Building Capacity in TB Genomic Data Analysis Through Practical Training
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The TB WGS Data Analysis Bootcamp (18 May – 19 June 2026), hosted under the PANGenS (Pan-Africa Network for Genomic Surveillance), has successfully concluded .
Delivered fully online, the bootcamp brought together participants from 10 African countries for several weeks of intensive, hands-on training in TB genomic data analysis.
Participants worked through the complete WGS workflow, from handling raw sequencing data (FastQ), to mapping and alignments (BAM), variant calling (VCF), genome assembly (FASTA), and downstream analyses including cgMLST, clustering, phylogenetics, transmission analysis, and drug resistance prediction.
Using platforms like Galaxy and EnteroBase, the sessions combined lectures, tutorials, webinars, Q&A discussions, and self-paced learning. Key topics included Galaxy workflows, clustering approaches, phylogenetic analysis, GOMA demonstrations, EnteroBase data upload and analysis, and drug resistance prediction. The program culminated in “bring your own data” sessions, where participants applied their skills to real datasets.
We are deeply grateful to all trainers: Daniela Brites(Swiss TPH), Asare Prince (Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), Ulrich Nübel (Leibniz-Institut DSMZ-Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen GmbH ), and Anshul Gupta (Leibniz-Institut DSMZ-Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen GmbH) alongside the invited speakers who enriched the learning experience throughout.
A heartfelt thank you to all participants for their engagement and commitment throughout this journey. Their efforts continue to strengthen the growing network for TB genomic surveillance across Africa.