My name is Omwomo Kevin Ochieng. I was born on 22nd August 1983 in Busia County, Kenya. I am a Kenyan by birth, a Christian by faith and married. I speak fluently English, Swahili and Dholuo languages. My daily contacts include; cell phone- +254 711178071 and email is kjomwomo@uonbi.ac.ke. I possess good interpersonal and strong communication skills gathered during interaction with colleagues and other professionals in Biological oriented areas. I attended Lifunga Primary School and Busibula Primary School for primary education between 1990 and 1998. Later I joined Butula High School in Busia County for my secondary education in 1999 and after one year I transferred to Bukhalalire secondary school where I finished my secondary education. In 2005 I joined Nairobi Technical Training Institute for a 3 year Diploma course in Applied Biology and graduated in 2007. I later joined University of Nairobi in 2010 for a bachelors degree in Microbiology and Biotechnology and graduated with second class upper division in 2014. In 2015 I and joined a masters degree course in Genetics at the University of Nairobi awaiting graduation. My future interests are in plant breeding and my research thesis was on plant tissue culture where I am also involved it training both postgraduate and undergraduate students in the School of Biological Sciences in plant tissue culture laboratory and some of my students have been employed in research organizations dealing in tissue culture including ILRI. I have been employed as a laboratory technologist at the University of Nairobi since 2009 and currently I am in charge of University of Nairobi Mycotoxins laboratory.
Project Summary
Moringa oleifera tree has medicinal and nutritional propertiesand the tree is excessively harvestedfor food and medicine. Therefore in vitro propagation is significant for rapid and enhanced production of disease free planting materials and secondary compounds to meet the demand. This study regeneratedMoringa oleifera in vitro and determed if its callus extracts could inhibit fungal growth. Seeds were sterilized in 30% commercial bleach (JIK) followed by 70% ethanol. The seeds were inoculated on Murashige and Skoog, (1962) (MS) media, half MS media and MS with 0.5-6.5 mg/l Gibberellic acid (GAз) to germinate. Callus was generated from inter-nodal segments, leaf discs and hypocotyls on MS with 0.25-2 mg/l 2,4D, NAA, TDZ or BAP. Shoots were induced from callus and nodal explantson medium with BAP, NAA, MTR, TDZ and KIN or their combinations. Micro shoots were rooted on MS basal or MS supplemented with NAA, BAP or MTR. Rooted shoots were acclimatized and hardened on vermiculite mixed with peat moss (1:3). Callus and leaf extracts were tested against Candida albicans, Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium semitectum.Intact seeds on MS or half MS medium germinated within 8-14 days. Seeds with seed coats removed started germinating 3 days post inoculation. Callus induction was optimum at 0.5 mg/l 2,4D. Shoot induction from callus was not successful as callus only developed green spots or shoot like structures on the surface. MTR 1.0 mg/l initiated 9.3 shoots from nodal explants in 3 days which increased to 11.3 shoots when combined with 0.5 mg/l KIN. Best rooting occurred on MS basal. Extracts from callus and leaves inhibited growth of Fusarium semitectum at 62.5mg/land of Aspergillus flavus at125mg/l but could not inhibit Candida albicans growth. This study has demonstrated the regeneration potential of Moringa oleifera and the antifungal activity of the callus extract.