Unveiling Biosensing &
Diagnostics in a Pioneering Lab
Dr Adewoyin M. Ogunmolasuyi is an
emerging African researcher with global ambitions to
deliver innovations in medical diagnostics, using novel
biomedical engineering, including expertise in
microfluidics and biosensing.
He joined
Professor Janice Laboratory (BioSens Research Group) at
the Biotechnology Innovation Centre (BIC), Rhodes
University (RU), South Africa, with a scholarship from
Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Nigeria and
United Nation Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) to
finance his doctoral studies between 2017 and
2020.
During his doctoral studies, he
constructed a microfluidic paper analytical device
(μPAD) of similar geometry to lateral flow device to
deliver an aptamer-tethered enzyme capture (APTEC) and
enzyme-linked oligonucleotide assays for detection of
Plasmodium falciparum lactate dehydrogenase in
malaria. In addition, he employed several
electrochemical biosensor designs such as
electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic
voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry to establish
different innovative bio-conjugation chemistries (e.g.
carbodiimide, avidin-biotin, thiol-gold contact etc)
that are required for effective biosensing phenomena.
His PhD research achievements added significant value to
BioSens Research Group enabling UNICEF to launch a new
research laboratory in December, 2019.
Following
his PhD, he was awarded research grant ($29689)
internationally by USAID through African Research
Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases (ARNTD) in 2020
to develop low-cost, low-power point-of-care diagnostic
tests, based on novel paper microfluidic technology
(engineering), coupled with new biomolecular sensing
constructs (aptamer) for schistosomiasis. This platform
technology is able to unlock a wide range of
applications and he is currently focussed on integrating
malaria and schistosomiasis into a multiplexed detection
system to address coinfection of both diseases where
they are prevalent in Africa and globally.
Dr
Ogunmolasuyi has developed and sustained an
international consortium involving University of Glasgow
(Prof. Julien Reboud, UK), Rhodes University (Janice
Limson, South Africa) with networks of collaborators in
Nigeria. He has published first-author peer-reviewed
papers in renowned journals from his past research
activities and attended several local and international
conferences.
