Prof. Romano Mwirichia Publications

1. Wachira, J.M., Kiplimo, D., Thuita, M., Masso, C. and Mwirichia, R., 2022. Community Structure of Nitrifying and Denitrifying Bacteria from Effluents Discharged into Lake Victoria, Kenya. Current Microbiology, 79(9), pp.1-10.

2. Kipnyargis, A., Mwirichia, R., Pfeiffer, B. and Daniel, R., 2022. Complete Genome Sequence of Alkalihalobacillus sp. Strain LMS39, a Haloalkaliphilic Bacterium Isolated from a Hypersaline Lake. Microbiology Resource Announcements, pp.e00325-22.

3. Mwirichia, R. 2022. Amplicon-based analysis of the fungal diversity across Kenyan soda lakes (Accepted in Scientifica, Article 9182034).

4. Musyoki, D.M., Muthengia, J.W., Ogunah, J., Mutitu, D.K., Kinuthia, J., Mwirichia, R., Thiong’o, J.K., Mulwa, M.O. and Genson, M., 2022. Effect of Immobilizing Bacillus megaterium on the Compressive Strength and Water Absorption of Mortar. Journal of Chemistry, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/7752812

5. Kelvin Mwangi Wanjiku, Jackson Wachira Muthengia, Joanne Ogunah, Daniel Karanja Mutitu, John Kinuthia, Romano Mwirichia, Joseph Karanja Thiong’o, Munyao Onesmus Mulwa, Muriithi Genson, Peter Waithaka, David Musyoki Munyao, "Effects of Lysinibacillus sphaericus on Physicomechanical and Chemical Performance of OPC Blended with Natural Tuff and Pulverized Fly Ash", Advances in Materials Science and Engineering, vol. 2022, Article https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/3387928

6. Mutitu DK, Muthengia JW, Mwirichia R, Thiong’o JK, Mulwa MO, Genson M. Microbial effect on water sorptivity and sulphate ingress by Bacillus megaterium on mortars prepared using Portland Pozzolana cement. Journal of Applied Microbiology. 2021 Aug;131(2):528-42.

7. Onesmus Mulwa Munyao, Joseph Karanja Thiong’o, Jackson Muthengia Wachira, Daniel Karanja Mutitu, Genson Murithi, Romano Mwirichia, "Chloride Ingress in Cement Mortars Exposed to Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans Bacteria", Advances in Materials Science and Engineering, vol. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/4191806

8. Karanja Edward Nderitu, Fliessbach Andreas, Adamtey Noah, Kambura AnneKelly, Musyoka Martha, Fiaboe Komi and Mwirichia, R. (2020) Diversity and structure of prokaryotic communities within organic and conventional farming systems in central highlands of Kenya. PLoS ONE 15(8)

9. Romano Mwirichia and Boga Hamadi Iddi (2020). Description of Nitrincola elmenteitensis sp. nov.; a haloalkaliphilic bacterium isolated from Lake Elmenteita in Kenya. African Journal of Biological Sciences 2 (3), 81-87

10. Karanja, Edward Nderitu, Andreas Fliessbach, Noah Adamtey, Anne Kelly Kambura, Martha Musyoka, Komi Fiaboe, and Romano Mwirichia (2020). "Fungal diversity within organic and conventional farming systems in Central Highlands of Kenya." African Journal of Microbiology Research 14, no. 6: 242-258

11. Eunice Mulango, Remmy Kasili, Romano Mwirichia, Anne-Kelly Kambura, Christabel Muhonja (2020). Isolation and Characterization of Haloalkaliphilic Bacteria from the Hot Springs of Lake Magadi. African journal of Microbiology Research 14 (7), 294-302.

12. Mutitu, Daniel Karanja, Jackson Muthengia Wachira, Romano Mwirichia, Joseph Karanja Thiong’o, Onesmus Mulwa Munyao, and Muriithi Genson (2020). "Biocementation Influence on Flexural Strength and Chloride Ingress by Lysinibacillus sphaericus and Bacillus megaterium in Mortar Structures." Journal of Chemistry 2020

13. Munyao, Onesmus Mulwa, Joseph Karanja Thiong’o, Jackson Muthengia Wachira, Daniel Karanja Mutitu, and Romano Mwirichia (2020). Influence of Starkeya novella on Mechanical and Microstructural Properties of Cement Mortars. Journal of Chemistry May 18:2020

14. Munyao, Onesmus Mulwa, Joseph Karanja Thiong'o, Jackson Wachira Muthengia, Daniel Karanja Mutitu, Romano Mwirichia, Genson Muriithi, and Joseph Mwiti Marangu. "Study on the effect of Thiobacillus intermedius bacteria on the physico-mechanical properties of mortars of ordinary portland cement." Heliyon 6, no. 1 (2020): e03232.

15. Orwa Philemon, Vitalis Wekesa, George Mugambi and Romano Mwirichia (2020) Isolation of haloalkaliphilic fungi from Lake Magadi in Kenya. Heliyon. 2020 Jan; 6(1): e02823.

Key collaborators:

Prof. Dr. Rolf Daniel

Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August Universität Göttingen

Prof. Dr. Gabriele Berg

Institute of Environmental Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology

Prof. Dr. Johannes Jehle

Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI) Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants

Dr. Vitalis Wafula Wekesa

Dudutech, a Bioline Agrosciences Group company

UoEm | SPAS | Biological Sciences |List of publications |CV |

Funding to the University

1.2019:Euros 19, 330 from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation to procure Equipment for Molecular biology.

2. 2019: An ASM Ambassador grant of USD 2,000 from the American Society for Microbiology to co-ordinate activities of the local chapter for the year 2019.

3. 2017: KSh 11,382,774 (ca. Euros 100,825) from the National Research Fund Kenya, for the Project “Bioprospecting for Bioactive metabolites and biological control agents from soil and aquatic habitats in Kenya”.

4. 2017: Euros EUR 3,105.55 from DAAD as part of the small equipment programme.

5. 2017: An ASM Ambassador grant of USD 3,000 from the American Society for Microbiology to co-ordinate activities of the local chapter for the year 2016.

6. 2016: Research Grant of USD 12,000 from The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) to work on a project titled” Tapping into the microbial dark matter from extreme environments for novel isolates and microbial metabolites with a biotechnological potential”.

7. 2016: Research Grant worth UK Pounds 10,000 from the British Ecological Society to work on a project titled “microbial community ecology and diversity within the hypersaline Lake Magadi)”.

8. 2016: Equipment worth USD 115,505 from Seeding Labs USA to equip our Microbiology laboratory.

9. 2016: An ASM Ambassador grant of USD 5,000 from the American Society for Microbiology to co-ordinate activities of the local chapter for the year 2016.

10. 2015: Euros 20,000 from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation to continue with the research started in Germany. The grant was in form of Equipment for Molecular biology.

11. 2015: Euros 2000 from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in form of specialist subject-related Books and Literature.

Key Funding Agencies:

1. Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

2. American Society for Microbiology

3. National Research Fund Kenya

4. DAAD: German Academic Exchange Service

5. The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS)

6. British Ecological Society

7. Seeding Labs USA

Ongoing Research Projects:

PHD STUDENTS

Name: Alex Cherutich Kipnyargis

Course: PhD Applied Microbiology (UoEm)

Short description of the research area: Diversity and function of polysaccharide degrading bacteria

Name: David Njenga

Course: PhD Pharmacology and Toxicology (UoN)

Short description of the research area: Antimicrobial activity and identification of secondary metabolites from bacteria

Name: Chris Opuko

Course: PhD Biotechnology (JKUAT)

Short description of the research area: Fungal biocontrol agents against Ralstonia solanacearum and Rhizoctonia solani crop pathogens

MSC STUDENTS

Name: James Murimi Wachira

Department : Biological Sciences

Course: MSc Applied Microbiology (UoEm)

Short description of the research area: Denitrifying Bacteria in bioremoval of nitrogen from Wastewaters

Name: James Kimani Njoroge

Department : Biological Sciences

Course: MSc Applied Microbiology (UoEm)

Short description of the research area: Bacteria diversity, pathogens and parasites associated with Apis mellifera keeping

Name: Mwenje Elishapan Mutwiri

Department : Biological Sciences

Course: MSc Applied Microbiology (UoEm)

Short description of the research area: Thermostable Cellulases from Haloalkaliphilic Bacteria

Name: Monicah Muthua Muigai

Department : Biological Sciences

Course: MSc Applied Microbiology (UoEm)

Short description of the research area: Biocontrol Agents Against Fusarium Wilt of Tomatoes

Name: Stella Karonji

Department : Biological Sciences

Course: MSc Applied Microbiology (UoEm)

Short description of the research area: Biological control of leaf spot affecting the common bean (Phaseolus Vulgaris)

Name: Tabitha Wamboi Mwangi

Department : Biological Sciences

Course: MSc Applied Microbiology UoEm)

Short description of the research area: Growth promotion properties of endophytic bacteria on Phaseolus vulgaris

Name: Meir Dayan Akinyi

Department : Biological Sciences

Course: MSc Applied Microbiology (UoEm)

Short description of the research area: Nitriles degrading bacteria from soils

Previous students

Name: Dr Edward Karanja Nderitu

Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, ICIPE

Research Interests: soil microbiology; microbial metagenomics and metatranscriptomes; farming systems productivity, profitability, and sustainability; and soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous dynamics

Name: Dr Daniel Karanja Mutitu

Current Position: Chemistry National Trainer, Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA)

www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-mutitu-0a3723196

ORCiD address: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2050-9782

Name: Denis Kiplimo

Name: Philemon Orwa

Current position: PhD Student, TU Darmstadt Germany

Name: Ngatia Edwin Kihagi

Nitriles degrading bacteria from soils