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UFS-NGS UNIT engages high school learners in pioneering step toward a genomic education

06 May 2025 | Story Andre Damons | Photo Supplied

Prof Nyaga — Prof Martin Nyaga at the UFS-NGS Unit sequencing room giving a talk on the Illumina NextSeq 2000 with the P3 flow cell in hand.

The University of the Free State – Next Generation Sequencing (UFS-NGS) Unit hosted a pioneering scholarly engagement initiative for Grade 11 learners from nine secondary schools in Bloemfontein. The three-day event with the theme "Frontiers of Discovery: Illuminating the Impact of Genomics in Science outreach programme” marked the first comprehensive genomics science outreach initiative in the Faculty Health Sciences.

Coordinated by Prof Martin Nyaga, Head of the UFS-NGS Unit, the programme bridged the longstanding gap through practical NGS exposure and ignited a passion for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) by inspiring the next generation of genomic innovators using combined interactive lectures, laboratory demonstrations, career talks, and hands-on workshops. This allowed learners to directly engage with cutting-edge scientific techniques and genomic technologies, especially the scientific and evolutionally impact of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and NGS.

The initiative engaged selected Grade 11 learners from the nine schools: Brebner, Ikaelelo and Vulamasango (day 1), Atlehang, Castle Bridge School and Kaelang (day 2) and Eunice, Navalsig, and Lekhulong (day 3).

“This outreach programme marks a significant milestone in community-based genomics education in South Africa by offering high school learners the opportunity to engage with modern genomic sciences before making career decisions. The initiative particularly aimed to nurture future scientists and diversify the country’s STEM talent pipeline.

“This historic programme bridged gaps in scientific literacy and diversity in the Free State and concluded each day with a genomics quiz competition, which tested the participant’s newly acquired knowledge/exposure and provided a fun competitive learning opportunity. Six quiz winners across the three days received special prizes, and all students were awarded certificates of participation,” says Prof Nyaga.

Hands-on exploration and NHLS virology laboratory tour

The training was held at the UFS-NGS Unit in the School of Biomedical Sciences and at the NHLS Virology laboratories, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences. Each attending secondary school was represented by five Grade 11 learners and a life science’s educator. Each day, 15 learners and three educators observed hands-on practicals, including DNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis, and DNA library preparation for sequencing on platforms such as Illumina MiSeq and NextSeq 2000.

Guided by the UFS-NGS Unit’s team members; Dr Milton Mogotsi, Hlengiwe Sondlane, Mbali Ncube, Nkosazana Shange, Somila Nazo, Sesiyanda Maseko, Surprise Baloyi, Manyi Eyong and Mamello Maku, the learners were exposed to how DNA is extracted and visualised, how the PCR machine works and how DNA libraries are prepared and sequenced.

Furthermore, a guided laboratory tour of the Virology laboratories at the NHLS was provided by Khauhelo Mafa which offered the leaners the opportunity to observe, diagnostic and molecular workflows in action, resulting in a real-time glimpse into world-class medical research and diagnostics, fuelling curiosity about the role of advanced genomics science in disease control.

Inspiration through expert talks

The learners were also inspired by talks from Prof Chris Viljoen, Head of the School of Biomedical Sciences, Prof Zinhle Makatini, Associate Professor and Head of Division of Virology, School of Pathology, and Dr Claudia Ntsapi, Senior Lecturer and researcher in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences at the UFS. Prof Viljoen highlighted the role of science in transforming lives and improving life expectancy, while Prof Makatini gave candid reflections on her professional journey, particularly how she pursued Medical Virology through unwavering determination and excelled to become among the pioneer women specialists in the field in South Africa. Dr Ntsapi inspired the audience with her perseverance from her humble beginnings to earning a PhD in Neurophysiological Sciences against all odds.

The speakers also delivered compelling presentations on the applications of genomics in medicine (e.g.), personalised cancer treatments), public health (e.g.), tracking HIV and COVID-19), agriculture (e.g.), resilient crops), and environmental science (e.g.), ecosystem protection), which resonated well with the learners, educators and the UFS-NGS team. A presentation on diverse career options available at the UFS Faculty of Health Sciences was further provided by Angelique Carson-Porter, a UFS representative from the Department of Nutrition & Dietetics. Her talk on different career pathways in Health Sciences broaden the learners’ horizons, fostering future aspirations.

Dr Emmanuel Ogunbayo, Dr Mogotsi, Thabisa Mpaxa, Nkosazana Shange and Eyong Manyi shared their personal career journey to be at the UFS-NGS Unit, offering advice on academic experiences and opportunities within genomics, bioinformatics, and biotechnology, while answering scholarship queries.

“The career talk opened my eyes. I’m now aiming for a biotechnology degree!” said Neliswa Thwala, a learner from Navalsig CS/S.

Following the enthusiastic response and tangible outcomes of this programme, the UFS-NGS Unit is committed to expanding this initiative, with plans to introduce similar events to other schools and developing sustained mentorship opportunities for learners interested in pursuing genomics-related careers. The UFS-NGS Unit further invites interested partners, sponsors, and stakeholders to collaborate in future outreach and capacity-building programmes to continue bridging the genomics education gap in Africa.

Inspire the next generation

Prof. Nyaga’s closing remarks highlighted the learners’ potential to shape the ‘omics’ workforce and stated the intention of the organising committee to expand the mentorship programmes, fostering a vibrant STEM pipeline. “This initiative represents our vision to make genomics accessible and inspire the next generation of African scientists.”

The success of this programme was driven by the UFS-NGS Unit team and was supported by Distribution Platform in Omics (DIPLOMICS).

For more information about the UFS-NGS Unit or future outreach programmes, please visit our website. Further pictures from the event are also available via our website.

News Archive

Protection of Information bill- opinions from our experts

2011-11-28

Prof. Hussein Solomon
Senior Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of the Free State.

In recent years, given their failure to effectively govern, the ANC has become increasingly defensive. These defensive traits have become particularly acute in light of the various corruption scandals that members of the ruling party involve themselves in.

Given the fact that for now they are assured of an electoral majority (largely on account of their anti-apartheid credentials), coupled with the fact that they have managed to make parliament a rubber stamp of the executive as opposed to holding the executive accountable, it is the media which has increasingly held the ruling party to account by exposing such corruption and incompetence in government.

The passing of the information bill, therefore, is not merely an attack on the media, but an attack on the pivotal issue of accountability. Without accountability, there can be no democracy.

By defining national interest broadly, by refusing to accept a public interest clause in the bill, the ANC increasingly shows its disdain to South Africa's constitution and its citizens.

More importantly, as former Minister of Intelligence and ANC stalwart Ronnie Kasrils pointedly makes clear, the ANC is also betraying its own noble struggle against the odious apartheid regime. It was the media which played a key role in exposing apartheid's excesses, it is the same media which is coming under attack by the heirs of PW Botha's State Security Council - Minister of State Security Siyabong Cwele and his security apparatchiks whose mindsets reflect more Stalin's Gulag's than the values of the Freedom Charter.

The passing of this bill is also taking place at a time when journalists have had their phones attacked, where the judiciary has been deliberately undermined and parliament silenced.

Democrats beware!

Prof. Johann de Wet

Chairperson: Department of Communication Science

The ANC’s insistence on passing the Protection of State Information Bill in its current form and enforcing it by law, means that the essence of our democratic state and the quality of life of every citizen is at stake.

Yes, our freedom as academics, researchers, mass media practitioners and citizens comes into play. Freedom implies the right to choose and is, along with equality, an underlying principle which helps make democracy happen. While the South African state needs to protect (classify) information which could threaten its security and/or survival, the omission of a public interest clause in the Bill at this stage effectively denies a citizen the right to freedom of information.

Freedom of information, along with press freedom, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of association and religious freedom, are essential to democracy. These freedoms are granted because they conform to basic liberal ideas associated with (Western) democracy and which resonate with South Africa’s liberal constitution, such as (1) belief in the supreme value of the individual (and thus not of the state); (2) belief that the individual has natural rights (rights which belong to all human beings by nature – such as the right to life and to control government)) which exist independently of government, and which ought to be protected by and against government; and (3) recognition of the supreme value of the individual.

One wonders how many cases of South African government corruption and mismanagement would have been uncovered by investigative journalists over the past number of years if this Bill in its current form was on the statute books. This Bill represents a backward step from the promise of democracy of having an informed public. The former National Party government had similar laws in place and one does not want to go there again. The infamous Information Scandal in South Africa of some thirty years ago, or Muldergate as it has come to be known, reminds one of what governments can do when it works clandestinely.

What South Africans need, is more information on what government structures are doing and how they are doing it with taxpayers’ money, not less information. While information in itself does not equal communication or dialogue, it is an indispensable part thereof, and the need for dialogue based on verifiable information is urgent for meeting vexed challenges facing South African communities. Academics in all fields of specialisation are constantly in need of untainted information to pursue answers and/or offer solutions to where South Africa should be moving in all spheres of life.

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