Recently graduated icipe scholars

Between January – June 2021, 13 icipe postgraduate scholars from Cameroon Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda and Zimbabwe have graduated over the past six months. Their theses contributed knowledge on the management of Tuta absoluta using an imported parasitic wasp, Dolichogenidea gelechiidivoris; changes in grain legumes during hermetic storage in triple layer bags; a software to optimise application of biopesticides; and phosphorus fluxes and vegetable growth as influenced by phosphate rock management under acid soils. Further studies explored the possible use of the curry tree, Murraya koenigii, to control Anopheles gambiae s.s., and chemical analysis of organic micropollutants in water, sediment and biota in relation to schistosomiasis in western Kenya. The students also generated new information on a One Health approach to vector biology and arbovirus epidemiology in smallholder livestock systems; human rhinovirus transmission pathways using whole genome sequences; optimising annotation of bovine immunoglobulin sequences, novel germline allele discovery and simulation of antibody repertoire evolution in African bovine breeds. New information has been provided on the impact of including black soldier fly larvae meals on commercial chicken layers; efficiency of modified traps for the longhorned grasshopper, Ruspolia differens, and assessment of pesticide residues in the insect.

Pascal Osabhahiemen Aigbedion-Atalor (Nigeria)

icipe postgraduate programme: ARPPIS PhD
University: Rhodes University, South Africa
Thesis title: Pre- and post-release evaluation of Dolichogenidea gelechiidivoris (Marsh) for suppression of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick)
Supervisors: Samira Mohamed Faris and Sunday Ekesi (icipe); Prof. Martin Hill (Rhodes University), Myron Zalucki (Rhodes University)
Project: Tuta Integrated Pest Management
Funding: German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), African Development Bank (AfDB) through Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) program

Tatenda Chiuya (Zimbabwe)

icipe postgraduate programme: ARPPIS PhD
Registered in: University of Pretoria, South Africa
Thesis title: One Health approach to vector biology and arbovirus epidemiology in smallholder livestock systems
Supervisors: Dan Masiga and Jandouwe Villinger (icipe); Eric Fevre (ILRI) and Armanda Bastos (University of Pretoria)
Funding: DAAD, European Union, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)

Clarence Maikuri Mang'era (Kenya)

icipe postgraduate programme: DRIP PhD
Registered in: Kenyatta University, Kenya
Thesis title: Responses of adult and larval stages of Anopheles gambiae s.s. to Murraya koenigii phytochemicals and underlying molecular mechanisms
Supervisors: Fathiya Khamis (icipe) and Ahmed Hassanali (Kenyatta University, Kenya)
Funding: Grand Challenges Canada, Kenyatta University training grant

Faith Jebiwot Kandie (Kenya)

icipe postgraduate programme: DRIP PhD
Registered in: University of Aachen, Germany
Thesis title: Comprehensive chemical analysis on organic micropollutants in water, sediment and biota and its contribution to schistosomiasis in western Kenya
Supervisors:  Baldwyn Torto (icipe); Werner Brack and Henner Hollert (University of Aachen) Funding: German Research Foundation (DFG)

Micah R. Momanyi (Kenya)

icipe postgraduate programme: DRIP MSc
Registered in: Egerton University, Kenya
Thesis title: Qualitative changes in grain legumes during hermetic storage in triple layer bags
Supervisors:  Beatrice Muriithi (icipe) and Christopher Mutungi (Egerton University, Kenya)
Project: Reduction of Postharvest Losses and Value Addition in East African Food Value Chains (RELOAD Phase 2): Acoustic Early Warning System for Insects and Rodents Control in Storage  
Funding:  Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

Edwin Nderitu Mwangi (Kenya)

icipe postgraduate programme: DRIP MSc
Registered in: Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT)
Thesis title: Phosphorus fluxes and vegetable growth as influenced by phosphate rock management under acid soils
Supervisors: Chrysantus Tanga Mbi (icipe); Komi Fiaboe (IITA); Dr Noah Adamtey (FiBL) and John Wesonga, Catherine Ngamau (JKUAT)
Project: Long Term Farming Comparisons (LTE)
Funding: Research Institute of Organic Agriculure (FiBL)

Esther Khayanga Sumbule (Kenya)

icipe postgraduate programme: DRIP MSc
Registered in: Egerton University, Kenya
Thesis title: Effect of inclusion of black soldiers fly larvae meals in layers diet on performance of commercial chicken layers
Supervisors: Chrysantus Tanga Mbi (icipe) and Isaac Osuga (Egerton University)
Project: Improving livelihood by increasing livestock production in Africa (ILIPA)
Funding: Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research

Margaret Mendi Njoroge (Kenya)

icipe postgraduate programme: DRIP PhD
Registered in: Wageningen University & Research (WUR))
Thesis title: Host seeking behaviour of Anopheles mosquitoes in response to olfactory and visual cues
Supervisors: Ulrike Fillinger (icipe) and Alexandra Hiscox (WUR)
Project: East African Collaboration on Mosquito Push Pull
Funding:  Innovative Vector Control Consortium (IVCC)

Francis Sengendo (Uganda)

icipe postgraduate programme: DRIP MSc

Registered in: Makerere University, Uganda
Thesis title: Evaluation of modified collection drums and light emitting diode (LED) bulbs for trapping wils LHGH in Uganda
Supervisors:  James Egonyu and Sevgan Subramanian (icipe); and Chemurot Moses (Makerere University, Uganda)
Project: EntoNUTRI: Development and implementation of insect-based products to enhance food and nutritional security in sub-Saharan Africa
Funding: Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

Simon Labu (Uganda)

icipe postgraduate programme: DRIP MSc
Registered in: Makerere University, Uganda
Thesis title: Assessment of pesticide residues in the edible long horn grasshopper Ruspolia differens in Uganda
Mentors:  James Egonyu and Sevgan Subramanian (icipe), and Chemurot Moses (Makerere University)
Project: EntoNUTRI
Funding: Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

Yvan Ritter Guimapi Atoundem (Cameroon)

icipe postgraduate programme: ARPPIS PhD
Registered in: Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology –JKUAT)
Thesis title: Development and implementation of a software to optimize field application of biopesticides for the management of arthropod pests
Supervisors: Samira Mohamed Faris and Henri Tonnang (icipe); Felix Mutua (JKUAT)
Funding: DAAD, Biovision Foundation for Ecological Development, Switzerland

Martha Muthina Luka (Kenya)

icipe postgraduate programme: DRIP MSc
Registered in: Pwani University, Kenya
Thesis title: Human rhinovirus transmission pathways at differing scales of observation elucidated using whole genome sequences
Supervisors: Dan Masiga (icipe); James Nokes, Charles Agoti, Everlyn Kamau (KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kenya) and Alii Kiti (Pwani University, Kenya)
Project: Eastern Africa Network of Bioinformatics Training (EANBiT)
Funding: Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under Award Number U2RTW010677; stipend supplementary support from the Initiative to Develop African Research Leaders (IDeAL) programme

Michael Kofia Landi (Kenya)

icipe postgraduate programme: DRIP MSc
Registered in: Pwani University, Kenya
Thesis title: Optimizing annotation of bovine immunoglobulin sequences, novel germline allele discovery and simulation of antibody repertoire evolution in African bovine breeds
Supervisors: Dan Masiga (icipe); Jean-Baka Domelevo Entfellner (BecA-ILRI Hub) and Samuel Odiwuor (Pwani University, Kenya)
Project: Eastern Africa Network of Bioinformatics Training (EANBiT)
Funding: Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under Award Number U2RTW010677; stipend supplementary support from the Initiative to Develop African Research Leaders (IDeAL) programme