Dr Becky Aloo

Lecturer and Head of Intellectual Property Management University of Eldoret

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Location
Kenya
University of Eldoret
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Departments

Science
Biological Sciences

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Work and Research

My research career began earnestly during my postgraduate studies where I took a keen interest in the application of microorganisms to solving societal problems like waste management and crop pest management. During my PhD studies, I investigated plant-microbe interactions that could be exploited for crop biofertilization to reduce the use of agrochemicals that present numerous environmental challenges. I characterized rhizobacteria from potato plants and formulated them into biofertilizers for the plant. In 2018, I got a three-month research scholarship to establish the genotypic identities and phylogenetic relationships of the indigenous potato rhizobacterial isolates and performed their whole-genome sequence analysis at the University of Gottingen in Germany. My journey did not end there, I have continued to pursue this line of research with passion over the years and on is well my way to becoming an expert in such plant-microbe interactions in cropping systems. My research is widely disseminated in high-impact factor journals and books by reputable publishers such as Elsevier and Springer and has attracted about 270 citations which is one of the highest for mid-career microbiologists in developing countries. I have also received international recognition for excellence in this line of research. In 2018, I was among the 25 awardees globally of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research for research potential in sustainable development. In 2019, I was also among the 20 women from the whole of sub-Saharan Africa who were recognized as rising young talents by the UNESCO-L’Oreal Foundation, and in 2020, I received the African-German Network Award for Excellence in Science as part of my PhD research. This line of research holds immense potential for developing and promoting environmentally friendly cropping systems and reducing further degradation of the environment as the world struggles to meet the demand for food for its expanding population.