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Small but mighty: Championing Uganda’s silver fish

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In Uganda, low-income groups and individuals cannot afford larger and popular types of fish, such as Nile Perch and Tilapia – meaning they miss out on a crucial source of nutrients. The solution? Embracing an overlooked variety that’s little in size but packs a big punch: silver fish, or ‘Mukene’.    

This small, finger-sized fish species is one of the three main pelagic varieties found in Ugandan waters. However, it has mostly been ignored, and only eaten by poor families or used by animal feed processors in chicken, dog or pig food.   

For 20 years, Charles Kyeswa fished on Lake Victoria at the Kiyindi landing site without appreciating the true value of this small fish. “We used to handle this fish like dirt,” he said. “We just poured it on the boat and stepped on it. At the landing site, we threw it on the ground for women to buy and carry away for drying.”   

Poor handling resulted in the fish being mixed with sand and animal droppings, or it being stepped on or eaten by birds. Furthermore, insufficient storage facilities saw most silver fish laid out on plain cement in unventilated rooms once they were landed. This caused them to change colour, from silver to brown or grey, and the resulting bad smell, taste and appearance affected the market price and deterred many people from eating it. “I could not imagine Mukene in my mouth,” explained Enyou Peter, a fisherman at Lake Victoria’s Kikondo landing site.   

Catching the next wave    

Widespread nutritional deficiencies are prevalent in Uganda’s poor communities, especially among women of reproductive age and children under five years. To help address this problem, IDRC and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, through their Cultivate Africa’s Future Fund (CultiAF) program, awarded funds to a consortium of researchers to work with fish value-chain actors to implement the ‘NutriFish’ project.    

The partnership, which began in April 2019, involves the Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences at the College of Natural Sciences at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda’s National Fisheries Resources Research Institute, Nutreal Uganda Limited, and McGill University in Canada. The researchers aimed to find ways to reduce post-harvest losses of Mukene, increase product quality, safety and accessibility, and improve the nutritional value of the fish.     

The project looked at various improved post-harvest and processing technologies. “The first technology we promoted was simple plastic containers to reduce losses during fishing. Instead of piling the fish in stacks, every catch is put in a separate container which has the ability to let out water, thus reducing the spoilage that takes place if all the fish is stacked in one large container,” explained Jackson Efitre, NutriFish principal investigator. The project has also encouraged fishermen to use salt to preserve their catch and further reduce spoilage.     

For processors, the project introduced solar tent drier technology to reduce losses. This is particularly important during the wet season when there is insufficient sunshine to fully air-dry the fish. The solar tent drier is a greenhouse-like structure constructed from wooden poles and covered with ultra-violet-treated polythene. “It helps avoid waste during the rainy season, and improves the fish quality because it is no longer exposed to contaminants,” Efitre revealed. “Above all, we have seen the price of solar-dried fish increase dramatically; processors now earn twice the amount per kg compared to open sun-dried fish.”   

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Natural Sciences

Equipping Students with Bioprospecting and Product Development Skills

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Dr. Alice Nabatanzi, Lecturer, Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Biosciences, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda.

By Dr. Alice Nabatanzi

As we train Scientists we ought to equip them with skills that will help them survive beyond the Laboratories, beyond University, and beyond Academia. Thus, the need to Bioprospect and acquire product development skills.

I am therefore proud of what my 2024 Biotechnology Product Development Class has been able to achieve.

Following bioprospecting and entrepreneurial training, students developed the following products: Exotic beard oil, Herbal cough mixture, Power candy, Laundry bar soap, Moringa snack bars, Prudy Organic hair dye, Hair food, Syphilis remedy, Cornstarch based bioplastic, Nash probiotic drink, Dental care herbal mouthwash, Rosemary – lemongrass infused vinegar, Tea tree hand wash, Scented candles, Aloe fruit jam, Herbal bloom shower gel, Custard, Beetroot yoghurt, Dewormer, Stomach pain killers, Liquid organic fertilizers, Face scrub, Mosquito repellant scented air diffuser, Underarm whitening oil, Essential oil deodorant, Ria hair conditioner, Shower gels, Crochet jacket among others.

I am confident that with subsequent incubation, start-ups will emerge.


“The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways.”

Robert Greene


“Build your skills not your resume.”

Sheryl Sandberg

Dr. Alice Nabatanzi is a Lecturer of Phytomedicine and Nutraceuticals in the Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Bio-sciences, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University.

Photo Gallery of some of the products

Pata Guard Herbal Dewormer. Products from Dr. Alice Nabatanzi's 2024 Biotechnology Product Development Class, Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Bio-sciences, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Pata Guard Herbal Dewormer.
Lemongrass-Rosemary Infused Vinegar. Products from Dr. Alice Nabatanzi's 2024 Biotechnology Product Development Class, Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Bio-sciences, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Lemongrass-Rosemary Infused Vinegar.
Avocorn. Products from Dr. Alice Nabatanzi's 2024 Biotechnology Product Development Class, Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Bio-sciences, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Avocorn.
Jackfruit Seed Juice. Products from Dr. Alice Nabatanzi's 2024 Biotechnology Product Development Class, Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Bio-sciences, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Jackfruit Seed Juice.
Pure Mint Mouthwash. Products from Dr. Alice Nabatanzi's 2024 Biotechnology Product Development Class, Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Bio-sciences, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Pure Mint Mouthwash.
Exotic Beard Oil. Products from Dr. Alice Nabatanzi's 2024 Biotechnology Product Development Class, Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Bio-sciences, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Exotic Beard Oil.
Crochet Jacket. Products from Dr. Alice Nabatanzi's 2024 Biotechnology Product Development Class, Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Bio-sciences, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Crochet Jacket.
AvoGlow. Products from Dr. Alice Nabatanzi's 2024 Biotechnology Product Development Class, Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Bio-sciences, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
AvoGlow.
Luxe Guard Scented Candles. Products from Dr. Alice Nabatanzi's 2024 Biotechnology Product Development Class, Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Bio-sciences, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Luxe Guard Scented Candles.
Moringa Snack Bar. Products from Dr. Alice Nabatanzi's 2024 Biotechnology Product Development Class, Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Bio-sciences, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Moringa Snack Bar.
Power Candy. Products from Dr. Alice Nabatanzi's 2024 Biotechnology Product Development Class, Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Bio-sciences, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Power Candy.

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Natural Sciences

15 PhD Positions: Human River Systems in the 21st century

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15 New Positions Open in the FWF PhD Program "Human River systems in the 21st century (HR21)". Application Deadline: 2nd April 2024. Austria. Europe

Highly qualified applicants from all over the world are invited to apply for the PhD Program “Human River systems in the 21st century (HR21)”. The 15 positions are fully funded and the Doctoral Programme is providing additional resources for conference presentations, retreats etc.

The 15 PhD research topics are:

  • Topic 1: Role of hydrological extremes (floods) for sediment transport and morphodynamics in the human-river system
  • Topic 2: Material resources demand and flows of hydraulic structures to prevent societal impact of extreme events (social ecology, environmental history)
  • Topic 3: Intermittent flow – hydrological effects and impacts on benthic communities, ecological state and functioning of riverine systems
  • Topic 4: Drought, low flow and warming – hydrological effects and impacts on the ecological state and functioning of river systems
  • Topic 5: Water transit time distributions as indicators for the vulnerability of riverine ecosystems under different pressures from social metabolism
  • Topic 6: Analyzing possible contributions of re-activated former watercourses towards a more sustainable transformation of industrialized riverine landscapes in urban areas
  • Topic 7: The role of the latest industrial revolutions on instream processes and ecological vulnerability of IRL
  • Topic 8: The effects of infrastructure development on ecological and ecosystem service network properties in river systems
  • Topic 9: The impact of urban settlements on organic matter and nutrient flows in industrialized riverine landscapes – What can we learn from the past?
  • Topic 10: Urban metabolism, a river’s ecohydrology and industrialization: Vienna and the Danube, 1800-2000
  • Topic 11: Impact of external organic matter sources on nutrient, sediment and water transport from cropland into streams
  • Topic 12: Impacts of bioenergy crops used as riparian buffer strips on stream ecosystems’ functioning
  • Topic 13: Sustainable hydropower & and the water-energy-food nexus in multi-stressed IRLs: Challenges and solutions for science & management
  • Topic 14: Integrated modelling of farmers’ climate change impact and adaptation appraisal to inform regional human river nexus management
  • Topic 15: Strategic planning approaches to territorial governance of industrialized riverine landscapes

For more information, please visit: https://short.boku.ac.at/q9ry2k

Application deadline: 2nd April 2024

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Natural Sciences

Dr. Tugume Patience Wins OWSD Early Career Fellowship

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Dr. Tugume Patience, Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Dr Tugume Patience, a Lecturer in the Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology at the College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University is one of the 28 women who have been granted the 2023 OWSD Early Career Fellowship.  These scientists will receive up to USD50,000 to lead research projects and establish research groups at their home institutions in 16 countries in the developing world, to maintain an international standard of research and attract scholars from all over the world to collaborate. Funding for the fellowships is generously provided by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC).

During the 3-year fellowship, fellows will receive specific training to build on their leadership and management skills and develop connections with a variety of public and private sector partners to potentially convert their research into marketable products or guarantee its impact on a broader scale. By improving their communication and outreach skills, fellows will also learn to effectively present their research to various audiences, thus attracting new collaborators and potential funders to ensure the sustainability of the research project.

Dr Tugume’s Project – Biological Systems and Organisms

This project will use various forms of bio-wastes from households and urban centres in Uganda as raw materials for production of biogas, as well as an eco-friendly bio-fertilizer and bio-pesticide. Large amounts of unconsumed food are often thrown away in homes and urban centres that could be converted into useful products that would supply energy, enhance agricultural productivity and reduce deforestation. This project will construct anaerobic bio-digester tanks to process different kinds of bio-waste into biogas, a renewable energy source, and evaluate yields of biogas from different bio-wastes and combinations of bio-wastes. It will additionally produce a bio-fertilizer to enrich soil and a bio-pesticide to manage agricultural pests. The project will also equip households with the skills to biologically convert wastes into value-added products, training women and youth in biogas production and usage.

Details on the fellowships at: https://owsd.net/news/news-events/introducing-2023-owsd-early-career-fellows

Congratulations Dr Tugume

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