AquaFish student Kachigunda aims to address fish diseases.

When Jane Tadala Kachigunda chose Biotechnology as the first choice during her undergraduate studies at the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), she thought it would only be about agriculture. However, she soon discovered the programme’s diverse applications in medicine, environmental science, breeding, and agricultural production.

The program sparked her interest in conducting research to address challenges in human health, agricultural production, and environmental health Currently studying an MSc in Aquatic Animal Health and Ecosystem Management at AquaFish at LUANAR, her research interest is in genomes of aquatic animals, plants and pathogens to combat diseases and improve the health of aquatic animals During the 2020 outbreak of Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome (EUS) in Malawi, the aquaculture and fisheries production chain was severely affected, and many people who depend on fish businesses suffered.

EUS is a severe fungal infection that primarily affects freshwater fish and spread from Mchinji district to other districts in Malawi. The outbreak of the disease was an inspiration for Jane to focus her research on diagnosis of fish diseases. In her thesis she is working on developing a rapid test-kit for the detection of Aphanomyces Invadans, which is an oomycete fungus that causes EUS in fish. Jane’s research will help monitor and minimize the pathogen’s impact on fish as the diagnostic kit will reduce the time required for diagnosis, enable early detection, and facilitate surveillance and prevention of future EUS outbreaks in Malawi.