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AfriPlantSci

AfriPlantSci

The summer school is now closed

[themify_button link=”https://acaciaafrica.org/afriplantsci19-a-summer-school-making-a-difference/”]Read the online report here[/themify_button]

3rd – 16th April 2019

Healthy Plants, Healthy People, Healthy Planet:

Building African capacity to tackle African Plant Health Challenges in Africa

2-week, residential, interactive learning experience

We invite applications from early-career researchers from across sub-Saharan Africa whose research falls within the broad topic of Plant Health. This includes MSc students, PhD students and researchers recently graduated from their studies (within 5 years). Potential attendees should have the aspiration to build their careers through international networks and a passion to address plant health challenges in Africa.

This course will cover a broad range of science related to plant health, combined with practical hands-on experience of the latest techniques which can advance research in this area. The speakers will provide expert overviews of their fields, followed by journal clubs and in-depth discussions of their own areas of work. The hands-on practical sessions will demonstrate how to best utilise current technologies to advance plant health research in Africa. Together with leadership skills training, this course will provide attendees with a holistic insight into plant health and the necessary skills to advance their careers in science. Attendees will have the opportunity to interact informally with project leaders, PostDocs, PhD students and technical staff from JIC and Pwani to further enrich their learning experience.

After this course attendees will:

  • Be familiar with the latest approaches and technologies in plant health and be confident in applying them to their own research.
  • Have access to a network of early career and advanced researchers to support their future work and career development
  • Be empowered to present their research to a wider audience
  • Be empowered to apply for future funding and job opportunities
  • Have a one-page concept note of their research ideas using the latest approaches and skills taught on this course.

Lectures and Practicals

  • Bioinformatics and Pathogenomics
  • Genome Engineering
  • Salinity and Drought Tolerance
  • Insect Vectors of Plant pathogens

Skills Workshops

  • Presenting your research
  • Developing Scientific Questions
  • Proposal writing
  • Critical review and constructive feedback
  • Career planning

The course will be hosted at Pwani University, Kilifi County, Kenya. Pwani University will provide a buzzing atmosphere of international and interdisciplinary scientific activities. Pwani’s campus is conveniently located within the East African biodiversity hotspot and provides various possibilities for excursions in the surroundings.

Registration, Travel and Accommodation costs for the course will be covered for successful applicants.

You will be asked to prepare a poster, a short presentation and a job application before the event. 

To apply fill in the below online form by 30th September 2018.

Any further questions should go to Tilly Eldridge (Tilly.Eldridge@jic.ac.uk)

Applications are now closed

Online materials from the workshop will be online soon.

Course Trainers

Brande Wulff

Brande’s research programme explores the genetics of disease resistance in wheat.
Cristobal’s research is focused on using genetics and genomics to improve both yield and quality components in wheat.

Cristobal Uauy

Cristobal’s research is focused on using genetics and genomics to improve both yield and quality components in wheat.

Diane Saunders

Diane studies (re-)emerging plant pathogens that pose a significant threat to agriculture.
Levi’s research explores the genes responsible for adaptation to extreme environments.

Levi Yant

Levi’s research explores the genes responsible for adaptation to extreme environments.

Peter Emmrich

Peter’s work is on grass pea (Lathyrus sativus), a tropical legume crop mostly grown by smallholder farmers in South Asia and Ethiopia.
Rose N. Kigathi currently researches in Ecology, focusing on plant responses to biotic and abiotic stress.

Rose Kigathi

Rose N. Kigathi currently researches in Ecology, focusing on plant responses to biotic and abiotic stress.

Saskia Hogenhout

Saskia’s research focuses on insect – plant interactions and the vector-borne bacterial plant parasites, Phytoplasma.
Silvia studies natural variation in wild populations of Arabidopsis thaliana from the NE of Spain to study the mechanisms and the genetic basis of adaptive traits.

Silvia Busoms

Silvia studies natural variation in wild populations of Arabidopsis thaliana from the NE of Spain to study the mechanisms and the genetic basis of adaptive traits.

Wendy Harwood

Wendy leads the John Innes Centre Crop Transformation Group which delivers a platform for genome editing and genetic modification of crop plants.

Partners

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