FBILAB uses a multi/inter disciplinary approach to address challenges faced by rural and low income communicaties in addressing issues relating to principally Food, Health and Energy.
The following research groups within FBILAB work towards providing sustainable solutions to these challenges:
1. Biopharmsceutical, functional foods, and nutraceutical group
> Explore the potentials of by products/ waste or neglected food bioresources as potential feed for microbial fermentation using wild isolated microbial species like yeasts, moulds and bacteria for the production of primary and secondary bioactive compoundswith health benefits.
> Production of biopharmaceuticals: vaccines, antibiotics, anti-fungal, recombinant proteins.
> Use of synthetic biology to develop microbes that are capable to adapt to extreme extrinsic conditions.
> Production of dermo-cosmetic products with skin cancer potentials.
> Production of pre-biotics and probiotics with potentials of improving gut health.
2. Food product development group
> Valorization of local plant based food sources: Cassava, corn, coffee, cocoa, palm, tropical fruits (mango, tomatoes, water melon etc).
> Valorization of local animal based food sources: Dairy (Milk), fish, snails.
3. Food analysis and quality control group
> Adapting local resources to develop low cost food analysis procedured.
> Complete proximate analysis of food.
> GMP and HACCP approaches in rural small scale food processing.
4. Renewable energy for food processing in low income rural communities group
> Biogas production.
> Production of bio-diesel from unconventional sources.
> Rural electrification by solar power.
5. Sustainability of rural food systems group
> Life cycle analysis of locally developed biopharmaceutical and food products.
6. Optimal Design of Experiment (DOE), data analysis, presentation and publication group.
