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- David Mwakilili, Aneth
(författare)
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A Baseline Evaluation of Bioinformatics Capacity in Tanzania Reveals Areas for Training
- 2021
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Education. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2504-284X. ; 6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Due to the insufficient human and infrastructure capacity to use novel genomics and bioinformatics technologies, Sub-Saharan Africa countries have not entirely ripped the benefits of these technologies in health and other sectors. The main objective of this study was to map out the interest and capacity for conducting bioinformatics and related research in Tanzania. The survey collected demographic information like age group, experience, seniority level, gender, number of respondents per institution, number of publications, and willingness to join the community of practice. The survey also investigated the capacity of individuals and institutions about computing infrastructure, operating system use, statistical packages in use, the basic Microsoft packages experience, programming language experience, bioinformatics tools and resources usage, and type of analyses performed. Moreover, respondents were surveyed about the challenges they faced in implementing bioinformatics and their willingness to join the bioinformatics community of practice in Tanzania. Out of 84 respondents, 50 (59.5%) were males. More than half of these 44 (52.4%) were between 26-32 years. The majority, 41 (48.8%), were master's degree holders with at least one publication related to bioinformatics. Eighty (95.2%) were willing to join the bioinformatics network and initiative in Tanzania. The major challenge faced by 22 (26.2%) respondents was the lack of training and skills. The most used resources for bioinformatics analyses were BLAST, PubMed, and GenBank. Most respondents who performed analyses included sequence alignment and phylogenetics, which was reported by 57 (67.9%) and 42 (50%) of the respondents, respectively. The most frequently used statistical software packages were SPSS and R. A quarter of the respondents were conversant with computer programming. Early career and young scientists were the largest groups of responders engaged in bioinformatics research and activities across surveyed institutions in Tanzania. The use of bioinformatics tools for analysis is still low, including basic analysis tools such as BLAST, GenBank, sequence alignment software, Swiss-prot and TrEMBL. There is also poor access to resources and tools for bioinformatics analyses. To address the skills and resources gaps, we recommend various modes of training and capacity building of relevant bioinformatics skills and infrastructure to improve bioinformatics capacity in Tanzania.
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| 2. |
- David Mwakilili, Aneth
(författare)
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Changing scientific meetings for the better
- 2021
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Ingår i: Nature human behaviour. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2397-3374. ; 5, s. 296-300
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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| 3. |
- David Mwakilili, Aneth
(författare)
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Complete genome sequence and epigenetic profile of Bacillus velezensis UCMB5140 used for plant and crop protection in comparison with other plant-associated Bacillusstrains
- 2020
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Ingår i: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0175-7598 .- 1432-0614. ; 104, s. 7643-7656
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The application of biocontrol biopesticides based on plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), particularly members of the genusBacillus,is considered a promising perspective to make agricultural practices sustainable and ecologically safe. Recent advances in genome sequencing by third-generation sequencing technologies, e.g., Pacific Biosciences' Single Molecule Real-Time (PacBio SMRT) platform, have allowed researchers to gain deeper insights into the molecular and genetic mechanisms of PGPR activities, and to compare whole genome sequences and global patterns of epigenetic modifications. In the current work, this approach was used to sequence and compare fourBacillusstrains that exhibited various PGPR activities including the strain UCMB5140, which is used in the commercial biopesticide Phytosubtil. Whole genome comparison and phylogenomic inference assigned the strain UCMB5140 to the speciesBacillus velezensis. Strong biocontrol activities of this strain were confirmed in several bioassays. Several factors that affect the evolution of active PGPRB. velezensisstrains were identified: (1) horizontal acquisition of novel non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS) and adhesion genes; (2) rearrangements of functional modules of NRPS genes leading to strain specific combinations of their encoded products; (3) gain and loss of methyltransferases that can cause global alterations in DNA methylation patterns, which eventually may affect gene expression and regulate transcription. Notably, we identified a horizontally transferred NRPS operon encoding an uncharacterized polypeptide antibiotic inB. velezensisUCMB5140. Other horizontally acquired genes comprised a possible adhesin and a methyltransferase, which may explain the strain-specific methylation pattern of the chromosomal DNA of UCMB5140.
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| 4. |
- David Mwakilili, Aneth, et al.
(författare)
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Genetic, Epigenetic and Phenotypic Diversity of Four Bacillus velezensis Strains Used for Plant Protection or as Probiotics
- 2019
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Microbiology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-302X. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Bacillus velezensis strains are applied as ecologically safe biopesticides, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), and in veterinary probiotics. They are abundant in various environments including soil, plants, marine habitats, the intestinal micro-flora, etc. The mechanisms underlying this adaptive plasticity and bioactivity are not well understood, nor is it clear why several strains outperform other same species isolates by their bioactivities. The main objective of this work was to demonstrate versatility of bioactivities and lifestyle strategies of the selected B. velezensis strains suitable to serve as model organisms in future studies. Here, we performed a comparative study of newly sequenced genomes of four B. velezensis isolates with distinct phenotypes and isolation origin, which were assessed by RNA sequencing under the effect of root exudate stimuli and profiled by epigenetic modifications of chromosomal DNA. Among the selected strains, UCMB5044 is an oligotrophic PGPR strain adapted to nutrient poor desert soils. UCMB5113 and At1 are endophytes that colonize plants and require nutrient rich media. In contrast, the probiotic strain, UCMB5007, is a copiotroph, which shows no propensity to colonize plants. PacBio and Illumina sequencing approaches were used to generate complete genome assemblies, tracing epigenetic modifications, and determine gene expression profiles. All sequence data was deposited at NCBI. The strains, UCMB5113 and At1, show 99% sequence identity and similar phenotypes despite being isolated from geographically distant regions. UCMB5007 and UCMB5044 represent another group of organisms with almost identical genomes but dissimilar phenotypes and plant colonization propensity. The two plant associated strains, UCMB5044 and UCMB5113, share 398 genes putatively associated with root colonization, which are activated by exposure to maize root exudates. In contrast, UCMB5007 did not respond to root exudate stimuli. It was hypothesized that alterations in the global methylation pattern and some other epigenetic modifications enable adaptation of strains to different habitats and therefore may be of importance in terms of the biotechnological applicability of these bacteria. Contrary, the ability to grow on root exudates as a sole source of nutrients or a strong antagonism against phytopathogens showed by the strains in vitro cannot be considered as good predictors of PGPR activities.
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| 5. |
- David Mwakilili, Aneth
(författare)
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Inauguration of the Tanzania Society of Human Genetics: Biomedical Research in Tanzania with Emphasis on Human Genetics and Genomics
- 2021
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Ingår i: American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. - : American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. - 0002-9637 .- 1476-1645. ; 104, s. 474-477
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Human genetics research and applications are rapidly growing areas in health innovations and services. African populations are reported to be highly diverse and carry the greatest number of variants per genome. Exploring these variants is key to realize the genomic medicine initiative. However, African populations are grossly underrepresented in various genomic databases, which has alerted scientists to address this issue with urgency. In Tanzania, human genetics research and services are conducted in different institutions on both communicable and noncommunicable diseases. However, there is poor coordination of the research activities, often leading to limited application of the research findings and poor utilization of available resources. In addition, contributions from Tanzanian human genetics research and services are not fully communicated to the government, national, and international communities. To address this scientific gap, the Tanzania Society of Human Genetics (TSHG) has been formed to bring together all stakeholders of human genetics activities in Tanzania and to formally bring Tanzania as a member to the African Society of Human Genetics. This article describes the inauguration event of the TSHG, which took place in November 2019. It provides a justification for its establishment and discusses presentations from invited speakers who took part in the inauguration of the TSHG.
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| 6. |
- David Mwakilili, Aneth, et al.
(författare)
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Long-term maize-Desmodium intercropping shifts structure and composition of soil microbiome with stronger impact on fungal communities
- 2021
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Ingår i: Plant and Soil. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0032-079X .- 1573-5036.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose Push-pull is an intercropping technology that is rapidly spreading among smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. The technology intercrops cereals with Desmodium to fight off stem borers, eliminate parasitic weeds, and improve soil fertility and yields of cereals. The above-ground components of push-pull cropping have been well investigated. However, the impact of the technology on the soil microbiome and the subsequent role of the microbiome on diverse ecosystem benefits are unknown. Here we describe the soil microbiome associated with maize-Desmodium intercropping in push-pull farming in comparison to long-term maize monoculture. Methods Soil samples were collected from long-term maize-Desmodium intercropping and maize monoculture plots at the international centre for insect physiology and ecology (ICIPE), Mbita, Kenya. Total DNA was extracted before16S rDNA and ITS sequencing and subsequent analysis on QIIME2 and R. Results Maize-Desmodium intercropping caused a strong divergence in the fungal microbiome, which was more diverse and species rich than monoculture plots. Fungal groups enriched in intercropping plots are linked to important ecosystem services, belonging to functional groups such as mycorrhiza, endophytes, saprophytes, decomposers and bioprotective fungi. Fewer fungal genera were enriched in monoculture plots, some of which were associated with plant pathogenesis and opportunistic infection in humans. In contrast, the impact of intercropping on soil bacterial communities was weak with few differences between intercropping and monoculture. Conclusion Maize-Desmodium intercropping diversifies fungal microbiomes and favors taxa associated with important ecosystem services including plant health, productivity and food safety.
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