Capacity building for bioinformatics in Latin America

Data-driven biology promises to have a major impact on health, agriculture and environmental management. However, in Latin America uptake of data-driven biology has lagged behind despite a clear need. For example, Analysis of human genome data submitted to public databases shows that populations of African and Latin American descent, Hispanics, and indigenous people are barely represented in genomics studies[1]. Given the need to have genome data from those populations for the development of precision medicine in clinical practice, it is necessary to boost the collection of genomics data in Latin American populations. A similar scenario is found for biodiversity in the region, where there is a gap in the knowledge of the majority of the living organisms, which represents over 60% of the total number of terrestrial species on the biosphere[2]. Only by understanding the impact on biodiversity of human-driven activities such as intensive farming and urbanisation can we find a balance between economic development and the preservation and sustainable use of natural resources. We propose a capacity-building programme, led by EMBL-EBI in close collaboration with new and existing collaborators in Latin American countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela - all countries on the ODA development list. Through a combination of secondments, training workshops, eLearning resources and 'train-the-trainer' activities, we will sustainably build expertise in the fundamental skills required to generate, store, visualise, analyse and interpret biomolecular data. We will focus on three use cases: (1) Food security; (2) Data-driven monitoring and management of communicable disease; and (3) monitoring biodiversity. Biological data can be used to track pandemics in humans and livestock (the recent Zikavirus outbreak, for example), understand and mitigate the causes of crop failure, and monitor biodiversity. Our top priority area in the ODA development strategy is therefore strengthening resilience and response to crises. Latin America is a major producer and exporter of meat, fruit, vegetables and coffee. Biofuel production is also growing. These industries are crucial for the development of the region, and yet put huge pressure on Latin America's unparalleled biodiversity, which is not only of enormous importance in its own right but also contributes to economic prosperity through ecotourism. Data-driven biology can facilitate the production of crops and livestock that are more resilient to environmental challenges and enables sophisticated monitoring of an area's biodiversity. Our second priority area in the ODA development strategy is therefore promoting global prosperity. By incorporating training on how to manage bioinformatics research infrastructure, and by involving local funders and policymakers in these workshops, we hope to contribute to the professionalisation of bioinformatics services throughout the region. This will enhance Latin America's ability to provide a significant contribution to international research projects such as the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health. Expected outcomes of the project include: Increased use of bioinformatics tools and resources to solve research problems of direct relevance to the ODA development strategy Increased use of bioinformatics to solve applied research problems A sustainable network of skilled bioinformaticians who are also motivated and talented trainers of other researchers Enduring collaborations and mentorships that encourage women and other underrepresented groups in the research community to develop successful careers in bioinformatics and related subjects. [1] Popejoy, A.B., & Fullerton, S.M. (2016) Genomics is failing on diversity. Nature, 538(7624), 161 [2] UNEP-WCMC (2016) The State of Biodiversity in Latin America and the Caribbean: A mid-term review of progress towards the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. UNEP-WCMC, UK