1KSA
Decoding South Africa’s
Genetic Blueprint
The 1,000 South African Biodiversity Genome Sequencing Project (1KSA) is a landmark capacity development initiative providing new tools to decode South Africa’s rich biodiversity and to drive advancements in biodiversity conservation and sustainable innovation. By sequencing genomes across diverse species, 1KSA is uncovering a treasure trove of genetic information, holding the key to understanding the incredible diversity of life in South Africa.
Through 1KSA, DIPLOMICS is empowering South African science, fostering collaboration, and building a foundation for future discoveries.
120
SAMPLES
RECEIVED
100
SAMPLES
SEQUENCED
78
ASSEMBLED
GENOMES
69
SPECIES CARDS
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
The support provided by the 1KSA initiative enabled CenGen, located in rural Worcester, to establish essential infrastructure, methods, and expertise for conducting in-house whole genome sequencing of significant indigenous plants.
Dr. Renée Prins
Director of CenGen
We are using long-read genome sequencing to understand the genetics of tristyly, a highly complex reproductive system found in the large South African plant genus Oxalis, which includes some of the world's worst weeds and some of South Africa's most endangered and beautiful species.
Without 1KSA, we would simply lack the funding to do so. Sequencing Oxalis genomes allows us to understand the evolutionary origins of this ancient breeding system and enable better management measures for weed and threatened species alike.
Dr. Kenneth Oberlander,
Senior Lecturer in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and Curator of the H.G.W.J.Schweickerdt Herbarium, University of Pretoria
