News Releases

A Journey through local microbial landscape at Professorial Inaugural Lecture

For Release Upon Receipt - April 6, 2023

St. Augustine


 ST. AUGUSTINE, Trinidad and Tobago. Thursday, April 6, 2023- The University of the West Indies (The UWI), St. Augustine Campus, invites the public to a Professorial Inaugural Lecture featuring Professor Adesh Ramsubhag, Professor of Microbiology and Biotechnology. Professor Ramsubhag will take attendees on a “Journey through the local microbial landscape: Challenges and biotechnological potential for the Caribbean” at UWI’s Learning Resource Centre in St. Augustine Campus on Wednesday, April 12,  2023.

 With more than one trillion estimated species and 5 million trillion trillion (530) cells, microorganisms dominate the world, and have major impacts on our lives. While a small number of these organisms can cause disease, the vast majority of microbes are beneficial, and many have been exploited for providing important products and services for humans. This lecture will focus on explorations of microorganisms in Trinidad and Tobago, both in detecting and helping to manage harmful species but, more importantly, in isolating and assessing beneficial types for biotechnological applications. 

 Trinidad and Tobago is considered a biodiversity hotspot for higher organisms and, ploughing deep into our microbial landscape using DNA based methods, Prof. Ramsubhag’s research group has revealed an unimaginable level of diversity and uniqueness in the local environment. This provides a tremendous opportunity for biotechnological exploitation of the huge potential pool of unique genes and metabolites for commercialization, such as the discovery of new drug molecules. Their research has, however, revealed significant threat to Trinidad and Tobago’s unique microbial biodiversity and to human health by microbial and chemical pollution from domestic, agricultural, and industrial sources.

 Professor Ramsubhag will explore all of the above as well as present information on work done on disease causing microbes, including characterization of antibiotic resistance genes in clinical bacteria and the environment. He will also make a case for increased funding for advancing scientific research and innovation towards economic development, self-reliance and sustainability.

 After graduating with a BSc in Agriculture from The UWI St. Augustine, Professor Ramsubhag received a UWI Open Postgraduate Scholarship and earned a Doctorate in Microbiology. He became a Lecturer in Microbiology and Plant Pathology at the St. Augustine Campus in 2001 and served as Head of the Department of Life Sciences from 2015 to 2018. He was elevated to Professor in 2021.

 Interested persons may register via the link (link address) to attend the event which starts at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at the Learning Resource Centre on the St. Augustine Campus.

 END

 About The University of the West Indies

  The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development; residing at the centre of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region for the past 75 years.

 From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with near 50,000 students and five campuses: Monain Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and its Open Campus, and global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe.

 The UWI offers over 800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it possesses the largest pool of Caribbean intellect and expertise committed to confronting the critical issues of our region and wider world.

 The UWI has been consistently ranked among the top universities globally by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE). The UWI is the only Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists since its debut in the rankings in 2018. In addition to its leading position in the Caribbean in the World University Rankings, it is also in the top 25 for Latin America and the Caribbean and the top 100 global Golden Age universities (between 50 and 80 years old).  The UWI is also featured among the leading universities on THE’s Impact Rankings for its response to the world’s biggest concerns, outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Wellbeing; Gender Equality and Climate Action.

 2023 marks The UWI’s 75th anniversary. The Diamond jubilee milestone themed “UWI at 75. Rooted. Ready. Rising.” features initiatives purposely designed and aligned to reflect on the past, confront the present, and articulate plans for the future of the regional University.

 Learn more at www.uwi.edu  

 

Contact