The Alliance for Science has revealed it will lead collaborative efforts in establishing a molecular biology center of excellence at the University of Calabar in Nigeria.
This was inspired by an insight into the extraordinary contributions of the university’s Department of Genetics and Biotechnology to the development of biotechnology research.
The department boasts a kitted molecular biology laboratory, a significant milestone since the department was created 22 years ago.
The laboratory was established courtesy of a Bill and Melinda Gates Emerging Agriculture Leaders grant won by Dr Valentine Ntui in 2014 to develop yam resistant to anthracnose disease.
Dr Ntui is one of the alumni and is now an associate professor in the department.
Besides servicing the university community, the department has opened its doors to scientists from other research institutions.
Since then, the laboratory has become a model for the university, servicing the faculties of biological sciences and agriculture and the medical college.
The laboratory has nurtured several research findings and publications.
Besides servicing the university community, the department has opened its doors to scientists from other research institutions.
Learning in the field of molecular biology is mainly theoretical in Nigeria; even basics like DNA extraction are strange to some scientists.
The University of Calabar, a second-generation Nigerian institution, has passed several milestones since its inception in 1975.
So, the laboratory allows many scientists hands-on experience in molecular biology techniques.
The department also has a rich alumni network.
As Nigeria’s first Department of Genetics and Biotechnology laboratory, it has trained many people in universities, research institutes, and bio-entrepreneurship centers nationally and globally.
Some alumni include Professor Chiedozie Egesi, an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Global Development at Cornell University, New York, and the Nextgen cassava project director. He is also the Executive Director of the National Roots Crop Research Institute (NRCRI) in Umudike.
Others are Dr Abasi Eniobong, founder of 54gene, a health startup building Africa’s biogenetics data bank to enhance Africa-focused drug development and medical innovation; Ubong Peters, a lead clinical scientist at Genentech, a biotechnology and health research organization; Dr Valentine Ntui, a genome editing expert, a research scientist at IITA Nairobi and associate professor in the department; Mkpouto Pius, a post-graduate student at the University of Cambridge, and co-founder of Utogenx, a digital cancer surveillance platform.
“When I learned about all these, I said, this is a center of excellence nobody talks about. We’re going to build it and communicate about it,” Alliance for Science Executive Director Dr Sheila Ochugboju said during the opening of a hands-on workshop on Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics, and Science Communication organized in June 2023 by the University of Calabar’s Department of Genetics and Biotechnology in partnership with Alliance for Science.
“We want to work with you. This workshop is the beginning of a broader relationship, so we want to work with the alumni, those here, and those worldwide to think about building a center of excellence here for biotechnology, molecular biology, and bio-informatics.”
The university intentionally provides solutions for the immediate community and society through research; a key focus has been bio-entrepreneurship.
The University of Calabar, a second-generation Nigerian institution, has passed several milestones since its inception in 1975.
Aside from producing globally accepted graduates in teaching and research, the university intentionally provides solutions for the immediate community and society through research; a key focus has been bio-entrepreneurship.
We’re open to partnerships and collaborations and welcome a partnership to upgrade our molecular biology laboratory to a center of excellence.”
“We do a lot of research and skill training for the community. We have community programs where people come for training. We’re intentional about what we do. For instance, Cross River State has a lot of rainforests. Because of this knowledge, we have a center for carbon innovation and a center for technology incubation here,” said the University of Calabar Vice Chancellor, Prof Florence Banku Obi.
“Doing groundbreaking research to solve our problems requires equipment and infrastructure. We’re open to partnerships and collaborations, and we’ll welcome a partnership to upgrade our molecular biology laboratory to a center of excellence,”
Dr Ntui believes the laboratory needs to be more utilized despite the success recorded.
“Running a molecular biology laboratory is a costly undertaking. You need a constant supply of reagents, and we don’t have the resources. Again you need a continuous power supply, which has been our major challenge; sometimes, we have to take some of our research out of the country.
“We also have a problem with the space. The room is so small. So, if we can convert that lab into a center of excellence, then it will help us. We will have a bigger space to accommodate several students, more basic equipment, and a steady power supply. Probably we’re going to base it on solar energy, so there will be a constant power supply to the laboratory to increase productivity.”
Well-coordinated collaborations involving the alumni will see the dream of a molecular biology center of excellence come true.
Dr Anefiok Oswuagwu, acting head of the Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, affirmed a center of excellence in molecular biology would maximize the impact of the laboratory.
She believes well-coordinated collaborations involving the alumni will see the dream of a molecular biology center of excellence come true.
On her part, Prof Edak Uyoh, Professor of Plant Genetics and Breeding, hinted at the efforts the department has been making to upgrade the laboratory to a center of excellence.
“We have been putting up proposals. Currently, we’re working on one. The proposal is still under evaluation. When we’re through, we will submit it to some funding bodies. Any successful effort will enable us to expand and move from this small cubicle into an extensive building, add basic equipment, increase the workforce, and solve our power issues.”
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Opuah Abeikwen is the convener of Science Hangout Nigeria and a 2016 Fellow of the Alliance for Science.