IBR Strengthens Bioinformatics Capacity through Molecular Sequence Data Analysis Training

A section of participants follow the training proceedings.

The Institute for Biotechnology Research (IBR) at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), in partnership with Inqaba Biotec and F&S Scientific, conducted a “Hands-On Bioinformatics Short Course on Sanger and NGS Sequence Data Analysis,” to strengthen practical bioinformatics capacity among researchers, scientists and students in Kenya.

The training which run from September 7 – 11, 2026, brought together participants from diverse institutions and organizations, including the Kenya Dairy Board, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa), Machakos University, University of Embu, Chuka University, and JKUAT.

The broad institutional representation provided an important platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration across agricultural, biomedical, biotechnology and molecular research disciplines.

The Registrar, Research, Production and Extension (RPE) at JKUAT, Dr. Patrick Mbindyo, presided over the official opening of the training. In his speech, he reminisced the conceptualization and historical journey of IBR Bioinformatics laboratory and how it has metamorphosized research in the institute.

Dr. Mbindyo recognized the background diversity of the participants attending the workshop and encouraged them to network and envision the possibility of transforming themselves into a research network group.

JKUAT Registrar, Research, Production and Extension (RPE), Dr. Patrick Mbindyo, officially opens the training.

The Course Coordinator, Dr. Johnstone Neondo, stated that the current Biotechnology research is driven by genomic data and the future of biological products will require genomic validation, hence the need for the training.

The course equipped participants with practical skills for analyzing, interpreting and visualizing molecular sequence data generated through contemporary sequencing technologies. Rather than focusing exclusively on theoretical concepts, the training emphasized hands-on learning using real molecular datasets and guided practical exercises, enabling participants to work through bioinformatics workflows commonly applied in modern molecular biology, biotechnology, microbiology and genomics research.

Key areas covered during the training included; Sanger chromatogram quality control, sequence editing and assembly, BLAST-based sequence identification, multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis.

Training participants also explored next-generation sequencing data analysis workflows, including DADA2 in R, 16S rRNA and ITS amplicon sequence analysis, taxonomic assignment using SILVA and UNITE databases, alpha and beta diversity analyses, and publication-quality data visualization.

Course Coordinator, Dr. Johnstone Neondo, leads the training at IBR.

The training emphasized the importance of transforming bioinformatics outputs into clear, reproducible and publication-ready scientific figures and interpretations.

Participants therefore gained exposure not only to computational analysis, but also to the critical interpretation and presentation of molecular sequence data for scientific communication and research publication.

The partnership between IBR-JKUAT, Inqaba Biotec and F&S Scientific demonstrates the value of collaboration between academic institutions and biotechnology industry partners in building sustainable bioinformatics capacity.

By bringing together researchers and scientists from various institutions in Kenya, the initiative contributes to developing a community of practitioners capable of applying modern computational approaches to biological research challenges.

Ultimately, the training sought to move participants beyond simply generating sequence data toward being able to critically analyze, interpret and communicate molecular information. This capacity is increasingly essential as sequencing technologies become more accessible and genomic data continue to transform research in agriculture, health, environmental science, biotechnology and molecular biology.

The initiative marks a significant step toward strengthening Kenya’s bioinformatics ecosystem and empowering researchers with the practical computational skills required to undertake data-driven, contemporary genomic and molecular biology research.

IBR Strengthens Bioinformatics Capacity through Molecular Sequence Data Analysis Training.