RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT – Page 8

Public Misconception Challenges Biotechnology Research in Ethiopia

Public Misconception Challenges Biotechnology Research in Ethiopia By Mekonnen Teshome &Tesfaye Abate A journalistic assessment conducted by senior science journalists corroborates that some of the major challenges of biotechnology researches in Ethiopia are attributed to public misconception. The assessment that captures the views of the target groups that researchers, environmentalists, communicators/journalists, policy makers and end-users […]

COVID-19 Vaccine Manufacturing: African Countries Urged to Expand Focus

COVID-19 Vaccine Manufacturing: African Countries Urged to Expand Focus By Mary Hearty With African countries showing interest in setting up their own COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing facilities in order to become self-reliant, they have been urged to expand their focus beyond COVID-19. These sentiments were shared by Dr. Patrick Osewe, Chief of the Health Sector Group […]

01 Jul, 22

Black Soldier Fly Fertilizers Gaining Traction in Kenya

Black Soldier Fly Fertilizers Gaining Traction in Kenya By Gift Briton Vonice Onkoba, an agronomist, has used chemical fertilizers throughout his farming journey. He changed to organic fertilizer (Zihanga frass) about a year ago after the prices of chemical fertilizers doubled. “About a year ago, 50kilogram (kg) bag of chemical fertilizer cost approximately $22. Currently, the same […]

14 Jun, 22

Genome Mapping of African Cassava to Accelerate Breeding

Genome Mapping of African Cassava to Accelerate Breeding By Gift Briton Researchers have made a significant breakthrough expected to help advance the breeding of new cassava varieties faster and accurately after they successfully mapped the genome of African cassava, using the TME 204 variety resistant to Cassava Mosaic Disease-2 (CMD2). According to Prof Wilhelm Gruissem, […]

Icipe/Bioinnovate Africa Calls for Concept Notes

Icipe/Bioinnovate Africa Calls for Concept Notes The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe)/Bioinnovate Africa is calling for concept notes from scientists working at university, research institute, government agency or a firm and resides in any of the Bioinnovate Africa participating countries of Burundi, DRC, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan and Tanzania. The call is intended […]

08 Jun, 22

Ghana Shows Overwhelming Support for GM Cowpea Approval

Ghana Shows Overwhelming Support for GM Cowpea Approval By Joseph Opoku Gakpo Public comments submitted to Ghana’s National Biosafety Authority (NBA) show overwhelming support for approving pod borer-resistant cowpea, the country’s first genetically modified crop. Of the 889 letters received following a public comment solicitation period that closed in early May, only one expressed objection, with […]

07 Jun, 22

Kenya: Gene Editing to Improve Maize Disease Resistance

Kenya: Gene Editing to Improve Maize Disease Resistance With Africa’s population expected to double by 2050, the issue of how to feed this rapidly growing population under limited resources is becoming a major agricultural challenge. Furthermore, climate change is intensifying this challenge by negatively influencing crop productivity. According to Dr. Leena Tripathi, Director East African […]

02 Jun, 22

Hybrid Technology, Possible Solution to Increasing Rice Production in Africa

Hybrid Technology, Possible Solution to Increasing Rice Production in Africa By Sharon Atieno Though rice is a strategic food crop in Africa, there remains a big gap in production and consumption. So wide is this gap, that Africa imports more than 13 million tons of rice per year to meet the consumption demand. “This deficit […]

02 Jun, 22

African Scientists Launch Biodiversity Genomics Revolution

African Scientists Launch Biodiversity Genomics Revolution By Busani Bafana Though Africa is home to the second largest collection of biodiversity on earth, many of its unique plants, animals and microbes are facing extinction due to human activities and climate change. Tragically, very little is known about many of these species — a dearth of knowledge […]

Astrazeneca Vaccine Approved in the EU as Third Dose Booster

Astrazeneca Vaccine Approved in the EU as Third Dose Booster The European Union (EU) has approved the use of AstraZeneca’s (www.AstraZeneca.com) COVID-19 vaccine as a third dose booster in adults. According to the approval by the European Medicine Agency (EMA), healthcare professionals can now use AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine as a third dose booster in patients previously given […]