Oluwatosin Orababa
Research Overview
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 cocktail with potent antibiofilm potential against chronic biofilm infections, including chronic wound infections and cystic fibrosis lung infections. 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
2012-2016 Bachelor of Science (Hons.) in Microbiology, University of Lagos, Nigeria (First Class)
2019-2021 Masters of Science in Microbiology, University of Lagos, Nigeria (Distinction)
2021-till date PhD in Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
Research interests
- Antimicrobial drug discovery
- Bacterial biofilms
- Bacterial genomics
- Epidemiology of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens in sub-Saharan Africa
Teaching/Lab demonstration experience
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
- 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. bioRxiv,2004.2003.535035.
- 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),
- Uchechukwu, C F, Anyaduba, U L, Udekwu, C C, Orababa, O Q, & Kade, A E (2023). Desmoglein-2 and COVID-19 complications: insights into its role as a biomarker, pathogenesis and clinical implications. The Journal of general virology, 104(10), 10.1099/jgv.0.001902. https://doi.org/10.1099/jgv.0.001902
- 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/
- Nnaemeka VC, Okafor, NA, Orababa OQ, Anikwe R, Onwe RO, Uzochukwu NP, Tsiterimam TS, Nwokoye NN, and Ike AC. COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance in Nigeria: A Rapid Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. medRxiv https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.02.16.23286008 (Article undergoing peer-review)
- 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
- 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)
American Society for Microbiology Future Leaders Fellowship (2024-2025)
Midlands Integrative Biosciences Training Partnership (MIBTP) studentship (2021-2025)
Microbiology Society Conference travel award (2023)
Lagos State Government Scholarship for Postgraduate students (2021)
Lagos State Government Scholarship for Undergraduate students (2014-2016)
