Oluwatosin Orababa
My Research
I am a PhD student in the School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick. My PhD is primarily supervised by Dr Freya Harrison and co-supervised by Professor Christophe Corre. My research is based on developing a natural product treatment for chronic biofilm infections, including chronic wound infections and cystic fibrosis lung infections, from an old infection remedy. I make use of different techniques, including biofilm models (in vitro and ex vivo), chromatography (HPLC, LC/MS, and flash chromatography), imaging (light, confocal, and electron microscopy), virulence assays, RNAseq, and other genomics methods, to identify and test the effect of antibiofilm agents against biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii. My PhD is funded by the Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership (MIBTP) studentship, a subsidiary of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
Education
2021-2025 PhD in Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
2019-2021 Masters of Science in Microbiology, University of Lagos, Nigeria (Distinction)
2012-2016 Bachelor of Science (Hons.) in Microbiology, University of Lagos, Nigeria (First Class)Research interests
- Bacterial transcriptomics
- Antimicrobial resistance mechanisms
- Antimicrobials and mechanisms of action
- Bacterial biofilms and mechanisms of resistance
Teaching/Lab demonstration experience
2024/2024 Session
- Biomedical Science laboratory for third-year students (BS311)
- Introduction to Pipetting lab (BS120/121)
- Absorbance and Spectrophotometry lab (BS120/121)
- Microbiology lab (BS120/121)
- Enzymology (LF208)
- Tools for biochemical discovery (LF219)
2023/2024 Session
- Biomedical Science laboratory for third-year students (BS311)
- Introduction to Pipetting lab (BS120/121)
- Absorbance and Spectrophotometry lab (BS120/121)
- Microbiology lab (BS120/121)
- Enzymology (LF208)
- Tools for biochemical discovery (LF219)
- Quantitative skills for biology for first year students (LF103)
Publications
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Orababa, O.Q., Galleh, R.P. A xanthone-derived antibiotic with a multifaceted mode of action. Nature Microbiology, 10, 1558–1559 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-025-02028-1
- Emily EW, Oluwatosin O, Alexander O, Sarah JE, Jessica MAB and Tim WO. (2023) Efflux pumps mediate changes to fundamental bacterial physiology via membrane potential. mBio, 15:e02370-24. https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.02370-24
- Arowolo MT, Orababa OQ, Olaitan MO, Osibeluwo BV, Essiet UU, Batholomew OH, Ogunride OG, Lagoke OA, Soriwei JD, Ishola OD, Ezeani OM, Onishile AO, and Olumodeji O. (2022) Prevalence Of carbapenem resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE 18(11): e0287762. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287762
- Orababa OQ, Adesida SA, Peters RF, AbdulGanniyu Z, Olakojo O and Abioye A. (2023) Showing the limitations of available phenotypic assays to detect B. pseudomallei from clinical specimens in Nigeria. Access Microbiology, 5(10),
- Orababa OQ (2023). Bacterial biofilms and their significance. Biological Science Reviews. Available at: https://www.hoddereducationmagazines.com/magazine/biological-sciences-review/35/4/bacterial-biofilms-and-their-significance/
- Orababa OQ, Soriwei JD, Akinsuyi SO, Utibeima UE, Olusola MS. A systematic review and meta-analysis of Vancomycin-resistant enterococci among Nigerians. Porto Biomedical Journal 2021; 6(1): 1-8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/j.pbj.0000000000000125
- Orababa OQ, Soriwei JD, Anibaba, OO, Arowolo MT, Olayiwola MO. A systematic review on the microbial and parasitic contamination of naira notes. Global Biosecurity, 2021; 2(1): 1-13.http://doi.org/10.31646/gbio.93
- Akinsuyi SO, Orababa OQ, Juwon OM, Oladunjoye IO, Akande ET, Ekpueke MM, Emmanuel HE. One Health approach, a solution to reducing the menace of multidrug-resistant bacteria and zoonoses from domesticated animals in Nigeria – A review. Global Biosecurity, 2021; 3(1)
- Oyekunle IP, Nwogu US, Orababa OQ, Nsude CC, Ikpa JO, Azuka DC. Phytochemical, antimicrobial, and proximate composition of Nicotiana tabacum leaves extract. IJISRT 2019; 4(5):406-410. (ISSN No:-2456-2165)
Conference papers/presentations
- A natural product cocktail derived from an "ancientbiotic" with enhanced activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms 2025 (Oral presentation)
- Investigating the Antibiofilm activity of a natural product cocktail from the Bald’s eyesalve - MRF AMR Conference Bristol 2023 (Oral presentation)
- Investigating the Antibiofilm activity of a natural product cocktail from the Bald’s eyesalve - 2023 ABX Meeting
- Investigating the Antibiofilm activity of a natural product cocktail from the Bald’s eyesalve - Microbiology Society Conference 2023
- A natural product semi-synthetic cocktail: antibacterial activity and synergy with other antimicrobials – MRF AMR Conference Bristol 2022 (Poster presentation)
- A natural product semi-synthetic cocktail: antibacterial activity and synergy with other antimicrobials – EuroBiofilm 2022 (Poster presentation)
- Comparative transcriptomics of efflux-pump and growth-phase dependent gene expression in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium strain SL1344 – MIBTP Poster Session 2022 (Poster presentation)
Professional memberships
- Microbiology Society
- British Society for Antimicrobials and Chemotherapy
- American Society for Microbiology
- Royal Society for Biology
- Applied Microbiology International
Other memberships
- Black Microbiologist Association
Recent academic awards (scholarships/prizes/fellowships)
Awards and Prizes
- Microbiology Society Infection Science Award (value ~£800) (2025)
- Warwick Medical School/School of Life Sciences Seminar Prize (value ~£100) (2025)
- MIBTP Symposium Plenary talk Prize (value ~£75) (2025)
- Equity-Driven STEM Mentorship Award (value ~£5000) (2024)
- PGR Innovation Challenge Winner Prize (value ~£100) (2024)
- Applied Microbiology International ECS Poster Competition Prize (value ~£50) (2024)
- British Society for Antimicrobials and Chemotherapy (BSAC) Best Poster Presentation Prize (value ~£100) (2023)
- Medical Research Foundation AMR Training Presentation Prize (value ~£100) (2023)
- Lagos State Government Postgraduate Scholarship Award (2021)
- Dr D.K. Olukoya Prize (2016)
- Lagos State Government Undergraduate Scholarship Award (2014-2016)
Fellowships and Grants
- Pathway Early Career Researcher Fellowship (value ~£9000) (2025)
- Applied Microbiology International Conference Grant (value ~£300) (2025)
- Warwick Dragon’s Den Project Grant (value ~£2000) (2025)
- Microbiology Society Conference Travel Grants x3 (total value ~£1000) (2023, 2024, 2025)
- American Society for Microbiology Future Leaders Fellowship (2024)
- BBSRC MIBTP PhD Studentship (value ~£100,000) (2021-2025)
