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This research will focus on a cancer causing human respiratory tract irritant that occurs naturally in Irish agricultural soil

South East Technological University (SETU) is proud to announce Dr Tognisse Anique Godjo as the first SETU researcher to be awarded a Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship under the Irish Research Council (IRC)’s Government of Ireland programme.

Development of the nematode Steinernema feltiae as a sentinel organism for heavy metal toxicity with international accreditation is the title of Dr Godjo’s postdoctoral research project supervised by Dr Thomaé Kakouli-Duarte, Director of enviroCORE, and Dr John Byrne, Department of Applied Science in Carlow.

What is Hexavalent chromium?

Hexavalent chromium (Cr VI) is a human respiratory tract irritant and is known to cause lung, nose and nasal sinuses cancers. This element is ubiquitous in soils and can also occur as a result of human industrial practices. In Ireland, it occurs naturally in agricultural soils.

Remediation or mitigation of the effects of a particular heavy metal in a contaminated area, start with the detection of Cr VI in the contaminated substrate and the associated risk assessment. This research will provide essential information on the effects of Cr VI on key indicator soil organisms and develop valuable tools for assessing the corresponding risk.

Pertinent soil pollution problem

Dr Godjo was one of just 77 awarded this competitive fellowship in 2022. “I am very honoured to have been awarded this distinguished fellowship which will help me develop my research skills and expand my international research network, especially with Irish institutions,” said Dr Godjo.

Speaking of the importance of this research, Dr Kakouli-Duarte added, “We are delighted with this prestigious fellowship and acknowledge the support of IRC addressing a very relevant and pertinent soil pollution problem, and at the same time allowing us to offer solutions based on our expertise and in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”

Dr Godjo bio

Dr Godjo completed her first degree in agricultural engineering (BSc, Hons) at the University of Parakou, Republic of Benin in 2007. After working in the private sector, she decided to further her studies and moved to Belgium where she completed a Master of Science in Nematology (2011-2013) followed by a doctoral degree (PhD) in Biology (2013-2018) at Ghent University, focusing on fruit fly management in mango cultivations using entomopathogenic nematodes.

Subsequently, she was engaged in several Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), European Union, and Agence Française de Développement (AFD) funded projects at her home institution which involved her performing research work on nematodes and other plant pathogens on diverse tropical crops. Several undergraduate and post graduate students were involved in these projects and performed research work under her direct supervision.