Ojewale Ifeoluwa Florence reports back on her AMI-sponsored summer studentship which focused on the investigation of Actinobacteria found in local freshwater environments in Ogun State, Nigeria, under supervisor Dr. Amina Badmos.

My name is Ojewale Ifeoluwa Florence, a 22-year-old undergraduate student from Nigeria, currently studying Microbiology at the Federal University of Agriculture in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

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I recently completed a research placement in the Microbiology Laboratory at the university, where I worked under the guidance of my supportive supervisor, Dr. Amina Badmos. My research project, titled ’Study on the Distribution, Characterization, and Antimicrobial Properties of Actinobacteria Isolated from Freshwater Habitats around Ogun Water Area, Nigeria’, focused on the investigation of Actinobacteria found in local freshwater environments.

For the project, I collected soil samples from various points in the freshwater habitat to analyze them in the lab. I also worked on isolating clinical pathogenic bacteria from infected patients and testing the antimicrobial potential of Actinobacteria sourced from the freshwater.

Novel Actinomycetes

The main objective of the research was to characterize the morphology of novel Actinomycetes and to screen their antimicrobial properties against clinical bacterial isolates. Additionally, the study aimed to explore the potential industrial applications of these rare strains of Actinomycetes in the production of antimicrobial metabolites.

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I was amazed to discover the abundance of Actinomycetes with potent antimicrobial properties in the freshwater, an area that has been underexplored despite its significance. The findings of my research show that these Actinomycetes have the potential to produce unique secondary metabolites, which could be used for industrial antibiotic production from natural sources, reducing reliance on synthetic antibiotics.

Antimicrobial properties

My study also contributes to the ongoing fight against Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), as the rare metabolites from these freshwater organisms demonstrated the ability to inhibit the growth of AMR pathogens, offering a sustainable solution to this growing global problem.

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Ojewale Florence and colleagues

Looking ahead, I am eager to continue exploring freshwater habitats, expanding my research to cover broader locations. I aim to tackle the challenges of antimicrobial resistance and the development of sustainable, natural alternatives to synthetic antibiotics, one step at a time.

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