Quotation gallery
Wise never sit and wail their loss, but cheerfully seek how to redress their harms.
The Third International School on Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics Concludes at Kozybayev University
The third International School on Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics has concluded at Kozybayev University. The School is organized by the Kozybayev University Center for Agricultural Competencies in cooperation with the Arizona Genomics Institute of the University of Arizona, USA.
This year, the School brought together 11 participants, including faculty members and students of Kozybayev University, as well as researchers and specialists from the Kazakh Research Institute of Agriculture and Plant Growing, the Institute of Genetics and Physiology, the Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, the National Agrarian Science and Education Center, and the Research Institute of Innovative Technologies at Akhmet Baitursynov Kostanay Regional University.
The sessions were delivered by Professor Andrea Zuccolo, a faculty member of the International Campus of Kozybayev University and Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies (Italy); Dr. Mara Mikulan from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST, Saudi Arabia); and Professor Rod Wing, Director of the Arizona Genomics Institute at the University of Arizona.
For the first time, the School's program included a practical module on GWAS (Genome-Wide Association Study), a method used to identify genetic factors associated with crop yield, grain quality, and plant resilience.
Participants worked with real rice genome data: they assembled and annotated the genome, analyzed genetic sequences, and gained hands-on experience with modern genomic analysis tools.
Across the three editions of the School, 35 specialists and early-career researchers from Kazakhstan and other countries have now completed the training.
Today, the Kozybayev University Center for Agricultural Competencies is developing expertise in agrogenomics, genomic selection, and accelerated breeding of agricultural crops. Training specialists through the School is an important part of this work, contributing to the advancement of modern science and to Kazakhstan's food security.
