRAs/PDRFs), Research Assistants and Technicians were trained, including people from many other African countries, thus meeting human capital and skills development goals nationally and across the continent. A successful process of student and PDRA secondments/exchanges has been built, with world leading synchrotron facilities as hubs.
Research groups and individuals interfaced with multiple programmes and institutes nationally and internationally. New collaborations and international links have grown capacity across new sites, including Latin America (Argentina), Europe, the USA, and further afield. Access to leading international facilities has been facilitated, including the South African Crystallography BAG at Diamond and a Cryo-EM BAG at the UK’s electron Bio-Imaging Centre (eBIC) at Diamond Light Source, and free access to local facilities like the Electron Microscope Unit (EMU) at the University of Cape Town in South Africa.
New groups have developed skills in Structural Biology, with the opportunity to expand these sites locally. Highly skilled researchers are bringing their expertise to other groups in South Africa, which means expertise is growing in South Africa and can expand Structural Biology to other African sites. Distance is no longer a prohibitive barrier – systems are in place to work remotely, as well as in-person.
“The GCRF START grant allowed us to build an incredibly strong foundation in our research endeavours. This included critical capacity building and enabled us to attract additional funding under the auspices of the Grand Challenges Africa (GCA): Drug Discovery funding. The GCA funding helped us build on the START legacy and progress some of our hit compounds to larger molecules that have the potential to act as enzyme inhibitors of a key target in the human pathogen S. aureus. Considering many strains of S. aureus are notorious for their antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the GCRF START grant in combination with the GCA grant provided critical support in allowing us to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through unique synchrotron techniques. AMR is reported by the World Health Organization as one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity.”
Dr Blake Balcomb, Strauss Laboratory, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa
As reported, however, several barriers must be navigated if START: Health & Bio Science is to maintain and develop the programme within South Africa and across the continent. These barriers include:
- Lack of local, world class, cutting-edge infrastructure.
- Loss of trained personnel (several trained PDRAs are now based abroad).
- Limited funding – not only for training and retention, but also for infrastructure purchase and maintenance, salaries, research funding, travel, and subsistence.
- The lack of early career scientist posts/positions/fellowships.
- Inflexible funding arrangements from national funding bodies.
- Limited exposure to Structural Biology teaching at universities.
- Fragmentation after Covid-19 restrictions and due to Brexit-related barriers.
[1] GCRF START grant & START: Health & Bioscience grant