Prof. Paul Njiruh Nthakanio
Name: Prof. Paul Njiruh Nthakanio, PhD
Title: Associate Professor
Position: Registrar Planning Administration and Finance
Department: Water and Agricultural Resource Management
School: School of Agriculture
Area of Specialization: Genetics, Crop Breeding, Biotechnology
Contact Address: P.O. Box 6301-00100, Nairobi
E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Google Scholar Account - https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=Duxw8FAAAAAJ
Orchid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9876-2593
Research gates: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paul-Nthakanio
Prof, Paul Njiruh Nthakanio is PhD holder from Zhejiang University China. He is a disguised scholar, researcher, consultant and entrepreneur with significant contribution in genetics research, teaching and management of higher education in Kenyan. Currently, he is an Associate Professor of Genetics and Plant Breeding and a Registrar Planning, Administration and Finance at the University of Embu. Before joining University of Embu Prof. Nthakanio worked at Technical University of Kenya where he is the founding of chairman of the department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology. He has also taught in Kenya Polytechnic, Rift Technical Training Institutes and in Secondary school.
Prof. Nthakanio is in the first cohort of initial 8 projective registered with Kenya Innovation Agency under Research to Commercialization (R2C) programme. In the R2C programme, he is the principal innovator in Bio-based Fertilizer, a product to promote climate smart agriculture. His current project is Integrated Approach to Produce Super Yielding Basmati370 Hybrid Rice Seeds for Farmers, where he is the principal investigator (PI). Under the project the following are research lines; a) production of hybrid basmati through environment genetic genic male sterility gene (Thermosensitve –Photoperiod sensitive genic male sterility) technology b) gene pyramiding aroma genes (QTLs) to make a super aromatic rice, c) production of adaptive and climate resilience basmati through introgression of drought tolerance genes, d) restructuring basmati rice to a dwarf basmati to reduce lodging and post maturity losses e) breeding for basmati with enhance disease resistance f)use of doubled Haploid (DH) methods to hasten breeding.
He is an expert reviewer with; a) Commission of Higher Education and b) National Biosafety Authority. He has participated and reviewed programmes in National Commission of Science Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI) and National Research Fund (NRF). Additionally, he has been Chairman of Department at Technical University of Kenya and University of Embu.
MEMBERSHIP TO ASSOCIATIONS
- Biorisk Management, International Federation of Biorisk
- Open Forum for Agricultural biotechnology in Kenya (Embu Node)
- Biochemistry association of Kenya
- Red Cross Society
- Agricultural Society of Kenya
- Association of Kenya Biotechnologists (AKEB)-
- Embu County Professional Development Association
Grants
- 2024 Grant Award - Enhancing Prevention of Gastrointestinal Malignancies Through Reducing Aflatoxins in Consumed Foods. (Aflatoxin Free-Cancer Free) - Read More
- Integrated approach to produce super yielding Basmati 370 hybrid Rice seeds for farmers’ by NRF. (KES 19,833,620) Period April 2022-April 2023