Dr Olukayode Daramola

Adequate knowledge of the genetic diversity among Babesia species infecting dogs is necessary for a better understanding of the epidemiology and control of canine babesiosis. Hence, this study determined the genetic diversity among the Babesia rossi detected in dogs presented for routine examination in Veterinary Hospitals in Abeokuta, Nigeria. Blood were randomly collected from 209 dogs. Field-stained thin smears were made and DNA extracted from the blood. Partial region of the 18S small subunit ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene was amplified, sequenced and analysed. Babesia species was detected in 16 (7.7%) of the dogs by microscopy. Electrophoresed PCR products from 39 (18.66%) dogs revealed band size of 450 bp and 2 (0.95%) dogs had band size of 430 bp. The sequences obtained from 450 bp amplicon displayed homology of 99.74% (387/388) with partial sequences of 18S rRNA gene of Babesia rossi in the GeneBank. Of the two sequences that had 430 bp amplicon, one was identified as T. annulata and second as T. ovis. A significantly (p<0.05) higher prevalence of B. rossi was detected by PCR compared to microscopy. The mean PCV of Babesia infected dogs was significantly (p<0.05) lower than non-infected dogs. Phylogenetic analysis revealed minimal diversity among B. rossi with the exception of one sequence that was greatly divergent from the others. This study suggests that more than one genotype of B. rossi may be in circulation among the dog population in the study area and this may have potential implication on clinical outcome of canine babesiosis.

Canine ehrlichiosis is an important tick-borne rickettsial disease mainly caused by Ehrlichia canis. This study aimed to detect and characterise E. canis in dogs in Abeokuta, Nigeria by microscopy and nested PCR. Blood samples were collected from 205 dogs, thin smears were made, field-stained, and DNA was extracted from the blood samples. A partial region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequenced unidirectionally. Ehrlichial morulae were detected in three dogs (1.5%). The PCR test revealed that 47 dogs (22.9%) were positive for E. canis. The lengths of the sequences obtained range from 374 bp to 376 bp with an average G-C content of 37% and 98-99% homology with the reference sequences in GenBank. The aligned autochthonous sequences were less polymorphic. The phylogenetic analysis separated sequences reported previously in Nigeria from the autochthonous sequences. The present work shows that the strain of E. canis detected in the study area is genetically different from those reported in the northern part of Nigeria and more closely related to sequences from Brazil and India.

Education for Sustainable Development (an interdisciplinary approach to learning aimed towards providing students with values, skills, and knowledge to be socially, economically, and globally accountable With respect to global citizenship, curriculum development plays a key role in ESD, while is a staff and student perspective as well In this the short study, I am interested in the attitude and various practices of HE teachers (tutors, etc) in the UK towards ESD This investigation would use a short anonymous survey targeting academics in the UK ( but not exclusively open to peers on the PGCert Academic Practice course, University of Liverpool) With the investigation already been covered by the module low-level ethical approval, I will be open to collecting opinions and discussing my ideas at the conference 8th annual Pedagogic Research Conference, 19/01/2023 - 19/01/2023, University of Liverpool: Emerging Ideas

Fasciolosis is caused by liver flukes: F. hepatica, and a sister species – F. gigantica. A growing concern with controlling the disease is resistance to triclabendazole (TCBZ), the only drug shown to kill both adult and immature liver flukes. Currently, F. hepatica mechanism of resistance to TCBZ is not clearly understood and there is no effective commercially available vaccine. Previous work proposed three mechanisms associated with TCBZ mode of action and resistance: tubulin binding activity, drug uptake mechanisms, and drug metabolism mechanism. Exploring evolutionary forces acting on F. hepatica genes associated with TCBZ mode of action and resistance could explain how the parasite develops resistance to the drug, enable identification of potential drug targets, and facilitate development of new drugs. A re-annotation of the current F. hepatica genome was done using an updated version of the published F. hepatica draft genome (assembly GCA_000947175.1, BioProject PRJEB6687). Subsequently, the current annotation (Fasciola_10x_pilon, GCA_900302435.1 WormBase Parasite Version 15) was compared and critically assessed with the newly re-annotated version. Using coding sequences (CDS) of three well-described annotated gene families, manual validation of the annotation was done. A total of 15,879 F. hepatica genes were identified in this project compared to the 9,401 genes in the current annotation, while differences noticed in both annotations include gene fragmentation, missing exons, and missing genes. F. hepatica gene family members belonging to each of the three proposed mechanism of action of TCBZ action and resistance, and their trematode orthologous sequences were compiled. The gene families studied include tubulins, ATP-binding cassette transporters (ABC), AC, RAS, ADP ribosylation factor, cytochrome P450 (CYP450), GSTs, and Fatty Acid Binding Proteins (FABPs). Signals indicative of positive selection was identified using Phylogenetic Analysis by Maximum Likelihood (PAML) and McDonald and Kreitman test (MKtest). PAML branch-site model testing identified 1 alpha tubulin, 1 delta tubulin, 5 ABC genes, 9 RAS genes, and 4 ADP ribosylation factor genes with statistically significant sites under positive selection. While the MKtest analysis identified 2 RAS genes and 1 AC genes under positive selection. The expression profile of the genes associated with TCBZ mode of action was assessed across F. hepatica life stages. Findings indicate that tubulin gene expression was elevated in metacercariae and newly excysted juveniles (NEJs), with a peak expression pattern noticed in NEJs 1 hour post excystment, with levels reducing in flukes 21 days post excystment. Similarly, in genes associated with TCBZ uptake, expression was predominantly raised in metacercariae and NEJs, while gene expression gradually reduced towards fluke maturity. The effect of TCBZ on F. hepatica was investigated in experimentally infected sheep. Parasite response to the drug in TCBZ resistant and susceptible F. hepatica isolates was compared in sheep infected and treated with the drug. TCBZ treatment induced gene expression patterns were noticed in 72% (90 out 125 genes, P < 0.05) of all the genes assessed (excluding unexpressed genes and constitutively expressed genes). Findings in this study indicate TCBZ administration affects multiple mechanisms in the parasite. Therefore, this confirms that all the three proposed TCBZ mode of action and resistance mechanisms in F. hepatica could be implicated in drug TCBZ resistance.