The Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Sassari has been involved for many years in cooperation with Mozambique, initially with the Faculty of Medicine-EMU (2003) and in recent years with the Biotechnology Center (2009) and the Museum of Natural History, in research and training.
After 2015, the Sapienza Museum Complex became a partner to our projects in Mozambique.

The projects that our Department developed were financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, the 3 projects developed so far in the area of biotechnology are the following:
2010-2014: TRAINING AND UPDATE OF RESEARCHERS AT THE BIOTECHNOLOGY CENTER OF THE EDUARDO MONDLANE DE MAPUTO UNIVERSITY - AID9397.
2015-2017: TRAINING OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH BIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCHERS AND MANAGERS IN MOZAMBIQUE - AID10524
2017-2019: TRAINING IN BIODIVERSITY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. - AID11096

This prolonged activity, still ongoing, was based on solid collaboration between the institutions involved and produced great results in research, leading to the training of more than 40 young Mozambican researchers, thanks also to the Master's School in Biotechnology, founded in October 2010 and supported by our cooperation.
On 1 July 2021, the new BIOFORMOZ (SUPPORT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH - AID 12089) project, funded by the Italian Development Cooperation Agency, entrusted to the Department of Biomedical Sciences of the University of Sassari, began, to give continuity to the previous initiatives and enter a broader framework program, called RINO, which addresses environmental conservation issues through the creation of a Biodiversity Study Center and the radical rehabilitation of the exhibition area of the Natural History Museum.
The main partner of BioForMoz is the Biotechnology Center of the E. Mondlane University of Maputo in Mozambique

 

The structure of BioForMoz is as follows
General Objectives
1. Support the plans to fight poverty through the results of advanced research in the area of biosciences for the sustainable use of natural resources;
2. Strengthen government initiatives on the control of endemic, genetic and transmissible, zoonotic diseases circulating between the human and animal
populations.
3. Contribute to empowering public institutions, first and foremost the UEM, to carry out quality controls on food, water and the environment, in the public and private sphere, bringing them to international standards.

Specific objective
Contribute to the training of researchers and professors of biomedical institutions of the "Eduardo Mondlane" University, who develop a network of laboratory
infrastructures capable of producing scientific research, innovation and services for the solution of environmental and health problems in the country

Activities
Activity 1. Training of young UEM researchers in the area of biosciences and
conservation
Action 1.1 Support for UEM Masters Schools dedicated to biosciences.
Action 1.2 Provision of 24 training grants, consisting of a) a sum ad personam, renewable up to a total of 3 years; b) internships in Italy at centers of excellence; c) a fund for the purchase of laboratory consumables.
Action 1.3. Organization of workshops and short courses.
Action 1.4. Training and scientific collaboration in Italy at institutions of excellence.
Activity 2. Development of research activities applied to biosciences.
Action 2.1 Diagnostics and molecular epidemiology of communicable diseases,(zoonoses control of the transmission cycle "wild fauna - domestic animals -
man"). with the "one health - one medicine" approach.
Action 2.2. Genetic characterization of populations: for the study and ecosustainable use of natural resources, with particular attention to biodiversity.
Action 2.3. Study of the anthropic impact on the environment; food toxicology and quality control, control of genetically modified organisms.
Activity 3. Provision of analytical services in response to the needs of public institutions
and the commercial and business market.
Action 3.1. Evaluation of the request for services by public and private institutions.
Action 3.2. Evaluation of the capacity and quality status of the UEM laboratories.
Action 3.3. Laboratory qualification. with interventions of structural rehabilitation of the environments and integration of equipment assets.
Action 3.4. Development of UEM service supply capacities, with particular interest in quality control procedures.

Methods of execution
This new BioForMoz project is managed by the Department of Biomedical Sciences of the University of Sassari to collaborate with the Biotechnology Center of the E. Mondlane University of Maputo in Mozambique.
The project is a component of a larger container (RINO) that will address the rehabilitation of the Museum of Natural History in Maputo and the creation of a Center for Biodiversity Studies and which has been entrusted to the University of Rome
Sapienza.
The C. Darwin Department of Biology and Biotechnology of the University of Rome Sapienza and the Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa collaborate in the execution of BioForMoz, assisted by the technical partner NGO AISPO.

The following institutions have also expressed their intention to collaborate:
● Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Food Sciences, University of Turin
● Department of Chemical, Life and Environmental Sustainability Sciences, University of Parma
● Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems, CNR, Rome
● Institute for the Sustainable Protection of Plants, CNR, Turin
● Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, CNR, Rome
● Zoo prophylactic Institute of Sardinia
● Zoo prophylactic Institute of Abruzzo and Molise.

The Project started on July 1st 2021 and will last for 3 years.
In this period the Management and Coordination Committee will manage and develop the activities, which is formed by:
• Prof. Joaquim Saide, Director of The Biotechnology Center, Univ. E. Mondlane
• Dr. José Fafetine, Director of Postgrad courses, Univ. E. Mondlane
• Prof. Mauro M. Colombo from the Dept. of Biology and Biotechnology C. Darwin, Sapenza Univ., Rome
• Dr. Tiziano Cirillo from the Department of Biomedical Sciences. Univ.Sassari

The Scientific Committee was also formed, which includes:
• Paola Bonfante, Botany, Professor Emerita, Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Academica dei Lincei.
• Pietro Cappuccinelli, Microbiologist, Professor Emeritus Department
of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Academico dei Lincei
• Francesco Cucca, Full Professor of Genetics, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari.
• Guido Forni, Full Professor of Immunology, University of Turin, Academico dei Lincei.
• Rodolfo Negri, Full Professor of Molecular Biology, Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”, University of Rome Sapienza.

The Commission for Training and Research Grants was formed which must announce the related grants dedicated to young Mozambican researchers and which
will have to pursue research lines in the various thematic areas of relevance for the country.
The component are:
• Prof. Luis Neves, Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary University of Pretoria,
• Dr. Elisa Taviani, Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences, University of Genoa, Italy
• Prof. José Fafetine, Director of Postgrad courses, E. Mondlane University,
• Prof. Mauro Colombo Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin”, University of Rome Sapienza.

The Commission for the Management of the Master in Biotechnology has been composed which includes the following professors:
• Prof. Luis Neves, University of Pretoria, South Africa,
• Prof. Mauro M. Colombo,University of Rome Sapienza,
• Dr. Elisa Taviani, University of Genoa, Italy,
• Dr. Ana Ribeiro, Superior Institute of Agronomy, Portugal,
• Prof. Joaquim Saide, Center of Biotechnology,
• Prof. José Fafetine,Director of Postgrad courses.