Genomic Research

Unmasking Africa’s rich genomic variation would improve the understanding of the genetic basis of disease burdens and boost global genomic research efforts.

Démasquer les riches variations génomiques de l'Afrique permettrait de mieux comprendre la base génétique des maladies et de stimuler les efforts de recherche en génomique au niveau mondial.

Ground-breaking research points the way to improving outcomes for young heart patients in Africa.

Une recherche révolutionnaire ouvre des perspectives pour les jeunes patients cardiaques en Afrique.

Understanding structure and variation of African genes would deliver critical insights

La compréhension de la structure et de la variation des gènes africains apporterait des informations essentielles

Funds for a major genomics programme in Africa will run dry this year. A chance to address global inequity in health-related genomics by building on the success of this initiative must not be missed.

Understanding the emergence, evolution, and transmission of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is essential to combat antimicrobial resistance. Here, Munk et al. analyse ARGs in hundreds of sewage samples from 101 countries and describe regional patterns, diverse genetic environments of common ARGs, and ARG-specific transmission patterns.

Bioengineering has the power to improve health globally by engineering diagnostic, treatment and disease monitoring platforms that function in diverse settings, including resource-constrained contexts. In this Viewpoint, the authors highlight the pressing challenges that need to be addressed to make the field more equitable and to enable bioengineered solutions that can be implemented anywhere, anytime and by anyone.

In this Review, the authors discuss our latest understanding of evolutionary genetic changes that are specific to humans, which might endow uniquely human traits and capabilities. They describe how new cellular and molecular approaches are helping to decipher the functional implications of these human-specific changes.

A genome-wide association study using summary statistics from the UK Biobank identifies ancestry-specific variants associated with pulmonary function among European and African ancestry cohorts.

Immunoglobulin A protects against infectious disease and contributes to autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. Here, the authors perform a genome-wide association study for serum IgA levels, identifying 20 genome-wide significant loci, providing new insights into the genetic regulation of IgA levels.

Deep characterization of uveitis in a rhesus monkey confirms Ebola virus RNA persistence is associated with severe immunopathology in the eye, with broader implications for the prevention and treatment of sight-threatening uveitis in human survivors of Ebola virus.

A cross-ancestry meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies identifies association signals for stroke and its subtypes at 89 (61 new) independent loci, reveals putative causal genes, highlighting F11, KLKB1, PROC, GP1BA, LAMC2 and VCAM1 as potential drug targets, and provides cross-ancestry integrative risk prediction.

Closing the gap requires strategic funding, capacity-building, global collaboration and trust.

Stakeholders need to improve the continent’s capacity to respond during to emergencies

Rise in genomics research brings dividends in public health challenges

Call to strengthen links and laboratory efforts between countries

Continent’s diverse population genetics could improve global disease prevention efforts

Africa continue to make strides in response to emerging public health issues

The oldest DNA samples discovered in sub-Saharan Africa shed light on an often underrepresented period in African history.