iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Meet Sideroxylon inerme, the white milkwood. A protected species: fire-resistant, a natural windbreak & a genuine piece of history. Grootbos Private Nature Reserve holds some of the last great milkwood forests left. Watch the full story here:

youtube.com

The White Milkwood – Ancient Guardians of the Cape

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

This World Breast Cancer Research Day we acknowledge the science that has transformed outcomes for millions of women, and to ask what comes next. The landscape of breast cancer research has shifted in recent decades. But the work is far from finished. #WorldBreastCancerResearchDay #BreastCancer

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

The mitochondrial genome is small, just 16,569 base pairs compared to the roughly 3 billion in the nuclear genome. But what it carries is extraordinary. This Women's Month, DIPLOMICS celebrates the science that reveals just how central women are to the story of human life on Earth. #WomensMonth

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

National Science Month is a good time to remember that science does not start in a laboratory. It starts with a question. Why does this happen? What if we tried it differently? What is actually going on here? Those questions do not require a laboratory or a PhD. They only require curiosity.

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Evidence-based decision-making is only possible when the evidence exists. In health, conservation, agriculture, & beyond, the quality of the data informing policy directly affects the quality of the outcomes it produces. Gaps in that data do not go unnoticed.

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Science has always crossed borders. Data is shared & methods are standardised. But for too long, Africa has been a source of samples & subjects rather than a generator of knowledge. Science diplomacy is about who sits at the table when knowledge is being created. South Africa is pulling up a chair.

001

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

For National Science Month, DIPLOMICS is exploring climate change through the lens of genomic science. As ecosystems shift and species face new pressures, the genomic record becomes an increasingly critical resource. In a country as biodiverse as ours, this work has never been more urgent.

020

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Science for human rights is not only about access to healthcare or education. It is also about who owns the knowledge generated from a country's natural resources, and who benefits when that knowledge creates value. #NationalScienceMonth #ScienceForHumanRights #DataSovereignty

011

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

National Science Month celebrates the role of science in shaping South Africa's future. DIPLOMICS supports hands-on training in Omics and beyond to students and scientists because the platforms we build are only as powerful as the people equipped to use them. #NationalScienceMonth #ScienceEducation

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

National Science Month is a reminder that science belongs to everyone. IkamvaYouth & Sizanani work with learners from under-resourced communities in South Africa, helping them build futures they may not have thought possible. DIPLOMICS is proud to partner with these organisations.

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Public health decisions are only as good as the data behind them. Knowing which pathogen is circulating, how it's spreading, & which populations are most at risk doesn't happen by instinct but through research infrastructure that generates, analyses, & interprets data at scale #NationalScienceMonth

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

South Africa is 1 of 17 megadiverse countries, home to nearly 10% of all plant species and richness across fauna, fungi, and marine life. The genomic record of that biodiversity is still in its early stages. 1KSA, a DIPLOMICS initiative is working to change that. #NationalScienceMonth #1KSA

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

New CRISPR-based therapies are moving through trials for conditions that were previously untreatable. But the conversation around treatment often skips a step: diagnosis. For many rare disease patients, identifying what they have takes years. That's where Nngwe comes in. #NationalScienceMonth #DSTI

020

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

National Science Month is South Africa's celebration of what science makes possible. This month, DIPLOMICS explores the themes that matter most: from biodiversity & health to education, climate, & the infrastructure powering it all. Follow along. It is going to be a good month. #NationalScienceMonth

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

On 26 June, UPGL, in collaboration with DIPLOMICS and ACGT, hosted the NGS Open Day, welcoming approximately 84 participants in person, alongside an online audience, for a day of learning and collaboration. Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to making the event a success.

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

World Chocolate Day - The cacao genome was sequenced in 2010, work that has informed breeding programmes to develop disease-resistant and climate-resilient varieties. The microbial communities responsible for chocolate's flavour profile during fermentation are an active area of genomic research.

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Throughout history, our understanding of life on Earth was shaped by what we could see. Microbial life was almost invisible to us entirely. Genomics is changing that. Sequencing tools can now identify and characterise microbial communities from a water sample, a handful of soil, or a breath of air.

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

This week, 28 Life Sciences teachers from across KwaZulu-Natal joined us at KRISP for a day of hands-on genomics learning. From extracting DNA from strawberries to solving a genetics-based forensic case, teachers experienced fun, practical activities that bring Life Sciences concepts to life.

010

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Sequencing a genome is one step. Knowing whether that sequence is reliable is another. BUSCO scores measure genome assembly completeness by checking for the presence of genes expected to appear across a given group of organisms. Publishing BUSCO scores alongside genome data is standard practice.

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

This Youth Day, we asked some of the senior scientists what advice they would give to young people considering a career in science. The message was clear. Curiosity is where good science begins. Follow us and visit diplomics.org.za to find out more about what we do. #YouthDay #SouthAfricanScience

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Healthy ecosystems do not fail silently. The signs are there, in the soil microbiome, in the gene expression of stressed plants or in the population genetics of a declining species. The challenge has always been reading those signals before it is too late. #WorldEnvironmentDay #OmicsScience

121

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

The retina is roughly the size of a postage stamp, contains over 40 distinct cell types, and is an important tissue in transcriptomics research. This Vision Research Month, we are celebrating the role of Omics science in pushing the boundaries of what eye research can tell us. #VisionResearchMonth

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

The San people knew Hoodia gordonii long before science did. Used for generations as a survival tool in harsh conditions, bitter ghaap is one of the most commercially sought-after succulents, and one of the clearest examples of why indigenous knowledge protection matters. Visit 1ksa.org.za for more.

001

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

30 Grade 11 learners from IkamvaYouth's Chesterville branch visited KRISP today, from Umkhumbane Secondary, Chesterville Secondary, Wiggins Secondary, and Bonela Secondary. Learners heard directly from students and researchers about their academic journeys, then got hands-on with some science.

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

Africa Day is a celebration of a continent that gave the world its first humans, its greatest biodiversity, and some of its most extraordinary science. We are proud to be part of a growing movement of African researchers sequencing African species & building African genomic infrastructure #AfricaDay

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

1 million species - the current estimate of how many are at risk of extinction. Today is the International Day for Biological Diversity. Visit 1KSA.org.za to find out about how we are working to support institutions with the preservation of South Africa's biodiversity.

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

South Africa has over 1,000 native bee species. You have probably never heard of most of them. The honeybee gets all the credit but it's the native miners, carpenters, and sweat bees working quietly through the fynbos that hold much of this country's pollination together. #WorldBeeDay

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

The Blue Crane has survived alongside South Africa's farmers & communities for centuries & remains one of the few large birds that has adapted to a changing landscape. But adaptation has limits. A reference genome gives researchers the tools to understand those limits. Visit 1ksa.org.za for more.

100

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

Some species don’t exist in isolation. The mopani tree & the mopani worm are ecologically & culturally linked across southern Africa. One provides the leaves. The other depends on them for survival, & in turn supports rural food systems and livelihoods. 1KSA Milestone 2: Mopani tree & Mopani worm.

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

Last week, 17 researchers from Limpopo, SMU, UFS, and Ethiopia came together at KRISP, University of KwaZulu-Natal, for a hands-on Training Workshop on Illumina Library Preparation and Sequencing. A huge thank you to all our trainers, and to KRISP for hosting. #DIPLOMICS2025 #NextGenScience

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

Frogs are among the most sensitive indicators of environmental change. This World Frog Day, we highlight the partnership between 1KSA and the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity. Through 1KSA, South Africa is building the genomic catalogue needed to protect diversity for the long term.

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

The 1KSA Academy is back! This free, 5-day workshop gives 1KSA sample contributors the hands-on skills to take their samples from DNA QC all the way through to a de novo genome assembly. 11–16 May DIPLOMICS Training Lab, Cape Town Free to attend | Lunches provided Apply here: redcap.link/1uy4xe1t

021

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

The DIPLOMICS partner, NRF-SAIAB, kicked off the genomics training calendar with the Fundamentals of Molecular Biology workshop in Makhanda last week. 18 participants from institutions across the region gained both theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience in molecular biology techniques.

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

This World Wildlife Day, we’re introducing something new. Each month, we’ll highlight a species sequenced through the 1KSA initiative, marking a genomic milestone in building South Africa’s biodiversity reference library. We begin with the Dwarf Cushion Star. #WorldWildlifeDay #1KSA

010

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

For people with rare or undiagnosed conditions, the journey is long. Genomics helps identify genetic causes that traditional tests often miss. Nngwe supports genomic research that brings clarity to undiagnosed conditions & helps solve these mysteries. Read more: www.diplomics.org.za/initiatives/...

010

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

Today marks the birthday of Rosalind Franklin. Her work was foundational to understanding DNA - X-ray diffraction research produced the clearest evidence of DNA’s structure and her data made the double helix visible at a molecular level, one of the most significant discoveries in modern biology.

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

Charles Darwin changed how we understand life on Earth, without ever knowing what DNA was. No genomes, sequencing or molecular tools. Just relentless observation, deep curiosity, and the courage to follow evidence where it led. #DarwinDay #Evolution

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

African women are leading change in science. Across the continent, women make up nearly half of STEM graduates, one of the highest proportions globally. That’s not a pipeline problem. That’s talent, capability, and momentum. #InternationalDayofWomenandGirlsinScience

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

Cancer isn’t one disease, and science can't treat it as one. By studying genomes & proteins, researchers can see how cancers differ at a molecular level. That knowledge changes how we detect disease earlier, understand risk, & how treatments move from “one-size-fits-all” to personalised care.

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

Some people jump out of bed at dawn. Others come alive at midnight. Turns out, it’s not just habit, it’s genetic. Circadian rhythm genes like PER, CLOCK, and CRY regulate your internal clock, deciding when your body feels alert, tired, and even how it processes food. #Genomics #Proteomics

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

Meet p53, the guardian of the genome. Its job - to detect DNA damage & stop faulty cells from dividing. But when mutated or inactive, those defences stop, and tumours can take hold. It’s one of the most studied genes in cancer biology, reminding us how a single genetic change can shift the balance.

010

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 29/12/2025

The days between Christmas and New Year feel oddly disconnected, like time has lost its structure. That feeling has a biological basis. Your circadian rhythm relies on light exposure, routine, meal timing and sleep consistency. When those cues disappear, your internal clock drifts. #DIPLOMICS

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

Every Christmas has one guaranteed moment of tension. The Brussels sprouts arrive. Some people love them. Others hate them. That split isn’t drama, it’s biology. Certain genes make some people far more sensitive to bitter compounds so for them, the bitterness hits hard. Same sprout, different Taste

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

Cream, custard, chocolate, milk, festive food leans heavily on dairy. But being able to digest milk as an adult is not the biological default. Most humans stop producing lactase after childhood. Only people with a specific genetic mutation continue digesting lactose into adulthood. #DIPLOMICS

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

Sharks have been perfecting immunity for 400 million years, long before humans existed. While our immune systems rely on learned responses, sharks use a powerful innate system that can adapt to new threats instantly. Evolution’s greatest survivors still have lessons to teach us. #SharkScience #1KSA

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

When a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, it doesn’t simply grow wings, it rebuilds itself from the inside out. Enzymes break down the caterpillar’s tissues into a molecular soup. Specialised cells, called imaginal discs, rebuild the body into something entirely new. #Metamorphosis #MolecularBiology

000

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

Our soil holds a universe of microbes powering our planet’s ecosystems. Scientists can read the DNA of these microscopic communities, revealing how they store carbon, support crops, and keep the Earth’s cycles in balance. On World Soil Day, we celebrate this unseen biodiversity #WorldSoilDay

132

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

Ancestry DNA tests can reveal amazing insights about where we come from, but their accuracy depends on the data behind them. When reference datasets are incomplete, the story they tell is, too. Genomic research across Africa matters: to build the data needed for science that reflects all of us.

000

Reposted by DIPLOMICS

Damien Gergonne @damsgergonne.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

High-quality genome assembly of Microhodotermes viator: the Southern harvester termite and one of the most influential ecosystem engineers of South Africa’s arid biomes. Sequenced for the #1KSA project with @diplomics.bsky.social. 🧬 #Genomics #Biodiversity #Termites www.1ksa.org.za/species-card...

1ksa.org.za

Microhodotermes viator

The Southern harvester termite is ecologically important in South African arid and semiarid ecosystems, particularly the Succulent Karoo and Nama Karoo biomes.

032

DIPLOMICS @diplomics.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

A forgotten Petri dish. A curious mind. And a mould that changed the course of medicine. Penicillin reminds us that some of science’s greatest advances start with accidents, and a willingness to look closer. #ScienceOfDiscovery #Omics

000