After three rounds of funding calls that drew participation from over ten countries worldwide, JKUAT in Kenya has emerged as the winner of the Nurture Conservation research grant award from the Cherasco Worldwide Institute of Snail Breeding, with a sum of €950, 646, beating out competition from Nigeria, Ghana, and Cameroon.

This grant will support JKUAT's ongoing research on the snail breeding value chain. The research is geared at testing the slime from local snails that they have reared to determine whether it can medically be used as a cough syrup.

According to the Principal Investigator, Dr. Paul Kinoti, the award was a result of the uniqueness and impact potential of the innovation. This set the university apart from the rest and made them the top choice for the grant.

“We are excited that the efforts we’ve made over the years have not been in vain and have been validated. We started small, and now we are going to impact lives. I am very grateful for the enabling research environment in JKUAT, and to all our partners and funding organization,” he added.

Further, this research project is to bring economic empowerment to marginalized and disadvantaged groups. To achieve this, the university will collaborate with various communities across the country, including youth, women, and individuals with disabilities, in the snail farming initiative. The project will focus on equipping these groups with the necessary skills and resources to become self-sufficient entrepreneurs through snail breeding. 

In her statement, Prof. Victoria Wambui Ngumi, the Vice Chancellor of JKUAT, highlighted the significance of the research project in terms of the university's priorities and the national government's development agenda. She emphasized that the project aligns with the university's focus on harnessing research, innovation, and technology to achieve sustainable development.

The project is expected to run until May 2025, and will bring together a multi-disciplinary team of researchers from the university as well as several other partner organizations locally and globally.

Photo courtesy / JKUAT

Article by Jedidah Mwangi

https://www.jkuat.ac.ke/from-snail-slime-to-cough-syrup-jkuat-pushes-research-boundaries/