Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Visits ACE-Uganda to Showcase Bioinformatics in Action

The African Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics & Data Intensive Sciences (ACE-Uganda) had the privilege of hosting the Hon. Jonard Asiimwe, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, alongside Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, for a visit to the Center on 16th September 2026. The visit provided an opportunity to showcase the innovative work being undertaken by ACE-Uganda's team in applying high-performance computing, and bioinformatics to address some of the most pressing public health challenges.

The Minister and Vice Chancellor were received by members of the Center's team, who provided an overview of ACE-Uganda's mission, infrastructure, and ongoing research portfolio. The delegation toured the Center's facilities, including the Virtual Reality (VR) Lab, and the Telelearning Facility.

One of the highlights of the visit was a presentation on the ongoing Ebola outbreak response. Syrus Semawule presented his team's genomic analysis and structural modelling work, investigating whether therapeutics developed against the Zaire Ebola virus strain could also be effective against the Bundibugyo strain.

There are currently no approved treatments or vaccines specifically for the Bundibugyo Ebola virus. Using advanced bioinformatics tools, the team analyzed 44 Bundibugyo virus sequences, including 12 from the 2026 outbreak, to assess monoclonal antibody binding to the viral glycoprotein. Their findings revealed that while some treatments show promise, others may have reduced efficacy due to specific mutations.

The research, now available as a pre-print (DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-10270397/v1) and under consideration at Nature Communications.

The Minister and Vice Chancellor expressed their appreciation for the work being done at ACE-Uganda and reaffirmed their support for science, technology, and innovation as drivers of national development. Their visit showcased the importance of investing in local computational capacity to ensure that Africa can lead its own responses to health emergencies.

ACE-Uganda extends its gratitude to the Minister and the Vice Chancellor for their visit and continued engagement. The Center remains committed to advancing health outcomes in Africa through bioinformatics, data science, and high-performance computing.