A new laboratory opened at the University of Cape Town to accelerate research on microbiomes in Africa.
A human’s microbiome includes trillions of microorganisms that live in and on the body and there’s compelling evidence linking disruptions in the balance of bacteria to human health — including someone’s risk of contracting diseases.
And while there’s vast diversity in microbiomes across the African continent, it’s significantly underrepresented in global research and databases — much of the research has been from the United States and Europe, said professor Jo-Ann Passmore, lead of the Vaginal Microbiome Research Consortium for Africa.
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About the author
Sara Jervingsarajerving
Sara Jerving is a Senior Reporter at Devex, where she covers global health. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, VICE News, and Bloomberg News among others. Sara holds a master's degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism where she was a Lorana Sullivan fellow. She was a finalist for One World Media's Digital Media Award in 2021; a finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists in 2018; and she was part of a VICE News Tonight on HBO team that received an Emmy nomination in 2018. She received the Philip Greer Memorial Award from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 2014.
