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21 April 2023 | Story Andre Damons | Photo Charl Devenish
Dr Emms
Dr Ayodeji Emmanuel Ogunbayo (right), who graduated this week with a Doctor of Philosophy degree with specialisation in Medical Virology, with his proud supervisor Prof Martin Nyaga, Associate Professor in the UFS Next Generation Sequencing (UFS-NGS).

With respiratory diseases contributing to the highest morbidity and mortality rate in children, and the vast majority of disease aetiology remaining undiagnosed in clinical settings, Dr Ayodeji Emmanuel Ogunbayo hopes his research for his PhD in Medical Virology will help to reduce mortality in children with respiratory infection.

Dr Ogunbayo, commonly known as Dr Emms by his peers, graduated on Thursday (20 April 2023) with a Doctor of Philosophy degree with specialisation in Medical Virology at the University of the Free State (UFS) Faculty of Health Sciences graduation ceremony. The title of his thesis was Metagenomics of the respiratory RNA virome of children in the Free State. His supervisor was Prof Martin Nyaga, Associate Professor in the UFS Next Generation Sequencing (UFS-NGS) and Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre (WHO CC).

“While clinical metagenomics next-generation sequencing (mNGS), which is an upcoming method, has the potential to revolutionise infection diagnosis and management in children, there is a dearth of information on its clinical applicability in Africa. This is the knowledge that guided the inception of this research,” says Dr Ogunbayo.

Project came at the right time

He commenced with his PhD in Medical Virology in 2019, which was centred on the applicability of mNGS in severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) in children and deciphering the children’s respiratory virome in health and disease, a project which was the first of its kind in Africa.

According to him, the project was conceived before the COVID-19 pandemic, however, despite the challenges encountered due to lockdown measures, the project came at the right time as it was able to address several profound effects of the pandemic such as COVID-19 on the dynamics of transmission of respiratory viruses and ultimately its effect on children’s health. During his PhD study, he published four manuscripts in highly reputable journals including the most recent one which was accepted in Journal of Medical Virology (JMV)  an impressive impact factor of 20.693.

The findings from this study included a validated and robust workflow to recover respiratory RNA viruses from clinical samples, according to the graduation programme. The established workflow was adapted to decipher children’s respiratory virome composition in health and disease, with a degree of heterogeneity, while simultaneously establishing the clinical diagnostic applicability of mNGS and, more importantly, the increased utility of dual-triple mNGS analysis tools in robust detection of viral pathogens in SARI.

His hope for the research

Dr Ogunbayo says: “This research generated vast pioneering information and data in Africa that could guide and influence policy in the adoption of clinical metagenomics, especially in cases where conventional methods of diagnosis yielded no results. Hopefully, this could lessen mortality due to respiratory infection in children.

Before studying in the field of medical Microbiology and Virology, he wanted to be a psychiatric nurse, but instead chose his current field of study because of his interest in the microbial world and pathology.

“It’s a feeling one cannot really put into words. A part of me feels like it is a ‘dream come true’ and another part of me feels like ‘this is a milestone achieved, but it’s just a stepping stone to further milestones to be achieved’.

“What is next is for me to dive into the world of policy-influencing research, give back to the academic community through student supervision, and work on my journey to becoming an emerging researcher. This is the reason I have taken a postdoctoral position at the UFS-NGS Unit under the mentorship of Prof Martin Nyaga.”

Prof Nyaga says: “Looking back at Emmanuel’s doctoral journey, it brought out the best in him in every aspect of the study. Longitudinal studies are hectic in the sampling phase, and all the ethical clearances that a study must achieve prior to beginning the sampling and the laboratory work can be very frustrating. Soon after his study was approved, the pandemic lockdown level 5 rules were applied, which meant he had to pause on the study. However, his focus, positive mindset and his ability to work in close consultation with his supervisor enabled him to finish this study in the best way possible. I am very proud of him.”

News Archive

Physical Planning lives in recaptured space
2014-06-18

When the Department of Physical Planning decided on a new office premises, the team decided to tackle the project with an overarching theme – recycling.

It is important for Physical Planning to not only dictate to other departments on campus, but to set the example themselves,” says Nico Janse van Rensburg, Director: Physical Planning at the UFS. 

Recaptured space

New office space on campus is simply not available. It was therefore decided to recover space and a store room was identified. “Fortunately, the storage area had ceilings. However, it was dilapidated and was sagging all over. To divert attention from the ceiling, we painted it in a dark colour and the walls white.

“All wiring was also done superficially. It draws the attention away from the uneven surfaces and simplifies work on the wiring. Instead of trying to hide it, we made a focal point of it,” says Janse van Rensburg.

Recycled building materials

Lots of the building material that was used to convert the storage space into offices, was recovered from other building projects on campus. Material that would normally be discarded was utilised creatively to not only serve a practical purpose, but also an aesthetic one.

A laboratory basin was used as wash basin. Remaining parts of granite slabs from other sites were utilised as top for the basin. Existing toilets were also reused. To enhance the atmosphere, new taps in an affordable, but durable range were installed.

Recycled furniture

We rambled through every possible store room to find furniture. Tables were simply sanded and varnished and look better than new. Even the cabinet at the entrance was saved from wind and weather and reused.

Hot and smart

Only one screen wall was built. It was left in raw brick, unplastered and unpainted to contribute to contrasting textures. Existing walls were left painted or unpainted as it was before.

“The environment that was created breaks down several existing perceptions. Such as the perception that everything has to match; everything has to be plastered and painted and many others. This is an example of how different materials can be combined to create a lively environment.

“Staff members have already moved into their new offices and are very satisfied,” says Janse van Rensburg. 

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