Post-genomic challenges for collaborative research in infectious diseases

Collaborations of scientists from developed countries and developing countries have had great success, but often have trouble getting established. Here, Iruka Okeke and John Wain describe the benefits of collaborations, the hurdles faced in their initiation, ways to promote them and the programmes that are already in place to develop them. Although high-burden pathogens have been prioritized for sequencing, genomic research has yet to yield effective vaccines, diagnostics or therapeutics for the infectious diseases that burden developing countries. International research partnerships are needed more today than ever before, and we propose that increased participation by scientists in endemic areas would overcome current roadblocks and is an essential path towards translational research outcomes.