Philemon Orwa

-Led a microbial biocontrol R&D project for tomato late blight, screening 700+ bacterial and fungal isolates and advancing 20+ candidates through a structured development pipeline. -Down-selected 10+ lead isolates and microbial consortia using functional and plant-based efficacy data; five candidates reduced disease severity by up to 60%. -Characterised 146 isolates using DNA extraction, PCR, Sanger sequencing, 16S/ITS profiling and fungal genome analysis, strengthening candidate identity and traceability.

-Advanced Bacillus and Trichoderma candidates through a microbial biopesticide development pipeline, from strain screening to greenhouse and field validation. -Developed and executed liquid and solid-state fermentation workflows, including inoculum preparation, cultivation, and biomass or spore recovery, to support process development. -Designed greenhouse and field trials to compare treatments, evaluate biocontrol efficacy and guide candidate down-selection. -Combined microbial typing, phenotypic screening

-Combined molecular screening and disease phenotyping to generate decision-ready data for rice resistance-marker and cultivar selection. -Screened 240 rice genotypes for 21 blast-resistance genes using PCR-based markers, supporting genotype classification and candidate prioritisation. -Cultured eight Magnaporthe oryzae isolates and validated resistance performance across 56 rice genotypes through controlled greenhouse challenge assays. -Maintained data quality and traceability through standardised molecular

-Executed four commercial production cycles for fungal and nematode biological-control agents, including Beauveria bassiana, Lecanicillium lecanii, Paecilomyces lilacinus, and Trichoderma spp. 0Operated liquid-fermentation and solid-culture workflows covering cultivation, harvesting, formulation, packaging, and batch handling. 0Performed contamination, concentration, viability, and nematode quality checks against established specifications; identified non-conforming batches and maintained QC records and end

Mass production of Entomopathogenic nematodes and fungi. Harvesting of fungal spores, beneficial nematodes. Quality Control. Formulation and packaging of entomo-products. Pathology tests

Thesis on beneficial fungi extremophiles from Lake Magadi, Kenya

Research project on enzymatic activities of terrestrial microorganisms