Sarah Ms Macharia
My name is Sarah Macharia; a PhD student in Plant genetics at Kenyatta University Kenya. I am also a Research Associate at the International Insitute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nairobi with over a decade of experience in genetic transformation and genome editing of different crops. I have always enjoyed and excelled in sciences in school, despite cultural limitations on gender biases in this field. My interest in biology began in high school. It was an innate passion that often led me to demonstrate and explain biological systems in nature to my classmates with ease; a rewarding experience as they internalized and understood the concepts.
With a great desire to explore more in this field, I chose to pursue Biotechnology at the bachelor's and Master's levels. The course work exposed me to a broad knowledge of the different aspects of Biotechnology and their application. It was during my first research work on the genetic transformation of maize as an undergraduate project that developed a special interest in techniques that will lead to downstream applications of improved livelihoods, and food security through climate-smart agriculture. Attending this conference will grant me an opportunity to present my finalized work for my Ph.D. thesis, titled 'CRISPR/Cas9 activation and overexpression of MusaVicilin gene for disease resistance in banana'. This will further improve my skills and competence within my research interests and help build my capacity as a young scientist in my home country and other regions globally. Additionally, it will offer an opportunity to collaborate with other researchers within the field of agriculture.
I am dependable and detailed, have good interpersonal and communication skills, and am committed to upholding a respectful and collaborative team culture.
Abstracts this author is presenting: