{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,28]],"date-time":"2026-04-28T15:42:58Z","timestamp":1777390978465,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":54,"publisher":"International Union of Crystallography (IUCr)","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2019,8,28]],"date-time":"2019-08-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1566950400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/journals.iucr.org\/services\/copyrightpolicy.html"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2019,8,28]],"date-time":"2019-08-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1566950400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/journals.iucr.org\/services\/copyrightpolicy.html#TDM"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000522","name":"Company of Biologists","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["EA1750"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["EA1750"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000522","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000704","name":"Royal Society of Chemistry","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["T18-000AA"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["T18-000AA"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000704","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["iucr.org","wiley.com","iucrj.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["J Synchrotron Rad","J Synchrotron Radiat"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2019,6,24]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2019,9,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Being able to visualize biology at the molecular level is essential for our understanding of the world. A structural biology approach reveals the molecular basis of disease processes and can guide the design of new drugs as well as aid in the optimization of existing medicines. However, due to the lack of a synchrotron light source, adequate infrastructure, skilled persons and incentives for scientists in addition to limited financial support, the majority of countries across the African continent do not conduct structural biology research. Nevertheless, with technological advances such as robotic protein crystallization and remote data collection capabilities offered by many synchrotron light sources, X-ray crystallography is now potentially accessible to Africa-based scientists. This leap in technology led to the establishment in 2017 of BioStruct-Africa, a non-profit organization (Swedish corporate ID: 802509-6689) whose core aim is capacity building for African students and researchers in the field of structural biology with a focus on prevalent diseases in the African continent. The team is mainly composed of, but not limited to, a group of structural biologists from the African diaspora. The members of BioStruct-Africa have taken up the mantle to serve as a catalyst in order to facilitate the information and technology transfer to those with the greatest desire and need within Africa. BioStruct-Africa achieves this by organizing workshops onsite at our partner universities and institutions based in Africa, followed by post-hoc online mentoring of participants to ensure sustainable capacity building. The workshops provide a theoretical background on protein crystallography, hands-on practical experience in protein crystallization, crystal harvesting and cryo-cooling, live remote data collection on a synchrotron beamline, but most importantly the links to drive further collaboration through research. Capacity building for Africa-based researchers in structural biology is crucial to win the fight against the neglected tropical diseases,<jats:italic>e.g.<\/jats:italic>ascariasis, hookworm, trichuriasis, lymphatic filariasis, active trachoma, loiasis, yellow fever, leprosy, rabies, sleeping sickness, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis,<jats:italic>etc<\/jats:italic>., that constitute significant health, social and economic burdens to the continent. BioStruct-Africa aims to build local and national expertise that will have direct benefits for healthcare within the continent.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1107\/s1600577519008981","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2019,8,28]],"date-time":"2019-08-28T17:37:41Z","timestamp":1567013861000},"page":"1843-1850","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1107\/cm_01","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["BioStruct-Africa: empowering Africa-based scientists through structural biology knowledge transfer and mentoring \u2013 recent advances and future perspectives"],"prefix":"10.1107","volume":"26","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6991-1046","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Emmanuel","family":"Nji","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Daouda A. K.","family":"Traore","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mama","family":"Ndi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Carolyn A.","family":"Joko","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Declan A.","family":"Doyle","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"329","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2019,8,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"yn5057_bb3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"341","DOI":"10.1590\/S0074-02762004000400001","volume":"99","author":"Acharya","year":"2004","journal-title":"Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz"},{"key":"yn5057_bb4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Addaney, M. (2018). Education Law, Strategic Policy and Sustainable Development in Africa, edited by A. C. Onuora-Oguno, W. O. Egbewole & T. E. Kleven, pp. 181-197. Cham: Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-319-53703-0_8"},{"key":"yn5057_bb5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Addisu, A., Adriaensen, W., Balew, A., Asfaw, M., Diro, E., Garba Djirmay, A., Gebree, D., Seid, G., Begashaw, H., Harries, A. D., Hirpa Adugna, A., Ayalew Jejaw, Z., Kamau, E. M., Kelbo, T., Manzi, M., Medebo Daniel, D., Moloo, A., Olliaro, P., Owiti, P., Reeder, J. C., Senkoro, M., Takarinda, K., Terry, R., Timire, C., Tucho, S., Tweya, H., Wendemagegn, Y., Verdonck, K., Vogt, F., van Henten, S., van Griensven, J., Worku, B., Zolfo, M., Zachariah, R. & Ethiopia SORT IT Neglected Tropical Diseases Group (2019). BMJ Glob. Health, 4, e001334.","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjgh-2018-001334"},{"key":"yn5057_bb52","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1645","DOI":"10.2147\/IDR.S173867","volume":"11","author":"Aslam","year":"2018","journal-title":"Infect. Drug Resist."},{"key":"yn5057_bb6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"73","DOI":"10.1186\/s40249-017-0288-0","volume":"6","author":"Bangert","year":"2017","journal-title":"Infect. Dis. Poverty"},{"key":"yn5057_bb7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"438","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cell.2015.03.050","volume":"161","author":"Cheng","year":"2015","journal-title":"Cell"},{"key":"yn5057_bb8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"248","DOI":"10.1038\/nsmb.3164","volume":"23","author":"Coincon","year":"2016","journal-title":"Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol."},{"key":"yn5057_bb9","first-page":"0019","volume":"13","author":"Connell","year":"2018","journal-title":"Afr. Rev. Phys."},{"key":"yn5057_bb10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Daar, A. S., Berndtson, K., Persad, D. L. & Singer, P. A. (2007). BMC Public Health, 7, 346.","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2458-7-346"},{"key":"yn5057_bb11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"229","DOI":"10.1038\/ng1002-229","volume":"32","author":"Daar","year":"2002","journal-title":"Nat. Genet."},{"key":"yn5057_bb12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"115","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pep.2010.01.010","volume":"71","author":"D'Avanzo","year":"2010","journal-title":"Protein Expr. Purif."},{"key":"yn5057_bb13","unstructured":"DESA. (2016). The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2016. New York: United Nations."},{"key":"yn5057_bb14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"382","DOI":"10.1557\/mrs2010.571","volume":"35","author":"Diez-Silva","year":"2010","journal-title":"MRS Bull."},{"key":"yn5057_bb15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7051","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1505665112","volume":"112","author":"Elguero","year":"2015","journal-title":"Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA"},{"key":"yn5057_bb16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"339","DOI":"10.1038\/nature19948","volume":"537","author":"Fernandez-Leiro","year":"2016","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"yn5057_bb17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Fitzpatrick, C. & Engels, D. (2016). Intl Health, 8(Suppl.1), i15-i18.","DOI":"10.1093\/inthealth\/ihw002"},{"key":"yn5057_bb18","unstructured":"Fitzpatrick, C., Nwankwo, U., Lenk, E., de Vlas, S. J. & Bundy, D. A. P. (2017). Major Infectious Diseases, edited by K. K. Holmes, S. Bertozzi, B. R. Bloom & P. Jha. Washington, DC: The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development\/The World Bank."},{"key":"yn5057_bb53","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"79","DOI":"10.1615\/CritRevImmunol.v30.i1.60","volume":"30","author":"Gootz","year":"2010","journal-title":"Crit. Rev. Immunol."},{"key":"yn5057_bb19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1460","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jmb.2019.02.023","volume":"431","author":"Heublein","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Mol. Biol."},{"key":"yn5057_bb20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"335","DOI":"10.1177\/1087057113511270","volume":"19","author":"Johnston","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Biomol. Screen."},{"key":"yn5057_bb21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.4314\/mmj.v29i1.1","volume":"29","author":"Kumwenda","year":"2017","journal-title":"Malawi Med. J."},{"key":"yn5057_bb22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1922","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1085028","volume":"300","author":"Kuo","year":"2003","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"yn5057_bb23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2223","DOI":"10.1038\/s41467-018-04581-2","volume":"9","author":"Lang","year":"2018","journal-title":"Nat. Commun."},{"key":"yn5057_bb24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"211","DOI":"10.1038\/s42003-018-0223-3","volume":"1","author":"Lansche","year":"2018","journal-title":"Commun. Biol."},{"key":"yn5057_bb54","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lawrence, R. & Jeyakumar, E. (2013). BMC Proc. 7, S1.","DOI":"10.1186\/1753-6561-7-S3-S1"},{"key":"yn5057_bb25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3761","DOI":"10.1016\/j.febslet.2014.08.025","volume":"588","author":"Lee","year":"2014","journal-title":"FEBS Lett."},{"key":"yn5057_bb26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"184","DOI":"10.1110\/ps.21302","volume":"11","author":"Ma","year":"2002","journal-title":"Protein Sci."},{"key":"yn5057_bb27","first-page":"30","volume":"1","author":"Miah","year":"2012","journal-title":"Int. J. Sci. Appl. Inf. Technol."},{"key":"yn5057_bb28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"84","DOI":"10.3389\/fphys.2014.00084","volume":"5","author":"Mohanty","year":"2014","journal-title":"Front. Physiol."},{"key":"yn5057_bb29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1214","DOI":"10.1111\/febs.14745","volume":"286","author":"Moure","year":"2019","journal-title":"FEBS J."},{"key":"yn5057_bb30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3892","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jmb.2018.04.036","volume":"430","author":"Ndi","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Mol. Biol."},{"key":"yn5057_bb31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e66273","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0066273","volume":"8","author":"Nishi","year":"2013","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"yn5057_bb32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4253","DOI":"10.1038\/s41467-018-06702-3","volume":"9","author":"Nji","year":"2018","journal-title":"Nat. Commun."},{"key":"yn5057_bb33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"415","DOI":"10.1038\/s41594-019-0225-y","volume":"26","author":"Nji","year":"2019","journal-title":"Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol."},{"key":"yn5057_bb34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1362","DOI":"10.1107\/S2053230X14017865","volume":"70","author":"Nji","year":"2014","journal-title":"Acta Cryst. F"},{"key":"yn5057_bb35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Njim, T. & Aminde, L. N. (2017). BMC Public Health, 17, 103.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-017-4037-x"},{"key":"yn5057_bb36","unstructured":"Ratcliffe, R. (2019). Arsonists Attack Ebola Clinics in DRC as Climate of Distrust Grows in The Guardian, https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2019\/feb\/28\/arsonists-attack-ebola-clinics-in-drc-as-climate-of-distrust-grows."},{"key":"yn5057_bb37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4470","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vaccine.2017.04.082","volume":"35","author":"Reperant","year":"2017","journal-title":"Vaccine"},{"key":"yn5057_bb39","unstructured":"Singer, P. A., Court, E. B., Bhatt, A., Frew, S. E., Greenwood, H., Persad, D. L., Salamanca-Buentello, F., S\u00e9guin, B., Taylor, A. D., Daer, H. T. & Daar, A. S. (2007). Afr. J. Med. Med. Sci. 36(Suppl.), 7-14."},{"key":"yn5057_bb38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"87","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1062633","volume":"294","author":"Singer","year":"2001","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"yn5057_bb40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6457","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.0801508105","volume":"105","author":"Soundararajan","year":"2008","journal-title":"Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA"},{"key":"yn5057_bb41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"20","DOI":"10.4103\/ami.ami_60_17","volume":"5","author":"Stephen","year":"2018","journal-title":"Acta Med. Intl"},{"key":"yn5057_bb42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2178","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bpj.2008.12.3904","volume":"96","author":"Teng","year":"2009","journal-title":"Biophys. J."},{"key":"yn5057_bb43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"DC3","DOI":"10.1038\/nbt1204supp-DC3","volume":"22","author":"Thorsteinsd\u00f3ttir","year":"2004","journal-title":"Nat. Biotechnol."},{"key":"yn5057_bb44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3732","DOI":"10.1038\/s41467-018-06096-2","volume":"9","author":"Traore","year":"2018","journal-title":"Nat. Commun."},{"key":"yn5057_bb2","unstructured":"UNESCO. (2015). Science Report: Towards 2030. Paris: UNESCO Publishing."},{"key":"yn5057_bb45","unstructured":"United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2017). The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2017. New York: United Nations."},{"key":"yn5057_bb46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2018). The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2018. New York: United Nations.","DOI":"10.18356\/7d014b41-en"},{"key":"yn5057_bb47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"E1101","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1614521114","volume":"114","author":"Uzdavinys","year":"2017","journal-title":"Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA"},{"key":"yn5057_bb48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"32","DOI":"10.1002\/pro.3022","volume":"26","author":"Wang","year":"2017","journal-title":"Protein Sci."},{"key":"yn5057_bb49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2058","DOI":"10.1002\/prot.22722","volume":"78","author":"Wei","year":"2010","journal-title":"Proteins"},{"key":"yn5057_bb1","unstructured":"WHO. (2002). Genomics and World Health: Report of the Advisory Committee on Health Research. Geneva: World Health Organization."},{"key":"yn5057_bb50","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"17237","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.0605779103","volume":"103","author":"Yang","year":"2006","journal-title":"Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA"},{"key":"yn5057_bb51","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3949","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jmb.2013.07.012","volume":"425","author":"Yates","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Mol. Biol."}],"container-title":["Journal of Synchrotron Radiation"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"http:\/\/journals.iucr.org\/s\/issues\/2019\/05\/00\/yn5057\/yn5057.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"http:\/\/journals.iucr.org\/s\/issues\/2019\/05\/00\/yn5057\/yn5057.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,13]],"date-time":"2025-01-13T10:50:55Z","timestamp":1736765455000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.iucr.org\/paper?S1600577519008981"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2019,8,28]]},"references-count":54,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2019,9]]}},"alternative-id":["S1600577519008981"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1107\/s1600577519008981","relation":{},"ISSN":["1600-5775"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1600-5775","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2019,8,28]]},"assertion":[{"value":"Journal of Synchrotron Radiation","order":0,"name":"journal","label":"Publication","explanation":{"URL":"http:\/\/journals.iucr.org\/s"},"group":{"name":"general","label":"General"}},{"value":"teaching and education","order":1,"name":"content_type","label":"Content type","explanation":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.iucr.org\/s\/services\/notesforauthors.html"},"group":{"name":"general","label":"General"}},{"value":"Available","URL":"http:\/\/scripts.iucr.org\/cgi-bin\/citedin?yn5057","order":2,"name":"article_metrics","label":"Article metrics","group":{"name":"general","label":"General"}},{"value":"Yes","order":0,"name":"peer_reviewed","label":"Peer reviewed","group":{"name":"peer_review","label":"Peer review"}},{"value":"Single blind","order":1,"name":"review_process","label":"Review process","group":{"name":"peer_review","label":"Peer review"}},{"value":"11 May 2019","order":0,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication history"}},{"value":"24 June 2019","order":1,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication history"}},{"value":"28 August 2019","order":2,"name":"published_online","label":"Published online","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication history"}},{"value":"\u00a9 2019 International Union of Crystallography","order":0,"name":"copyright","label":"Copyright","explanation":{"URL":"http:\/\/journals.iucr.org\/services\/copyrightpolicy.html"},"group":{"name":"copyright_and_licensing","label":"Copyright and licencing"}}]}}