Sherifat Balogun-Raji (in the brown head covering, pictured here with her best friend), works in the Molecular Research Lab in Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto Nigeria. They are working on the characterization of antimicrobial resistance genes in E.coli and Salmonella pullorum isolates from poultry in Sokoto.
What excites you about your research?
First and foremost my research, which is about the molecular characterization of antimicrobial genes of salmonella pullorum and the antimicrobial effect of Mango kernel (Mangifera indica. L) on salmonella carrying those resistance genes, is super exciting for me personally. I have gained so much knowledge about antimicrobial resistance generally, its detrimental ability in the poultry industry and human population and molecular studies. But I am most excited about the possibility of discovering a novel antimicrobial agent of plant origin that will not only have an effect on resistant genes of salmonella pullorum but also show a curing effect on those genes.
What challenges have you faced?
The challenges I have faced are numerous. The most challenging are the inability to access journal articles and materials, lack of equipment, scantily equipped laboratory, manpower and skills necessary to carry out a molecular research.This is so common for research in many parts of Africa. And is it so frustrating as I have to pay for a lot of journals and books, send for almost all my reagents from outside the country or send samples abroad sometimes, which makes my research unduly costly in the absence of a grant or scholarship of any form.
Very few women in Northern Nigeria carry out research in molecular studies due to so many challenging reasons, but here we are. We just love culturing, autoclaving, pipetting, extracting DNA, votexing and mixing cocktails and so on.
What would you say to women and girls who might be interested in going into your area of research?
For women and girls who would like to go into my field, especially African women and girls, I would encourage them to go into research in antimicrobial resistance because the world needs them to do something before its too late.
Africa is blessed with so much intellectual capacity, plants and herbs of immense therapeutic abilities. So we must play our part to see that the menace of antimicrobial resistance is stopped swiftly.