Publications

Nanofiber encapsulation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa for the sustained release of mosquito larvicides

April 22, 2025

Despite the rising global incidence of vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, chikungunya, and Zika, existing vector control strategies remain inadequate for completely eliminating vectors from their breeding sites. This study aimed to encapsulate larvicide-producing bacteria in nanofibers designed to shield bacterial cells from environmental stress—mimicking natural biofilms—thereby enhancing their survival in aquatic habitats and […]

Genome editing in the green alga Chlamydomonas: past, present practice and future prospects

April 17, 2025

The green alga Chlamydomonas is an important and versatile model organism for research topics ranging from photosynthesis and metabolism, cilia, and basal bodies to cellular communication and the cellular cycle and is of significant interest for green bioengineering processes. The genome in this unicellular green alga is contained in 17 haploid chromosomes and codes for 16 883 protein […]

The effects of climatic and non-climatic factors on malaria mortality at different spatial scales in western Kenya, 2008–2019

September 10, 2024

Despite notable strides made in reducing malaria morbidity and mortality since the year 2000, the disease still remains one of the leading causes of mortality, especially among children aged<5 years. The WHO estimated that globally malaria caused 608 000 deaths in 2022 and 96% (approximately 583 680) of the deaths occurred in the African region. Similar […]

Biogenically synthesized green silver nanoparticles exhibit antimalarial activity

September 3, 2024

The suboptimal efficacies of existing anti-malarial drugs attributed to the emergence of drug resistance dampen the clinical outcomes. Hence, there is a need for developing novel drug and drug targets. Recently silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) constructed with the leaf extracts of Euphorbia cotinifolia were shown to possess antimalarial activity. Therefore, the synthesized AgNPs from Euphorbia cotinifolia (EcAgNPs) were tested for […]

Mating of unfed, engorged, and partially to fully gravid Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) female mosquitoes in producing viable eggs

August 30, 2024

Understanding the relationship between blood-feeding and mating is important in effectively managing the most well-adapted vector insect, Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus). Although extensive studies have investigated the behavioural aspects of Aedes such as blood-feeding, mating, and their relationship, several knowledge gaps still exist. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to determine the possibility of successful mating by unfed, engorged, and […]