Stellenbosch University (SU)'s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences has launched a cutting-edge Biomedical Research Institute (BMRI), marking a significant milestone in the field of biomedical research in South Africa and the African continent.
Described as the largest and most sophisticated research complex of its kind in Africa, the BMRI is expected to pave the way for groundbreaking research and innovation in the biomedical field, positioning Stellenbosch University as a leader in the field.
"The realisation of the BMRI resonates with SU's vision of being Africa's leading research-intensive university with the objective of being globally recognised for our excellence in innovation to advance knowledge in service of society," said Professor Wim de Villiers, SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor.
According to a press release by the South African university, the BMRI boasts world-class facilities, including a bioinformatics hub, electron microscopy laboratories, proteomics and flow cytometry services laboratories, a medical morphological learning center, a training laboratory and clinical research facilities.
The BMRI, situated on US's Tygerberg Campus in the town of Stellenbosch in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, is said to be designed to study infectious agents or toxins that can be transmitted through the air, leading to potentially lethal infections.
The construction of the research facility was launched in 2018, and it costed about 1.2 billion South African rand ($66.6 million).
"In our lab, we have people that came from 25 African countries, close to 50 fellows that are here for a few weeks to learn how to use genomics to detect and characterize new pathogens," said Professor Tulio de Oliveira, Director of SU's Center for Epidemic Response and Innovation.
De Oliveira added that a research hub such as the BMRI would benefit not only South Africa, but also would be useful for Africa and the world as whole, "because one thing that we learned from the previous pandemic, the COVID pandemic, is that diseases do not respect borders."