DrChika

Dr. Chika Ejikeugwu (Ph.D., 2017, UNIZIK, Nigeria) is a distinguished microbiologist, researcher, and educator with an impressive international profile. He is a Fellow of the renowned Alexander von Humboldt (AvH) Stiftung in Germany and currently holds a Research Fellowship at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig, Germany. His ongoing research within the soilRESIST project investigates the effects of antibiotic mixtures on soil microbiomes, addressing critical challenges in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and environmental microbiology. Dr. Ejikeugwu is the visionary founder and developer of Africa's leading microbiology platform, www.MicrobiologyClass.net, a widely recognized and trusted knowledge hub that supports students, professionals, and researchers across the continent and beyond. This platform has become a cornerstone in advancing microbiology education and research in Africa. Throughout his career, Dr. Ejikeugwu has held prestigious research positions globally. He was awarded the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt (AvH) Fellowship for Experienced Researchers in 2023 and is currently conducting research on AMR in soil ecosystems at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig, Germany, as a Senior Humboldt Research Fellow. Previously, he held a DAAD Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) in Berlin, Germany, in 2021, and a MIF Postdoctoral Fellowship at Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan, in 2018. His groundbreaking work in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) earned him the esteemed Young Investigator Award on AMR from Institut Mérieux, France, in 2021. Additionally, he is a recipient of the NIH CAMRA grant for AMR research, with his project focusing on antimicrobial resistance in poultry environments. Dr. Ejikeugwu is a dynamic member of the Global Young Academy (GYA), Germany, and holds memberships in several prominent professional organizations, including Applied Microbiology International (AMI), the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID), the Nigerian Society for Microbiology (NSM), and the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). He earned his doctorate in Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology and serves as a Senior Lecturer and Researcher at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Nigeria. In this role, he is deeply committed to mentoring undergraduate and postgraduate students, fostering their academic development, and nurturing the next generation of microbiologists. Driven by a passion for teaching, cutting-edge research, and community development, Dr. Ejikeugwu continues to make significant contributions to the global microbiology landscape.

£5,000 RSTMH Early Career Grants Programme Now Open

2025 Early Career Grants Applications The RSTMH Early Career Grants Programme provides awards of up to £5,000 for those who have not had equivalent research funding in their own name before. Applicants can be of any nationality and based anywhere in the world.  Purpose of Early Career Grants  To enable early career researchers and global […]

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HOW GENE THERAPY WORKS

Genes are made of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules – which are the main genetic material of living cells. It is in the gene that the genetic information that directs the activities of a cell is located; and this genetic information also direct the production of malfunctioned proteins or activities that result in genetic disorder in

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Join the first WHO Antimicrobial Stewardship Coaching Programme

Every day, antibiotics are prescribed in hospitals without a second thought. But as resistance grows, these life-saving drugs are losing their effectiveness, turning once-treatable infections into life-threatening complications. To help health-care professionals within the Central Asian and Eastern European Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance (CAESAR) network to take control of antibiotic use in their hospitals, WHO/Europe

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EX VIVO DELIVERY FOR GENE THERAPY

Ex vivo delivery can also be called cell-based delivery protocol of gene therapy. It is different from in vivo delivery protocol – which is a direct delivery technique of delivering or injecting a functional gene into the host. Ex vivo delivery is the gene therapy technique in which cells extracted from a patient are genetically

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IN VIVO DELIVERY FOR GENE THERAPY

In vivo delivery for gene therapy can also be called a direct delivery protocol for the transfer or introduction of a functional (therapeutic) gene to replace an abnormal gene in vivo. In vivo delivery for gene therapy is the gene therapy technique that delivers DNA, RNA or therapeutic protein directly into the cell or tissue

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PLASMIDS

Plasmids are extrachromosomal DNA molecules found in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic microorganisms that have the ability to replicate independently. In prokaryotes, plasmids are found in both Gram positive bacteria and Gram negative bacteria; and they usually range from 1.5 kb to 300 kb in size. In terms of the strands of their DNA molecule, most

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GENE THERAPY TARGETING AND DELIVERY

The efficient delivery of therapeutic proteins or DNA into specific cells or tissues of an organism to correct a mutant gene is paramount to the success of any gene therapy procedure; and the inserted therapeutic DNA or desired gene must be continuously expressed in vivo at appropriate physiological level in order to correct the mutated

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PREREQUISITES OR STEPS FOR GENE THERAPY

Gene therapy is an experimental discipline or research that uses functional gene (i.e. therapeutic DNA) to repair defective genes in genetic disease patients; and this growing field of molecular medicine is usually undertaken using modified nucleic acid molecules through a series of steps. Conventional medicine utilizes oral and parenteral drug administration as well as surgery

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HISTORY OF GENE THERAPY

The history of gene therapy techniques dates back to the early 1970s and 1980s when scientists (molecular biologists in particular) proposed the idea of using functional and therapeutic gene as medicines to treat genetic disorders in man. Though the idea received little support as at the time, gene therapy techniques is still in its experimental

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Call for nominations for 2025 TWAS honours

The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) – for the advancement of science in developing countries 1. The 2025 TWAS-Abdool Karim Award: This annual award is named after the distinguished TWAS President Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim. Eligible candidates: Women scientists not older than 45 years of age, nationals of a Least Developed African country. The award recognizes scientific achievements in Biological

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