Some species don’t exist in isolation.
The mopani tree & the mopani worm are ecologically & culturally linked across southern Africa. One provides the leaves. The other depends on them for survival, & in turn supports rural food systems and livelihoods.
1KSA Milestone 2: Mopani tree & Mopani worm.
Last week, 17 researchers from Limpopo, SMU, UFS, and Ethiopia came together at KRISP, University of KwaZulu-Natal, for a hands-on Training Workshop on Illumina Library Preparation and Sequencing.
A huge thank you to all our trainers, and to KRISP for hosting.
#DIPLOMICS2025 #NextGenScience
Frogs are among the most sensitive indicators of environmental change.
This World Frog Day, we highlight the partnership between 1KSA and the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity. Through 1KSA, South Africa is building the genomic catalogue needed to protect diversity for the long term.
The 1KSA Academy is back!
This free, 5-day workshop gives 1KSA sample contributors the hands-on skills to take their samples from DNA QC all the way through to a de novo genome assembly.
11–16 May
DIPLOMICS Training Lab, Cape Town
Free to attend | Lunches provided
Apply here: redcap.link/1uy4xe1t
The DIPLOMICS partner, NRF-SAIAB, kicked off the genomics training calendar with the Fundamentals of Molecular Biology workshop in Makhanda last week. 18 participants from institutions across the region gained both theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience in molecular biology techniques.
This World Wildlife Day, we’re introducing something new.
Each month, we’ll highlight a species sequenced through the 1KSA initiative, marking a genomic milestone in building South Africa’s biodiversity reference library.
We begin with the Dwarf Cushion Star.
#WorldWildlifeDay #1KSA
For people with rare or undiagnosed conditions, the journey is long.
Genomics helps identify genetic causes that traditional tests often miss. Nngwe supports genomic research that brings clarity to undiagnosed conditions & helps solve these mysteries. Read more: www.diplomics.org.za/initiatives/...
Today marks the birthday of Rosalind Franklin. Her work was foundational to understanding DNA - X-ray diffraction research produced the clearest evidence of DNA’s structure and her data made the double helix visible at a molecular level, one of the most significant discoveries in modern biology.
Charles Darwin changed how we understand life on Earth, without ever knowing what DNA was. No genomes, sequencing or molecular tools.
Just relentless observation, deep curiosity, and the courage to follow evidence where it led.
#DarwinDay #Evolution
African women are leading change in science.
Across the continent, women make up nearly half of STEM graduates, one of the highest proportions globally. That’s not a pipeline problem. That’s talent, capability, and momentum.
#InternationalDayofWomenandGirlsinScience
Cancer isn’t one disease, and science can't treat it as one.
By studying genomes & proteins, researchers can see how cancers differ at a molecular level. That knowledge changes how we detect disease earlier, understand risk, & how treatments move from “one-size-fits-all” to personalised care.
Some people jump out of bed at dawn. Others come alive at midnight.
Turns out, it’s not just habit, it’s genetic.
Circadian rhythm genes like PER, CLOCK, and CRY regulate your internal clock, deciding when your body feels alert, tired, and even how it processes food.
#Genomics #Proteomics
Meet p53, the guardian of the genome.
Its job - to detect DNA damage & stop faulty cells from dividing.
But when mutated or inactive, those defences stop, and tumours can take hold.
It’s one of the most studied genes in cancer biology, reminding us how a single genetic change can shift the balance.
The days between Christmas and New Year feel oddly disconnected, like time has lost its structure. That feeling has a biological basis. Your circadian rhythm relies on light exposure, routine, meal timing and sleep consistency. When those cues disappear, your internal clock drifts. #DIPLOMICS
Every Christmas has one guaranteed moment of tension.
The Brussels sprouts arrive.
Some people love them.
Others hate them.
That split isn’t drama, it’s biology.
Certain genes make some people far more sensitive to bitter compounds so for them, the bitterness hits hard.
Same sprout, different Taste
Cream, custard, chocolate, milk, festive food leans heavily on dairy.
But being able to digest milk as an adult is not the biological default.
Most humans stop producing lactase after childhood. Only people with a specific genetic mutation continue digesting lactose into adulthood.
#DIPLOMICS
Sharks have been perfecting immunity for 400 million years, long before humans existed.
While our immune systems rely on learned responses, sharks use a powerful innate system that can adapt to new threats instantly. Evolution’s greatest survivors still have lessons to teach us.
#SharkScience #1KSA
When a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, it doesn’t simply grow wings, it rebuilds itself from the inside out. Enzymes break down the caterpillar’s tissues into a molecular soup. Specialised cells, called imaginal discs, rebuild the body into something entirely new.
#Metamorphosis #MolecularBiology
Our soil holds a universe of microbes powering our planet’s ecosystems.
Scientists can read the DNA of these microscopic communities, revealing how they store carbon, support crops, and keep the Earth’s cycles in balance. On World Soil Day, we celebrate this unseen biodiversity
#WorldSoilDay
Ancestry DNA tests can reveal amazing insights about where we come from, but their accuracy depends on the data behind them. When reference datasets are incomplete, the story they tell is, too. Genomic research across Africa matters: to build the data needed for science that reflects all of us.
High-quality genome assembly of Microhodotermes viator: the Southern harvester termite and one of the most influential ecosystem engineers of South Africa’s arid biomes. Sequenced for the #1KSA project with @diplomics.bsky.social. 🧬
#Genomics #Biodiversity #Termites
www.1ksa.org.za/species-card...
A forgotten Petri dish. A curious mind.
And a mould that changed the course of medicine.
Penicillin reminds us that some of science’s greatest advances start with accidents, and a willingness to look closer.
#ScienceOfDiscovery #Omics
The Bajau of Southeast Asia, or the “Sea Nomads,” have lived for centuries with the ocean at the centre of their lives. In 2018, a study revealed that the Bajau carry genetic adaptations linked to enlarged spleens, an advantage that helps them store and release more oxygen-rich blood during dives.
Some people attract mosquito's due to their DNA & the proteins mozzies use to detect human scent. Genomics shows why some emit more appealing odours, while proteomics helps study mosquito behaviour. African researchers use these insights to improve malaria prevention and repellents #SADCMalariaDay
The Spekboom (Portulacaria afra) genome has officially been published in Nature Scientific Data! A proud moment for South African science, proof that world-class genomics is thriving right here at home.
Read the full publication: doi.org/10.1038/s415...
#Spekboom #CenGen #1KSA #Genomics
DIPLOMICS hosted IkamvaYouth learners for a science session, where students extracted DNA from strawberries and explored genomics applications in understanding the living world. Our collaboration with IkamvaYouth, turns theory into experience, inspiring students to envision careers in science.
South Africa is home to incredible wildlife, yet many species aren't represented in global genomic datasets, risking our understanding of biodiversity. The 1KSA Project is sequencing 1,000 South African genomes. Every animal's DNA tells a story, and 1KSA ensures these stories are heard.
The IMBM/UWC-SCGP held its second annual ONT DNA/RNA Sequencing Training Workshop, providing seven participants with hands-on experience in ONT library preparation and sequencing. Participants extracted DNA, prepared libraries, sequenced on the Mk1C platform, and assembled 23 bacterial genomes.
Jane Goodall revolutionized our understanding of nature. Starting her research in 1960 at Gombe Stream, Tanzania, under Louis Leakey, she made groundbreaking discoveries. Her legacy lives on in the scientific advancements and generations she inspired to protect Earth's life.
The deep sea is stranger than science fiction.
And genomics is the flashlight that’s finally showing us what lives there.
From microbes that eat metal to DNA traces of creatures we’ve never seen, ocean genomics is revealing Earth’s last great mystery.
#OceanGenomics #Biodiversity #Genomics
