In August 2023, 15 MSc/PhD students from various Southern African countries joint the FRAMe (SASSCAL, BMBF) initiated Summer School “A phylogenetics training workshop” at the Namib Research Institute Gobabeb, which was supported by the CRC1211. The one-week Summer School aimed at introducing the rapidly developing methods in the field of modern biodiversity research, both in the laboratory and at the computer. Sources of information treated ranged from Sanger sequences, through genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) approaches, to single molecule real time (SMRT) sequencing and beyond. Thus, the participants gained a fundamental understanding of molecular evolutionary processes governing changes in DNA sequences, and developed skills in the application of this information to phylogenetic, biogeographic and evolutionary questions.

Members of the B-cluster (Julia Bechtler (RPTU; GER), Terry Hedderson (UCT; RSA), Dietmar Quandt (UoB, GER)), designed a week of training that included exposure of the participants to the theoretical background as well as to practical training using the newly established molecular lab at Gobabeb (wet lab) and the latest software available (dry lab). The program benefited from lectures and student interactions of collaborative partners, such as Ezekeil Kwembeya & Ezequiel Fabiano (both UNAM; NAM), Jim Leebens-Mack (UGA; USA), Eshchar Mizrachi (UP/FABI; NAM) and Eugene Marais (Gobabeb; NAM). Not to mention the great organization and support by Gillian Maggs-Kölling (Gobabeb; NAM) and the Gobabeb - Namib Research Institute and its facilities.