Optica - Omolara Baiyegunhi
Dr Omolara Baiyegunhi: Post-doctoral fellow Africa Health Research Institute, SANTHE Fellow #womeninscience #womeninresearch
Her Research: What is it about those viruses that are able to get past the immune system and establish an infection in a person? Are they the same as all the other viruses, is it just chance, is there something special that we can stop from happening? Despite all that is known about HIV, little is known about these founder viruses and how they interact with the host cells that they infect.
Omolara uses cell and molecular biology techniques and advanced microscopy to study founder viruses, understand their characteristics, and investigate how they are able to infect the host’s immune cells.
Her work involves isolating viruses from patient blood samples and cloning (inserting) virus genes into laboratory virus strains that can easily be cultured in the lab. She uses these for infectivity experiments, flow cytometry and ELISA (Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) to find out what proteins are being made.
In her microscopy studies, she labels (paints) the virus and host cells with antibodies or short nucleic acid strands that are attached to fluorochromes. These fluorochromes emit light of different wavelengths under the microscope. She can then study the viruses and different types of immune cells and see how they interact.
See her scientific publications and watch her talk about her PhD research
Her Heroes: My Father: From a very young age, he taught me the importance of dedication, focus and hard work in achieving success in life. He always emphasized the value of a good education and he exemplified these ideals as an entrepreneur who ran multiple successful businesses and still made time to acquire a PhD degree in his sixties.
Her Top Tips:
Be inquisitive: asking the right questions can lead you to a new scientific discovery or innovation.
Understand your strengths and weaknesses; this will guide your research interests and also help you to choose the right people to work for or collaborate with.
Have the right mindset towards challenges/obstacles/problems: See challenges as opportunities for growth and innovation.
Run towards opportunities and push boundaries!
What does it take to succeed in science? We asked everyone to rank the following from most important to least: Hard work, Curiosity, Communication , Creativity
What else do you need? Resilience, Emotional Intelligence, Integrity, Determination
Her Superpowers!
Eagles eyes through advanced microscopy! I use immunofluorescence microscopy to study viruses and cell markers to find where viruses hide in the body.
Cell culture, I grow human cells and pathogens in the laboratory to study and understand important characteristics of the cells or pathogens.
Gene cloning, I produce multiple copies of DNA from a DNA template.
Flow cytometry, I identify single cells with special properties out of a swarm of other cells by assigning different colours to different cell types.
Her scientific strengths: Collaboration, persistence, leadership
Outside of the lab: reading novels, crocheting and beauty therapy. I love mentoring young people.
Connect: Twitter @LaraBaiyegunhi | LinkedIn
UDkt Omolara Baiyegunhi: Isikhungo Socwaningo Lwezempilo sase-Afrika ngemuva kokudokotela, i-SANTHE Fellow #womeninscience #womeninresearch
Ucwaningo Lwakhe: Kuyini ngalawa magciwane akwazi ukudlula amasosha omzimba futhi asungule isifo kumuntu? Ingabe ayafana nawo wonke amanye amagciwane, ingabe kuyinhlanhla nje, ingabe kukhona okukhethekile esingakumisa ukuthi kungenzeki? Naphezu kwakho konke okwaziwayo nge-HIV, kuncane okwaziwayo ngalawa magciwane abasunguli kanye nendlela asebenzisana ngayo namangqamuzana abamba iqhaza awathelelayo.
U-Omolara usebenzisa amasu ebhayoloji yamangqamuzana kanye ne-microscopy ethuthukisiwe ukuze atadishe amagciwane abasunguli, aqonde izici zawo, futhi aphenye ukuthi akwazi kanjani ukuthelela amangqamuzana okuzivikela omzimba womsingathi.
Umsebenzi wakhe uhlanganisa ukuhlukanisa amagciwane kumasampula egazi esiguli kanye nokuhlanganisa (ukufaka) amagciwane ezakhi zofuzo ezinhlobonhlobo zegciwane laselabhorethri elingakhuliswa kalula elebhu. Lokhu usebenzisa ukuhlolwa kokutheleleka, i-flow cytometry kanye ne-ELISA (i-Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) ukuze athole ukuthi yimaphi amaprotheni enziwayo.
Ezifundweni zakhe ze-microscopy, ulebula (upenda) igciwane namaseli aphethe amasosha omzimba noma imicu emifushane ye-nucleic acid enamathiselwe kuma-fluorochrome. Lawa ma-fluorochrome akhipha ukukhanya kwamaza ahlukene ngaphansi kwesibonakhulu. Angakwazi ke ukufunda amagciwane nezinhlobo ezahlukene zamaseli omzimba futhi abone ukuthi asebenzisana kanjani.
Bheka izincwadi zakhe zesayensi (scientific publications) futhi umbuke ekhuluma ngocwaningo lwakhe lwe-PhD
Amaqhawe Akhe: Ubaba Wami: Kusukela ngisemncane kakhulu, wangifundisa ukubaluleka kokuzinikela, ukugxila nokusebenza kanzima ukuze ngithole impumelelo empilweni. Ubehlale egcizelela ukubaluleka kwemfundo esezingeni eliphezulu futhi ubeyisibonelo salezi zinhloso njengosomabhizinisi owayenamabhizinisi amaningi aphumelele futhi ezinika isikhathi sokuthola iziqu ze-PhD eminyakeni yakhe engamashumi ayisithupha.
Amathiphu akhe aphezulu:
Buza: ukubuza imibuzo efanele kungaholela ekutholweni okusha kwesayensi noma ekusungulweni okusha.
Qonda amandla akho kanye nobuthakathaka bakho; lokhu kuzoqondisa izintshisekelo zakho zocwaningo futhi kukusize ukuthi ukhethe abantu abalungile ozosebenza noma uhlanganyele nabo.
Yiba nomqondo olungile mayelana nezinselele/izithiyo/izinkinga: Bona izinselele njengamathuba okukhula kanye nokusungula izinto ezintsha.
Gijimela emathubeni bese ucindezela imingcele!
Yini edingekayo ukuze uphumelele kwisayensi? Sicele wonke umuntu ukuthi aklelise okulandelayo kusukela kokubaluleke kakhulu kuye kokuncane: Ukusebenza kanzima, Ilukuluku, Ukuxhumana, Ukusungula
Yini enye oyidingayo? Ukuqina, Ubuhlakani Bomzwelo, Ubuqotho, Ukuzimisela
Amandla Akhe Amakhulu!
Ama-Eagles amehlo nge-microscope ethuthukisiwe! Ngisebenzisa i-immunofluorescence microscopy ukuze ngifunde ngamagciwane kanye nezimpawu zamaseli ukuze ngithole lapho amagciwane ecashe khona emzimbeni.
Isiko lamaseli, ngikhulisa amangqamuzana omuntu kanye namagciwane elabhorethri ukuze ngifunde futhi ngiqonde izici ezibalulekile zamaseli noma amagciwane.
I-Gene cloning, ngikhiqiza amakhophi amaningi e-DNA kusuka kusifanekiso se-DNA.
I-Flow cytometry, ngikhomba amaseli angawodwa anezici ezikhethekile ephuzwini lamanye amaseli ngokunikeza imibala ehlukene ezinhlotsheni zamaseli ezihlukene.
Amandla akhe esayensi: Ukubambisana, ukuphikelela, ubuholi
Ngaphandle kwelebhu: ukufunda amanoveli, ukukhilosha kanye nokwelapha ngobuhle. Ngiyathanda ukufundisa abantu abasha.
Xhuma: Twitter @LaraBaiyegunhi | I-LinkedIn