Establishment of computational biology in Greece and Cyprus: Past, present, and future

Infrastructure for bioinformatics applications in Tanzania: Lessons from the Sickle Cell Programme

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a common genetic disorder in Africa. Some ongoing work in SCD research includes the analysis and comparisons of variation in phenotypic presentations and disease outcomes with the genotypic signatures. This has contributed to the observed growth of molecular and genetic data in SCD. However, while the "omics" data continues to pile, the capacity to interpret and turn the genetic findings into clinical practice is still underdeveloped, especially in the developing region. Building bioinformatics infrastructure and capacity in the region is key to bridging the gap. This paper seeks to illustrate how the Sickle Cell Programme (SCP) at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) in Tanzania, modeled the integration of infrastructure for bioinformatics and clinical research while running day-to-day clinical care for SCD in Tanzania.

Bioinformatics in Mexico: A diagnostic from the academic perspective and recommendations for a public policy

In this work, we present a diagnostic analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of the current state of Bioinformatics in Mexico. We conducted semi-structured interviews among researchers and academics with key expertise in this field, identified by bibliometric analyses and qualitative sampling techniques. Additionally, an online survey was conducted reaching a higher number of respondents. Among the relevant findings of our study, the lack of specialized human resources and technological infrastructure stood out, along with deficiencies in the number and quality of academic programs, scarce public investment and a weak relationship between public and private institutions. However, there are great opportunities for developing a national Bioinformatics to support different economic sectors. In our opinion, this work could be useful to favor a comprehensive network among Mexican researchers, in order to lay the foundations of a national strategy towards a well designed public policy.