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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

The failure of the law

2004-06-04

Written by Lacea Loader

- Call for the protection of consumers’ and tax payers rights against corporate companies

An expert in commercial law has called for reforms to the Companies Act to protect the rights of consumers and investors.

“Consumers and tax payers are lulled into thinking the law protects them when it definitely does not,” said Prof Dines Gihwala this week during his inaugural lecture at the University of the Free State’s (UFS).

Prof Gihwala, vice-chairperson of the UFS Council, was inaugurated as extraordinary professor in commercial law at the UFS’s Faculty of Law.

He said that consumers, tax payers and shareholders think they can look to the law for an effective curb on the enormous power for ill that big business wields.

“Once the public is involved, the activities of big business must be controlled and regulated. It is the responsibility of the law to oversee and supervise such control and regulation,” said Prof Gihwala.

He said that, when undesirable consequences occur despite laws enacted specifically to prevent such results, it must be fair to suggest that the law has failed.

“The actual perpetrators of the undesirable behaviour seldom pay for it in any sense, not even when criminal conduct is involved. If directors of companies are criminally charged and convicted, the penalty is invariably a fine imposed on the company. So, ironically, it is the money of tax payers that is spent on investigating criminal conduct, formulating charges and ultimately prosecuting the culprits involved in corporate malpractice,” said Prof Gihwala.

According to Prof Gihwala the law continuously fails to hold companies meaningfully accountable to good and honest business values.

“Insider trading is a crime and, although legislation was introduced in 1998 to curb it, not a single successful criminal prosecution has taken place. While the law appears to be offering the public protection against unacceptable business behaviour, it does no such thing – the law cannot act as a deterrent if it is inadequate or not being enforced,” he said.

The government believed it was important to facilitate access to the country’s economic resources by those who had been denied it in the past. The Broad Based Economic Empowerment Act of 2003 (BBEE), is legislation to do just that. “We should be asking ourselves whether it is really possible for an individual, handicapped by the inequities of the past, to compete in the real business world even though the BBEE Act is now part of the law?,” said Prof Gihwala.

Prof Gihwala said that judges prefer to follow precedent instead of taking bold initiative. “Following precedent is safe at a personal level. To do so will elicit no outcry of disapproval and one’s professional reputation is protected. The law needs to evolve and it is the responsibility of the judiciary to see that it happens in an orderly fashion. Courts often take the easy way out, and when the opportunity to be bold and creative presents itself, it is ignored,” he said.

“Perhaps we are expecting too much from the courts. If changes are to be made to the level of protection to the investing public by the law, Parliament must play its proper role. It is desirable for Parliament to be proactive. Those tasked with the responsibility of rewriting our Companies Act should be bold and imaginative. They should remove once and for all those parts of our common law which frustrate the ideals of our Constitution, and in particular those which conflict with the principles of the BBEE Act,” said Prof Gihwala.

According to Prof Gihwala, the following reforms are necessary:

• establishing a unit that is part of the office of the Registrar of Companies to bolster a whole inspectorate in regard to companies’ affairs;
• companies who are liable to pay a fine or fines, should have the right to take action to recover that fine from those responsible for the conduct;
• and serious transgression of the law should allow for imprisonment only – there should be no room for the payment of fines.

Prof Gihwala ended the lecture by saying: “If the opportunity to re-work the Companies Act is not grabbed with both hands, we will witness yet another failure in the law. Even more people will come to believe that the law is stupid and that it has made fools of them. And that would be the worst possible news in our developing democracy, where we are struggling to ensure that the Rule of Law prevails and that every one of us has respect for the law”.

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