Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Dr. Chioma Blaise Chikere of University of Port Harcourt Wins International Prize


Dr.  Chioma Blaise Chikere of the University of Port Harcourt has won the second prize in the 2017 Elsevier Foundation Green and Sustainable Chemistry Challenge.

Chioma Blaise Chikere, PhD:
The Niger Delta has been devastated by crude oil spills for decades and bioremediation of this land is a major priority for Nigeria. This project proposes to add organic nutrients such as animal excreta to the soil, using the microorganisms’ own capacities to degrade hydrocarbons, to clean up contaminated soil.

Dr.Chikere’s area of specialization is environmental biotechnology and petroleum microbiology with focus on bioremediation. She is principal investigator in two research groups: one focusing on the use of molecular microbiology techniques to evaluate microbial population in bioremediation of oil-polluted environments; and the second exploring the therapeutic potentials of underutilized indigenous medicinal plants.

The news was announced today in a press release.


Winners Announced for the 2017 Elsevier Foundation Green and Sustainable Chemistry Challenge
   
BERLIN, May 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Winning projects use bioresources to combat mosquito borne diseases in Brazil and oil-polluted land in Nigeria

Chemistry solutions that tap native plants, such as cashew nuts, to tackle mosquito borne diseases through environmentally friendly insecticides and a focus on eco-remediation of land devastated by crude oil spills in Nigeria, won the Elsevier Foundation Green and Sustainable Chemistry Challenge. The 2017 first prize winner is Dr. DĂȘnis Pires de Lima  from the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, in Brazil, and the second prize winner is Dr. Chioma Blaise Chikere from the University of Port Harcourt in Nigeria.

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