Tightening Bonds in Latin America Through Phage Discovery

Abstract

Between 2015-2019, we hosted an International Phage Course at Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. The two-week full-time course was hands-on and included lectures from renowned phage biologists. Participating students were able to meet and discuss with recognized experts from around the world in a familiar setting, facilitating the establishment of scientific collaborations and the expansion of their networks. Eighty-four students from fourteen Latin American countries have participated in the course, that included isolation, characterization, genome sequencing and annotation of novel phages. We have successfully created a coursework that enabled the acquisition of new knowledge and expertise in bacteriophage biology and strengthened ties among Latin American colleagues.