The ACGT and CSIR partnered to organise the 3rd Proteomics Symposium and Workshop, which was held in both Pretoria (CSIR) and Cape Town (University of the Western Cape (UWC) and Centre for Proteomic and Genomic Research (CPGR)). The events comprised of a one day symposium, followed by a two-day workshop. The event was generously sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology.
The CSIR hosted the 1st leg of the symposium and workshop from the 3rd – 5th of October 2012. Dr Raymond Sparrow (CSIR) welcomed the delegates before introducing the symposium’s keynote speaker, Prof Kathryn Lilley. She is the director of the Cambridge Centre for Proteomics at Cambridge University and delivered an interesting talk titled “Using mass spectrometry to give proteins addresses”. Other noteworthy presentations came from delegates from the ACGT partner institutions (Universities of Pretoria and the Witwatersrand, as well as CSIR) and from delegates from Stellenbosch University and UNISA. There were also three short presentations delivered by young vibrant students from the University of Pretoria and UNISA.
The two day workshop was facilitated by Prof Kathryn Lilley and Dr Stoyan Stoychev and focused on the design of quantitative proteomic experiments, particularly the use of gel-free approaches for complex lysate characterization. This workshop format comprised of short lectures. All attendees were supplied with workshop booklets that included prepared notes on the lectures. On the second day of the workshop, the attendees were taken on a tour of the Proteomics facility at CSIR. The attendees were later divided into groups and challenged to find solutions to scenarios, using the information they were taught during the workshop.
The 2nd leg kicked off at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) for the symposium on the 8th of October 2012. Prof. Michael Davies-Coleman (Dean of Natural Sciences Faculty, UWC) opened the symposium and welcomed all the delegates. Prof Bongani Ndimba (ARC/UWC) chaired the symposium. Prof Lilley once again delivered the keynote address, similar to her talk at the symposium in Pretoria. Her address was followed by presentations from researchers from the University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University and CPGR. After the oral presentations, there was a poster and networking session in which Mr Rodney Hart, Mr Shaun Granett and Deidré Kruger presented outstanding posters.
The next day the delegates gathered at the River Club for the 2-day workshop (09 October – 10 October 2012). Again, the workshop was facilitated by Prof Lilley and Dr Stoychev and it ran the same way as in Pretoria. The workshop was concluded with a tour of the CPGR by Greg Khoury (Operations Manager, CPGR). The UWC and CPGR played a pivotal part in organising the symposium and workshop for the Cape Town leg.
To view presentations, click links below:
To view more pictures of the event visit the ACGT Facebook page