CSIR and PromptBio sign agreement to boost AI-enabled precision medicine in Africa

The partnership will enhance integrated multiome data analysis and AI-powered insights for the Clinical Multiome Atlas Platform, known as Clin-MAP, which is hosted at the CSIR.

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has entered into a memorandum of understanding and licensing agreement with PromptBio, a California-based data and life sciences company, to advance the use of artificial intelligence in multiome data analysis across Africa.

The CSIR said the collaboration is designed to strengthen the capabilities of the Clinical Multiome Atlas Platform (Clin-MAP), which is housed at the organisation. The partnership will support more robust analysis of integrated multiomic datasets and deepen the use of AI-driven insights within the platform.

Multiomic analysis brings together several layers of biological information, such as genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic data, from the same samples, enabling researchers to build a more complete picture of cellular behaviour.

Clin-MAP aims to create a continent-wide repository of clinical multiome data to fuel precision medicine initiatives, foster sustainable R&D, and stimulate health innovation throughout Africa.

PromptBio specialises in applying AI to interpret complex, high-volume biological data. By combining PromptBio’s analytical tools with the CSIR’s profiling expertise, the collaboration seeks to accelerate the discovery of potential therapeutic targets that reflect the genetic and biological diversity of African populations.

Dr. Jerolen Naidoo, co-principal investigator of Clin-MAP, said that access to PromptBio’s technology and AI insights will play a key role in translating multiomic datasets into new solutions tailored to African contexts. He noted that the partnership will also contribute to building critical data-science skills and supporting emerging researchers within the Clin-MAP network.

The integrated approach is expected to enhance research into complex diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular conditions, by enabling scientists to examine how genetic factors, molecular activity and protein expression interact to influence disease development, treatment response and progression.

Dr. Setobane Mangena, who leads the CSIR Future Production: Chemicals cluster, said the agreement aligns PromptBio’s advanced AI systems with the CSIR’s scientific strengths, supporting broader efforts to advance medical autonomy on the continent.

PromptBio CEO Dr. Xiao Yang described the partnership as an important step toward broadening the availability of advanced multiomics technologies. He added that the combination of PromptBio’s analytics platform and the CSIR’s infrastructure could pave the way for diagnostics and therapies developed specifically with African populations in mind.

Dr. Yang also noted that Clin-MAP is positioned to generate valuable insights into disease mechanisms that may be unique to African communities, findings that could ultimately have global relevance.