Cyt‐Geist: Current and Future Challenges in Cytometry: Reports of the CYTO 2019 Conference Workshops

The need for cytometry instrumentation, reagents, training and scientific collaborations in the nations of Africa remains high despite strong efforts by both the African and foreign biomedical and cytometry research communities. Dr. Tesfa and Dr. Blanco therefore organized the first Cytometry in Africa Workshop at CYTO2019. This workshop had several goals. The first goal was to present the results of a pre-workshop survey aimed at assessing flow cytometry resources, personnel, experience and training in Africa. The results of this survey demonstrated important strengths in the African cytometry community, but also pinpointed areas where instrument access, reagent availability and training could be improved. The second goal was to present several collaborative scientific projects in Africa with participation by ISAC members. Third, both existing and proposed strategies for improving collaborative efforts and research support were presented, including cytometer donations, research collaborations and training programs. Finally, an open roundtable discussion was held with workshop attendees, many with experience in working in Africa. A diverse array of investigators from government, academia and industry attended and contributed to the workshop. A key outcome of the workshop was the establishment an African Working group in collaboration with the ISAC Instruments 4 Science Task Force, the ISAC Live Education Task Force, and the ISAC Education Committee. The workshop also marked the establishment of I4S, with the goal of advancing flow cytometry in the international research community