Steven Runo Guest Professor
Steven Runo is Professor at the Kenyatta University Nairobi. He uses genetics and genomics tools to improve African crops. One of his great success stories is resistance to Striga, also known as witchweed. Striga is as very damaging parasitic weed threatening the livelyhoods of smallholder farmers in several regions of Africa. He uses the most advanced research tools to understand host-pathogen interaction and applies this knowledge to develop striga resistant African crops. His work is highly appreciated. He was invited keynote speaker at a BOKU mini symposium on New Genomic Technologies in February 2025.
He will teach and instruct our students in topics around the general theme: Genomics and breeding tools for improving crops for smallholder farmers in sub-Sahara Africa.
The courses will be partly implemented in courses such as Plant breeding - principles and methods, Molecular plant breeding, Resistance breeding, Principles and methods in weed control, Project design and sustainable development goals (SDGs), and AgriGenomics Seminar.
For more information and in case you would like to meet with Steven please contact Hermann Buerstmayr
Teaching Content
The course will take place mid November to mid December 2025, times and places will be announced as soon as available! The students will comprehend and master crop production constraints for smallholder farmers in Sub Sahara Africa, and will be able to develop and implement technical solutions for such problems, including genomics based solutions such as gene-identification and gene-editing methods to develop stress resilient crop cultivars. One example among more will be Striga (withweed) resistance in sorghum and maize. Additional examples of using genomics and breeding for improving crop plant resilience will be explored, such as problems in maize, rice, cowpea and taro.
Previous knowledge expected
Bachelor Knowledge on Plant Breeding, Plant Genetics, Molecular Genetics, Plant Biotechnology
Objective
Comprehend constraints of smallholder farmers in Sub Sahara Africa Be able to understand and contribute to developing genetic and breeding solutions for improving crops, with a focus on African crops. Design and implement a biotechnology assisted crop improvement project.
Mini CV Steven Runo
Steven Runo is Professor of Molecular Biology at Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya. He received his BSc and MSc degrees from Kenyatta University. He then was awarded with a Rockefeller Foundation PhD fellowship to study molecular biology as part of a collaboration between Kenyatta University and the University of California in Davis. After completing his PhD in 2008, he accomplished postdoctoral projects at the University of Sheffield (UK) and the University of Virginia (USA) before returning to Kenya and accepting a faculty position at Kenyatta University. Currently, his lab uses molecular genetic tools to understand parasitic plants that limit crop production in Africa and their interaction with the hosts. Steven is a recipient of the Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship and the Georg Forster Senior Research Fellowship. In recognition of his contributions to science, Steven Runo was awarded the Royal Society Africa Prize in 2020.
Steven's Publications at Google Scholar
Nature News: CRISPR-edited crops break new ground in Africa. Scientists in the global south use the popular technique to protect local crops against local threats.