Inter-Project Collaboration: Strengthening Genomics Capacities Through Knowledge Sharing

Inter-project collaboration, knowledge sharing and capacity building are at the heart of the VISION Talent Partnership. A recent initiative brought these principles into practice through a genomics training delivered at the Institut Pasteur de Tunis as part of the DIPGEN project.

During their secondment in Tunisia, Imène Najjar and Laurence Ma, from Biomics, the next-generation sequencing (NGS) core facility of Institut Pasteur, shared their expertise with researchers and professionals at the Institut Pasteur de Tunis. The training provided participants with both theoretical knowledge and practical experience in the field of next-generation sequencing and whole-exome sequencing (WES).

Throughout the sessions, participants progressively explored the different dimensions of NGS, covering scientific and technical aspects as well as economic and regulatory considerations. The practical component allowed them to apply the concepts covered during the training and develop the skills required to approach future WES projects more independently.

The training concluded with a feedback and assessment session, providing an opportunity to review the results, revisit key concepts and discuss the participants’ learning experience.

This initiative demonstrates how collaboration between European and international projects can create opportunities for expertise transfer, skills development and sustainable capacity building. By connecting researchers and institutions across projects, secondments can extend their impact beyond the individual participants and contribute to strengthening research and public health capacities.

The newly acquired skills will support the trainees in carrying out their future WES projects with greater autonomy, contributing to the continued development of genomics expertise within the Tunisian research community.

The VISION team congratulates Imène and Laurence for this initiative and looks forward to further opportunities for collaboration with the DIPGEN project and other partner initiatives.