UNILORIN Research Team Secures N1. 7b Grant For Antibiotic Substitute Development

A research group at the University of Ilorin, known as Innovative Veterinary Solutions for AntiMicrobial Resistance 2 (INNOVET-AMR), secures a 1.6 million Canadian Dollars grant to pioneer groundbreaking solutions addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in food-producing animals.
The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada bestowed the grant upon the University of Ilorin research group, INNOVET-AMR 2.
The leader of the Research Team, Dr. Ismail Ayoade Odetokun, revealed this information while visiting Prof. Wahab Egbewole, SAN, the vice chancellor, in his office.
Other team members include the Director of UNILORIN Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Prof. Ibrahim Adisa Raufu; Prof. Wasiu Jimoh, Dr Ismail Adeyemo, Dr Basiru Afisu, Dr Aremu Abdulfatai, and Dr Olayiwola Akeem Ahmed, all from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
Collaborating with researchers from Spain’s Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA) and the Royal Holloway University of London, UK, the UNILORIN group will focus on developing a bacteriocin-rich extract (BRE) as a potential antibiotic alternative.
Their project, titled “Bacteriocin-rich Extract from Engineered Lactic Acid Bacteria as an Antibiotic Alternative for Therapeutic and Prophylactic Use in Ruminants and Aquaculture (BAC4RumA),” aims to explore the effectiveness and economic benefits of BRE as a treatment and preventive measure against bacterial infections in livestock and aquaculture.
Odetokun pointed out that the project not only seeks to develop a patentable product but also plans to recruit four postgraduate students and participate in capacity-building initiatives throughout the 32-month project duration.