With a view to introducing DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) extraction laboratory practical in secondary schools across Africa, an Associate Professor of Virology in the Department of Biological Sciences, Covenant University (CU), Dr. Angela Eni has in conjunction with one of her students, Miss Oluwaseunnlafunmi Oke, developed a rapid and inexpensive DNA isolation kit for secondary schools, using locally available materials.
Stating the motive behind the research, Dr. Eni, who is the Team Leader, of the Covenant University Hub of the West African Virus Epidemiology (WAVE) for root and tuber crops, said she observed that both her undergraduate and postgraduate students struggle with molecular biology concepts and techniques mainly because these were not introduced to the students on time and appropriately. This, she said, has been a reoccurring challenge over the years, hence one of the solution would be to bring DNA or the molecular biology studies home to young people in a practical way that they would understand and early enough to capture their interest.
One of the reasons why both secondary schools and some higher institutions in Nigeria do not teach their students DNA extraction, she revealed, is because the kits required for conducting these “young mind entrancing” laboratory practical are either too expensive and/or unavailable in most schools in Africa including some higher institutions unlike elsewhere around the world, where the knowledge of DNA and the huge potentials locked therein is introduced to youngsters in secondary schools.
Based on this realization, she and her student decided to use locally available materials in Nigeria to develop a kit that would allow them introduce DNA extraction as a science laboratory practical in secondary school. However, because her student was working for a B.Sc. in Microbiology degree, it became important that they included some microbiology in her work.
On her next move on the discovery, Dr. Eni said that there were discussions with the Covenant University Centre for Research, Innovation and Discovery (CUCRID) on the need for patency and also, to demonstrate that DNA isolation kit to secondary school students in Nigeria under the platform of a Science Day Programme.