ACEGIDThe ACEGID lab in the Nigerian city of Ede, staffed by 47 researchers with doctoratesACEGID
The new 1,300-square-meter laboratory of the African Center of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID) is set to be inaugurated in Nigeria this month. The lab has a 12-petabyte computer (1015 bytes) capable of storing large amounts of genome sequence data from organisms that cause infectious diseases. Scientists there will study genome samples from across Africa using a next-generation sequencer. The ACEGID began operating in the Nigerian city of Ede in 2014, funded by the World Bank and the Broad Institute, USA, with the aim of tackling emerging diseases in Nigeria. In 2020, a team led by molecular biologist Christian Happi, founder of the center, was the first in Africa to completely sequence the genome of the virus that causes COVID-19. The institute has amassed the world’s largest catalogue of Lassa virus genomes, with over a thousand sequenced samples, which has contributed to the development of diagnostic tests. Of the 117 employees at the lab, 47 are researchers with doctorates. The annual budget of US$10 million is provided by donations from philanthropic institutions and research grants from foreign governments (Science, August 9).
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