Dr Mersimine Kouamo at ASTMH Conference
This fellowship project is awarded to Dr. Mersimine Kouamo, working on functional validation of the role of mosquito’s insecticide resistance in malaria vector. She is a Post-doctoral Fellow at the Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID) under the African Centre for Vector Genomics (AVecGen) project which aims to establish Africa’s premier centre of excellence in vector genomics. Dr. Mersimine’s objective is to become a leader and a focal point for functional genomics across Africa, recognizing that functional validation of candidate genes can play a critical role in understanding the mechanisms underlying major public health challenges, including malaria and other mosquitoes vector borne diseases.
Through the 6 months placement of Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF) fellowship at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology – Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (IMBB-FORTH) at Heraklion Greece, she is developing advanced skills in transgenic fly injection, and protein expression. Upon returning to Cameroon, she will transfer this technology to CRID, reducing reliance on overseas laboratories and strengthening local research capacity. She is committed to supporting the development of a high-standard functional genomics platform under AVecGen project, equipped with advanced technologies. This platform will serve as a hub for African students and researchers to carry out cutting-edge experiments. She also aims to train the next generation of scientists.The fellowship, funded by AREF under the Research Development Fellowship scheme, began on 1st October 2025 and will run until 31st July 2026. It is hosted by IMBB-FORTH, Greece, under the supervision of Professor John Vontas, with CRID as the employing organization, supervised by Prof Charles Wondji.
Core Aim
The primary aim of this fellowship is to acquire and transfer the technology for producing transgenic Drosophila as a model system and protein expression and metabolic assays to validate mosquito insecticide resistance candidate gene or genes variants. By training at IMBB-FORTH in Greece, Dr. Mersimine Kouamo will gain hands-on expertise functional genomic as generating transgenic flies, protein expression, and subsequently establish this technology at CRID in Cameroon. This will enable local validation of resistance mechanisms, reduce dependency on external laboratories, and contribute to building a high-standard functional genomics platform accessible to African researchers.
Expected Outcomes
This fellowship is expected to establish a sustainable capacity at CRID for producing transgenic Drosophila as a model system to validate mosquito insecticide resistance genes. By transferring this technology from IMBB-FORTH to Cameroon, the project will strengthen CRID’s infrastructure for functional genomics and reduce reliance on overseas laboratories. Beyond technical innovation, the fellowship will contribute to regional capacity building by creating opportunities for African students and researchers to conduct experiments locally. Training sessions and seminars will ensure that knowledge gained is widely shared, fostering collaboration and positioning CRID as a hub for genomic research on insecticide resistance. Ultimately, the project will enhance diagnostic and research capabilities, support larger funding applications, and expand CRID’s leadership in malaria vector control.
