KIU, Western Campus – KIU Western Campus has today August 11 hosted the maiden edition of the Africa life science (AFriLSc) RNA salon’s mini-symposium in Uganda.

The mini-symposium, which was hosted in the PHD study room of the graduate block, was attended by over 30 students from KIU, Makerere University and Mbarara University of Science and Technology.

It began with opening remarks from Associate Professor Patrick M. Aja, who doubles as the Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee and founding member of AFriLSc RNA Salon as well as the head of department for Biochemistry at KIU Western Campus who expressed pleasure that KIU had hosted the first event of this kind.

The symposium was officially opened by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for KIU Western Campus Prof. Frank Mugisha Kaharuza who talked about the Importance of making collaborations.

“The RNA is out there and it’s a big society and I think that is where you are going, or build your own society,” Prof. Kaharuza said.

He added that memberships are very important because this is a membership-led society, giving himself as an example as being part of societies like the Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Uganda and the East African College, among others.

This was followed by a keynote speech by Assoc. Prof. Ross Kekinde, a Reader in Molecular and Cellular Biology at Liverpool John Moores University, who gave a presentation on RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) and diseases.

He gave a lengthy talk about transformative peptide chemistry for RNA nanotherapies, micro RNAs as targets for diseases, micro RNA Biogenesis and function, RNA Induced Silencing Complex (RISC) and RNA interference among other topics.

Dr. Victor Hemobayo Fasogbon from the department of biochemistry at KIU Western Campus was next with a presentation about the role of the amyloid beta precursor protein (APP) in causing alzheimer’s disease.

The presentations were wound up by Angella Mumbua Musyoka who talked about the historical contribution of women in science, especially their contribution to RNA research.