Dr. Mark Njogu Kimani

Name: Dr. Mark Njogu Kimani
Title/Qualification: B.Sc Hons (Maseno), M.Sc (Egerton), Dr. rer. nat. (University of Muenster)
Position: Lecturer
Department: Physical Sciences
School: SPAS
Area of Specialization:  Organic Chem/Cheminformatics/Nanotechnology
Contact Address: P.O BOX 6-60100, Embu, Kenya
E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Short Biography
Dr. Kimani holds a Dr.rer.nat. in Organic Chemistry from University of Muenster (Germany). He is an alumnus of Egerton University and Maseno University.  Dr. Kimani is an expert in medicinal Chemistry of natural products, isolation, structure elucidation, computer-aided medicinal chemistry (molecular modelling and QSAR studies), and pharmaceutical nanotechnology of natural products.
Research Interests
•    Isolation and structure elucidation of bioactive natural products from plants and microorganisms
•    Structure-activity relationships of bioactive natural products
•    Analytical methods development and standardization of herbal drug material.
•    Herbal drugs repurposing-new pharmacological activities of traditional herbs.
•    Development of natural products nanoformulations for pharmaceutical applications

Grants

EQUIPMENT GRANTS
YEAR	EQUIPMENT	FUNDING AGENCY	AMOUNT
2021	Rotary evaporator	PMD/GIZ	€ 7,500
2021	ICT equipment	PMD/GIZ	€ 2,500
EXTERNAL RESEARCH GRANTS
Year	PROJECT TITLE	FUNDING AGENCY	ROLE		AMOUNT
2021	Search for antiprotozoal agents from Flueggea virosa and Teclea nobilis	IFS	Principal investigator		US$14,926
2020	Salary subsidy for returning experts	PMD/GIZ	Principal investigator		€ 23,280
OTHER GRANTS AND AWARDS
Year	TYPE OF GRANT			FUNDING AGENCY
2023	Post-doctoral research fellowship grant			Alexander von Humboldt
2018	Travel grants to attend WWU.USP Summer School and the 3rd Workshop IRTG on “Neglected Diseases” in Sao Paulo, Brazil			DAAD
2017	Travel grants to attend WWU.USP Summer School and the 2nd Workshop IRTG on “Neglected Diseases” in Ribeirão Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil			DAAD
2017	Travel award to attend the 65th Annual Meeting of the Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research (GA) in Basel, Switzerland			GA
2017	Travel award to attend the 17th NAPRECA Symposium on Natural Products; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia			ResNetNPND
2017	Travel award to attend IV Symposium of Tropical Health/COST Action CM 1307 (WG3 and WG4) Joint meeting at Instituto De Salud Tropical, Universidad De Navarra, Pamplona, Spain			COST ACTION
2015	Fellowship to undertake PhD studies at the University of Muenster, Germany			DAAD/NRF
CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION AWARDS
2022	University of Embu, 2022 Outstanding Young Researcher Award

 

Ongoing Research

1.    Anti-infective compounds from Basidiomycota
Microbial drug resistance is a global threat, causing increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. New drugs with novel modes of action are urgently needed. Fungi, particularly Basidiomycota, are a potential source of new drug leads, due to their wide biological and chemical diversity. The majority of fungi, however, are still largely unexplored and represent a rich source of bioactive compounds. This project aims to characterize bioactive secondary metabolites from mycelial cultures of Kenyan Basidiomycota. This phylum has great species diversity and it’s a prolific producer of new compounds. The success of this project will contribute to the discovery of new drug leads with novel modes of action to combat the global threat of microbial drug resistance.

2.    Investigating the potential of Vepris and Vernonia species secondary metabolites as antiprotozoal agents
Protozoan infections, such as malaria, leishmaniasis, trypanosomiasis, and Chagas disease, represent a significant health burden, especially in developing countries. The lack of effective and affordable treatments for these diseases highlights the urgent need for the development of new antiprotozoal drugs. To address this need, this research project focuses on exploring the antiprotozoal potential of secondary metabolites isolated from medicinal plants of the genera Vepris and Vernonia. By evaluating the antiprotozoal activity of the compounds derived from medicinal plants in these genera against various protozoan parasites, we aim to identify potential new antiprotozoal agents that can contribute to the development of more effective treatments for these diseases.

3.    Unlocking the secondary metabolic potential of fungal symbionts associated with xylophagous and organic waste Beetles
The rise of antibiotic resistance in bacteria has necessitated the continuous search for novel antimicrobial agents. One underexplored source is the gut symbiotic microbiome of edible insects, which has been found to contribute significantly to the host's adaptability to extreme environments. Insects, particularly class Insecta, have been successful in adapting to various environments, making their defense mechanisms and gut microbiome potential sources of novel molecules. This current study aims to investigate gut-culturable fungal symbionts of xylophagous and dung beetles and the secondary metabolites they produce, with the prospect of finding novel antibacterial compounds to combat multi-drug resistant pathogens.

4.  Insilco studies for the identification of novel inhibitors for the management of postprandial hyperglycemia.
 Diabetes has become one of the most challenging metabolic illnesses to treat. In many nations around the world, the prevalence of diabetes is on the rise. Sedentary lifestyles are significant contributors to the development of diabetes. Administration of drugs that lower blood glucose by inhibiting the action of key digestive enzymes such as α-glucosidase and α-amylase has been the key strategy to manage the disease. Thus, the project aims to leverage computational methods to discover new molecules for the treatment of postprandial hyperglycemia, a condition characterized by high blood sugar levels after meals. Through extensive in-silico studies and analyses, the project seeks to identify promising compounds that can be developed into effective drugs to manage this metabolic disorder, with potential implications for improving the lives of millions of people worldwide who suffer from diabetes and related complications.
These projects address multiple targets under SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being. For example, they target 3.3, which aims to end the epidemics of malaria, neglected tropical diseases, and other communicable diseases, and 3.4, which aims to reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being. In addition, the projects align with SDG 15: Life on Land and SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, including target 9.5, which aims to enhance scientific research, upgrade technological capabilities in all countries' industrial sectors, and promote innovation. The projects also support AU 2063 Goal 1, which seeks to eliminate preventable diseases and promote good health and well-being for all.

NProCompDD Lab - Natural Product Chemistry and Computational Drug Discovery Laboratory

Mission:

Advancing natural product chemistry and computational drug discovery for transformational therapies.

Vision:

Fostering breakthroughs in drug development from nature and with AI.

Objective:

To revolutionize drug discovery through integrated natural product chemistry and computation for innovative therapies.

Description.

Welcome to the NProCompDD Lab - Natural Product Chemistry and Computational Drug Discovery Laboratory!

Our research group specializes in the search for antiinfective compounds derived from natural sources, including plants, fungi, and insect-associated microbiota. Our multimodal approach blends computational drug discovery techniques with natural product chemistry. We use ADME/Tox prediction methods, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations with cutting-edge chemoinformatics tools to design and optimize possible therapeutic candidates. By combining computational tools, we can improve lead identification and optimization success rates and efficiency while also speeding up the drug development process.

In the NProCompDD Lab, we promote an inclusive and cooperative research atmosphere where professionals in the fields of chemistry, biology, computational science, and other fields collaborate to achieve optimal results. We cherish intellectual interchange, cross-disciplinary cooperation, and the practical application of scientific discoveries.

 

Dr. Mark Kimani CV  | Dr. Mark Njogu Kimani Publications