International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Italy, Trieste, and Bio-Emerging Technology Institute team visited AMU’s Lab facilities and research endeavors in the field of life sciences and biotechnology, on November 23, 2023. Click here to see more photos.
University's Biotechnology Researcher and ICGEB Enset Project Manager Dr. Addisu Fekadu, noted that the project began on 01 Jan, 2021 with € 45,000 grant secured from ICGEB. He adds that within the project, the new enset starters were developed and validated for different agro-ecology, successfully piloted in Gamo Highlands and the nutritional profile of enset fermented with the new starters were examined at Conformity Assessment Enterprise. He further reported that over 30 AMU staff and PhD candidates attended the training and got certified on Laboratory Management System (ISO 17025: 2017), Food Safety Management System (ISO 22000:2018), and Molecular Laboratory Safety Protocols; 4 M.Sc. students’ thesis works were also sponsored.
ICGEB Scientific Coordinator and Group Leader for Bacteriology Laboratory, Prof. Vittorio Venturi, expressed his excitement about the initiative's success saying, "We are happy about the findings of the research project as well as capacity building and outreach activities done so far." According to the professor, the enrichment of starting culture which accelerates the process of enset fermentation and improves product quality is a significant result of the project's research work and it is also relevant to the needs of the community and helps enset to be commercialized in local and international markets.
The professor also stated that the achievements done so far were significant in comparison to the little funding given for the execution of the project which confirms the existence of a better resource utilization system at the university. He declared that the university's research endeavors, encompassing enset as well as other disciplines, are highly significant; therefore, ICGEB further solidifies the established partnership in funding research initiatives and capacity building.
Bio and Emerging Technology Institute Director General and Vice President of the Board of Governors of the ICGEB, Dr Kassahun Tesfaye said that the visit was arranged to assess the progress of the ICGEB-funded project and to check whether the desired outcomes have been attained. He also stated that, in his observation, he realized that the research findings would enhance the level of enset research which was neglected by the scientific community and would be of enormous benefit to society.
AMU Research and Community Engagement Vice President Behailu Merdekios (Associate Professor), said, enset is one of the areas where the university prioritizes research and through over ten years of intensive research the university has developed various technologies that improve the plant's productivity, fermentation process, and quality. He said that the university is currently focusing on scaling up these new technologies; from this point of view, the collaborations started with various partners like ICGEB are highly instrumental.
Dr. Tesfaye Habtemariam, the Executive Director of Research at AMU, said on his part that during the visit the university has attempted to showcase its research activities outside of enset research, confirming that the parties involved in the visit are pleased and promised additional opportunities and networks for cooperation.
The ICGEB is a unique intergovernmental organization initially established as a special project of UNIDO. Autonomous since 1994, it runs over 45 state-of-the-art laboratories, in Trieste, Italy, New Delhi, India, and Cape Town, South Africa, and forms an interactive network with almost 70 member states with operations aligned to those of the United Nations System. It plays a key role in Biotechnology promoting Research Excellence, Training, and Technology Transfer to industry to contribute in concrete terms to sustainable global development.
Arba Minch University
The Center of Bright Future!
For more Information Follow us on:-
Website - https://www.amu.edu.et/
Telegram - https://t.me/arbaminch_university
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ArbaMinchUniversityCCD/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOO_nclhMo8M3r74OyPBlVA
Communication Affairs Directorate