Fostering bioscience innovation: lessons from BIO-EARN

This paper synthesises the findings of, and distils lessons from a study which has sought to illuminate the process of bioscience innovation in three East African countries: Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. More specifically, we attempt to trace specific efforts to foster biotechnology innovations in those countries and to determine in what ways and to what extent the innovation system in place impinges on the final outcome of those innovations. The paper concludes with a set of policy recommendations that may enhance bioscience innovations in East Africa

Farmers’ knowledge on forage production in smallholder dairy systems of Uganda

The aim of the study was to assess dairy farmers’ knowledge on forage production and utilization in the Lake Victoria crescent and Eastern Highlands Agro Ecological Zones (AEZs) of Uganda. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to a total of 208 small holder dairy farmers in Masaka (100) and Mbale (108) districts. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Scientists. While the main source of forage is on farm (67.2%), forage growing is not taken as a tradition among small holder dairy farmers. The most prominent forage species used for feeding livestock are Pennisetum purpureum, Calliandra calothyrsus, Musa paradisiacal (peelings and stems), and Leucaena leucocephala. Milk production increases during months of forage abundance (March to May and September to November) and the observed trends are generally comparable to the seasonal rainfall patterns in Uganda. Forage production among dairy farmers is significantly (P < 0.05) influenced by location, household size, land ownership, forage source and livestock feeding system. Apart from chopping before feeding the animals, minimal processing is done to forage. The study provides a basis for designing interventions for improving fodder production and utilization among Uganda’s smallholder dairy farmers.Buyinza Joel, Sekatuba Jude, Ongodia Gerald, Eryau Kenneth, Nansereko Susan, Opolot Ibwala Vincent, Kwaga Phiona, Akellem Richard, Mudondo Scovia and Agaba Hillar

Appropriate model use for predicting elevations and inundation extent for extreme flood events

Flood risk assessment is generally studied using flood simulation models; however, flood risk managers often simplify the computational process; this is called a “simplification strategy”. This study investigates the appropriateness of the “simplification strategy” when used as a flood risk assessment tool for areas prone to flash flooding. The 2004 Boscastle, UK, flash flood was selected as a case study. Three different model structures were considered in this study, including: (1) a shock-capturing model, (2) a regular ADI-type flood model and (3) a diffusion wave model, i.e. a zero-inertia approach. The key findings from this paper strongly suggest that applying the “simplification strategy” is only appropriate for flood simulations with a mild slope and over relatively smooth terrains, whereas in areas susceptible to flash flooding (i.e. steep catchments), following this strategy can lead to significantly erroneous predictions of the main parameters—particularly the peak water levels and the inundation extent. For flood risk assessment of urban areas, where the emergence of flash flooding is possible, it is shown to be necessary to incorporate shock-capturing algorithms in the solution procedure, since these algorithms prevent the formation of spurious oscillations and provide a more realistic simulation of the flood levels

Tabletized Supramolecular Assemblies for Sublingual Peptide Immunization

Widespread vaccination is essential to global health. Significant barriers exist to improving vaccine coverage in lower- and middle-income countries, including the costly requirements for cold-chain distribution and trained medical personnel to administer the vaccines. We designed a heat-stable and highly porous tablet vaccine that is administered sublingually via simple dissolution under the tongue. We produced SIMPL (Supramolecular Immunization with Peptides SubLingually) tablet vaccines by freeze-drying a mixture of self-assembling peptide-polymer nanofibers, sugars, and adjuvant. Sublingual immunization with SIMPL tablets raised antibody responses against both a model epitope from ovalbumin and a clinically relevant epitope from M. tuberculosis. Further, sublingual antibody responses were not diminished after heating the tablets for 1 week at 45 °C, in contrast to a more conventional carrier vaccine (KLH). This approach directly addresses the need for a heat-stable and easily deliverable vaccine to improve equity in global vaccine coverage

Potential of agroforestry in improving livelihoods in eastern and mid-northern Uganda

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Enhancing the Phytoremediation of Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Soils in the Sudd Wetlands, South Sudan, Using Organic Manure

Phytoremediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soils is a challenging process. In an effort to enhance phytoremediation, soil was artificially contaminated with known concentration of light crude oil containing Total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) at a concentration of 75 gkg−1 soil. The contaminated soil was subjected to phytoremediation trial using four plant species (Oryza longistaminata, Sorghum arundinaceum, Tithonia diversifolia, and Hyparrhenia rufa) plus no plant used as control for natural attenuation. These phytoremediators were amended with concentrations (0, 5 and 10 gkg−1 soil) of organic manure (cow dung). Results at 120 days after planting, showed that application of manure at concentrations of 5 and 10 gkg−1 soil combined with an efficient phytoremediator can significantly enhance reduction of TPH compared to natural attenuation or use of either manure or a phytoremediator alone (p0.05). Therefore, the study concludes that use of phytoremediators and manure 5 gkg−1 soil could promote the restoration of TPH contaminated-soils in the Sudd region of South Sudan