Bolivian students dive into the world of bioinformatics

Over the course of three intensive days in late May, the course Molecular Identification and Basic Bioinformatics was held at Universidad Mayor De San Andres in La Paz, Bolivia. Twenty students from eight different Bolivian universities took part.

The initiative was led by Professor Magnus Karlsson and Associate Professor Mukesh Dubey from the Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology at SLU. They were joined by a dedicated team of colleagues from SLU, including Edoardo Piombo, Aurélien Saghai, David Manyara, Virginia Gonzales, and Marisel Mamani, all of whom contributed to the teaching.

During the course, students received a comprehensive introduction to topics such as species concepts, phenotypic and molecular identification of organisms, phylogenetic analysis, microbial community analysis, and population genomics.

Building long-term relationships and networks

But the course was about more than just theory and practice – it also served as a vital platform for fostering long-term relationships between Swedish and Bolivian researchers.

– It was fantastic to see the students’ enthusiasm and curiosity. This kind of international collaboration is essential not only for knowledge exchange but also for building networks that can lead to future research,” says Magnus Karlsson.

The course was part of the SIDA-funded project Biobased inputs: Biocontrol of coffee fungal pathogens – Microbial treatment for quinoa growth, which aims to develop sustainable agricultural solutions in Latin America.