It is our pleasure to welcome you to the joint conference of the South African Genetics Society and the South African Society for Bioinformatics: BIO2022; in the heart of the Cape Winelands! We are currently experiencing an exciting, revolutionary time in the Biosciences, with genetics and bioinformatics permeating every element of modern biology with far reaching implications for the broader society.
The development of sequencing- and other ‘omic technologies, means that we are generating genetic sequence- and other biological data in quantities and speeds that are unprecedented in the history of scientific exploration! And whilst we are griped by the “Big Data” phenomenon, in the mists of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), we are struck with ore, amazed by what we discover, and bewildered by it all… Not only do we now have the potential capacity to answer research questions that have eluded science for centuries, but we are also increasingly struggling to effectively analyse and interpret this “Big Data”.
For this reason, the South African Genetics and Bioinformatics Societies thought it opportune to bring together researchers from across the spectrum under a central theme: “Bioscience, Big Data & the 4th Industrial Revolution” to facilitate dialog, networking, brainstorming and cross pollination of ideas. In this we hope that we will make research more impactful, tackling the many challenges and opportunities of our time, ranging from climate change and environmental degradation to sustainable economic growth, food security, and disease prevention. Where better to start this conversation, than on the banks of the Eerste River, whilst enjoying a glass of the Cape’s finest produce at the picturesque Spier Wine Estate! We look forward to hosting and engaging you there!