Prof. Maurice Vincent Omolo

omolo

Contact Details

Department of Pure & Applied Chemistry and Center For African Medicinal & Nutritional Flora & Fauna (CAMNFF)

School of Natural Sciences (MMUST)

P.O. Box 190-50100

Kakamega, KENYA

Office no. CAMNFF Room 002

Kakamega-Webuye Road

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0787-7492

Google Scholar: JIOnh28AAAAJ&hl=en

ResearcherID: GNP-7064-2022

Prof. Maurice Vincent Omolo

Prof. Maurice Vincent Omolo is a Professor of Organic Chemistry. Maurice received his Bachelor of Science, B.Sc. at Kenyatta University in 1998. Thereafter, he embarked on his postgraduate research at the International Centre of Insect Physiology & Ecology (ICIPE) and Kenyatta University, where he obtained his M.Sc. and PhD in Organic Chemistry in 2002 and 2004, respectively. His teaching and research career started in 2004 when he was employed as a part time lecturer at MMUST. In 2006 he was employed by the same institution as a lecturer on permanent and pensionable terms at the Department of Physical Sciences. From 2007 to 2010 he worked at the International Centre for Insect Physiology & Ecology (ICIPE) as a Post-Doctoral fellow in tsetse chemical ecology at the Behavioural and Chemical Ecology Department (BCED).  In 2009, he got promoted to senior lecturer at the newly created department of Pure & Applied Chemistry at MMUST. In February 2010, Maurice was appointed the Director of Science & Technology Park and Industrial Linkages (STPIL) at MMUST. Three years later (2013) Maurice was promoted to Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry. Maurice served as the Director of STPIL for 6 years between February 2010 and February 2016. The Ministry of Education in October 2015 appointed Prof. Omolo as one of the juries for the National Commission of Science Technology & Innovation (NACOSTI). In April 15th 2016, he got appointed as the Director of Quality Assurance at MMUST and re-appointed again in the same post in 2019 and served as QA director until April 2022. Prof. Omolo is a senior researcher with a wide range of experience in Patent Drafting, Chemical Ecology, Natural Products Research and Semio-Chemistry of insects, particularly, the blood feeding insects where together with Prof. Ahmed Hassanali & Prof. Isaiah Ndiege they got granted a US patent. He also has another three patents with KIPI and ARIPO for innovations in smokeless biomass cook stove and a pesticide for post-harvest pests of stored grains. In August 2020, He filed his 5th Patent on a formulation for killing the Jigger Flea, Tunga penetrans. Maurice has a total of 37 publications cutting across Intellectual Property Rights and Peer Review Journal Publications. Prof. Omolo is a member of the Kenya Chemical Society, the Natural Products Research Network Association for Eastern & Central Africa and an Alumni of German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).Lastly, Prof. Omolo is a trained and internationally recognized Facilitator & Master Facilitator of Virtues ProjectTM: A soft life skill international program that impacts positive discipline to any community including staff in an organization and learners. He currently serves as a professor of the University.

Patents Generated:

  1. Adhiambo J. V., Omolo M.V., Ateya S. (2018). Blend for post-harvest insects feeding deterrent. ARIPO Patent No. AP 4684.
  2. Muhamed S., Omolo M.V. (2017). A novel smokeless biomass pyrolytic stove for sustainable bioenergy utilization. KIPI Patent No. KE 750.
  3. Omolo M.V., Adhiambo J. V., Ateya S. (2017). Feeding deterrent blend composition for post-harvest pests in dry stored food and agricultural products. KIPI Patent No. KE 764.
  4. Hassanali A., Ndiege IO., Omolo MO., Njiru B., Njagi PM (2014). Compositions for attracting blood-feeding insects. US Patent No. 8,734,773 B2, USA.

Some of his major publications:

  1. Omolo M.V., Wafula V.M., Owino J.O and Andati R (2022) Bio-pesticide composition for killing jiggers and other blood feeding insects and arachnid pests. WIPO International Publication Number WO 2022/045375 A1. https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2022045375A1/en?oq=PCT%2fKE2021%2f050001
  2. Maurice O. Omolo ,Isaiah O. Ndiege, Ahmed Hassanali, Semiochemical signatures associated with differential attraction of Anopheles gambiae to human feet. Plos one. Published: December 3, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0260149.

  3. Ngari A., Omolo M. V., Tarus P. K., Ng’ang’a M. and Hassanali A. (2020). Chemical compositionNgari A., Omolo M. V., Tarus P. K., Ng’ang’a M. and Hassanali A. (2020). Chemical compositionof smoke volatiles of some Kenyan Ocimum species. Journal of Phytochemistry andPharmacognosy, 2020, 9(1): 1871-1879. https://www.phytojournal.com/archives/2020/vol9issue1/PartAF/8-6-172-185.pdf
  4. Ngari A.G, Omolo M.V, Tarus P.K, Ng’ang’a M.M, Hassanali A (2019). Chemical compositions ofNgari A.G, Omolo M.V, Tarus P.K, Ng’ang’a M.M, Hassanali A (2019). Chemical compositions offresh volatiles’ aromas of some Kenyan Ocimum species. Journal of Pharmacognosy &Phytochemistry; 8(6): 201-208. https://www.phytojournal.com/archives/2019/vol8issue6/PartC/8-4-693-995.pdf.
  5. Wetungu MW, Omolo MO, Tarus PK, Segor FK, Cheseto X, (2018). Volatile aromaWetungu MW, Omolo MO, Tarus PK, Segor FK, Cheseto X, (2018). Volatile aromachemical constituents of fruit pulp of some Kenyan varieties of mango (Mangifera indicaL.) American Journal of Essential oils & Natural Products 6(2): 29-36. https://www.essencejournal.com/pdf/2018/vol6issue2/PartA/5-4-30-475.pdf.
  6. Wetungu Mw, Tarus PK, Segor FK, Cheseto X, Omolo MO (2015). Essential oil chemistryWetungu Mw, Tarus PK, Segor FK, Cheseto X, Omolo MO (2015). Essential oil chemistryof some Mangifera indica varieties from Kenya. American Journal of Essential oils &Natural Products 2(5): 18-23.
  7. M. O. Omolo, B. Njiru, I.O. Ndiege, R.M. Musau, A. Hassanali (2013). DifferentialM. O. Omolo, B. Njiru, I.O. Ndiege, R.M. Musau, A. Hassanali (2013). Differentialattractiveness of human foot odours to Anopheles gambiae Giles sensu strict (Diptera:Culicidae) and variation in their chemical composition. Acta Tropica 128 144-148. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2013.07.012.
  8. Hamisi M Malebo, Tanja Wenzler, Monical Cal, Sauda M Swaleh, Maurice O Omolo, Ahmed Hassanali, Urs Séquin, Daniel Häussinger, Petur Dalsgaard, Matthias amburger, Reto Brun and Isaiah O Ndiege (2013). Anti-protozoal activity of aporphine and protoberberine alkaloids fromAnnickia kummeriae (Engl. & Diels) Setten & Maas (Annonaceae). BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 13:48.DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-13-48.
  9. Hamisi M. Malebo, Tanja Wenzler, Monical Cal, Sauda M. Swaleh, Ahmed Hassanali, Alex K. Machocho, Urs Séquin, Daniel Häussinger, Petur Dalsgaard, Maurice O. Omolo, Matthias Hamburger, Reto Brun and Isaiah O. Ndiege (2013). Anti-protozoal and structure-activity relationships of chemical constituents of Acridocarpus chloropterus Oliver (Malpighiaceae) from Tanzania. International Journal of Natural Products 3 (4): 74-81.
  10. Rayaisse J.B., Tirados I., Kaba D., Dewhirst S.Y., Logan J.G., Diarrassouba A., Salou E.,, Omolo O.M., Solano P., Lehane M.J., Pickett J.A., Vale G.A., Torr S.J., Esterhuizen J. (2010) Prospects for the Development of Odour Baits to Control the Tsetse Flies Glossina tachinoides and G. palpalis s.l. PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis 4(3): e632. 1-13. Published: March 16, 2010. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0000632.
  11. Pickett J.A., Birkett M.A., Dewhirst S.Y., Logan J.G., Omolo O.M., Torto B., Pelletier J., Syed Z., Leal W.S. (2010) Chemical Ecology of Animal and Human Pathogen Vectors in a Changing Global Climate. J Chem Ecol 36:113–121.DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-010-9739-9.
  12. Omolo O. M, Hassanali A., Mpiana S, Esterhuizen J, Lindh J, et al. (2009). Prospects for developing odour baits to control Glossina fuscipes spp., the major vector of Human African Trypanosomiasis. PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis 3 (5): e435. 1-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0000435.
  13. Malebo H.M., Tanja W., Cal M., Swaleh S.M., Omolo O.M., Hassanali A., Sequin U., Hamburger M., Brun R., Ndiege I.O. (2009). Anti-plasmodial, anti-trypanosomal, antileishmanial and cytotoxicity activity of selected Tanzanian medicinal plants. Tanzania Journal of Health Research. 11 (4): 1-11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4314/thrb.v11i4.50194.
  14. Omolo O. M., Okinyo D., Ndiege I.O., Hassanali A and Lwande W (2005). Fumigant toxicity of the essential oils of some African plants against Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto. J. Phytomedicine 12, 241-246. DOI: 1https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2003.10.004.
  15. 4. Odalo O. J., Omolo O.M., Malebo H., Angira J., Njeru M. P., Ndiege I. O. and Hassanali A. (2005). Repellency of essential oils of some plants from the Kenyan coast against Anopheles gambiae. Acta Tropica 95, 210-218. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2005.06.007.
  16. Omolo O. M., Okinyo D., Ndiege I.O., Hassanali A and Lwande W (2004). Repellency of essential oils of some Kenyan plants against Anopheles gambiae. J. Phytochemistry 65, 2797-2802. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2004.08.035

Current running Research Grants:

  1. April 2022: Research Grant Ref. No. NRF/R/2016/2017 1st CALL/031 - as CO-PI; Donor: NIH; Project title: Expanding the tool box for tsetse control in Kenya
  2. March 2018: Research Grant Ref. No. NRF/R/2016/2017 1st CALL/031 - as PI; Donor: The National Research Fund (NRF), Kenya; ProjectTitle: Bio-prospecting for Phytochemical Repellants and bio-pesticides of the Jigger Flea Tunga penetrans from the Western Kenya Flora
  3. Research Grant Ref. No. NRF/R/2016/2017 1st CALL/031 – as Co-PI; Donor: The National Research Fund (NRF), Kenya -KU; Project title: Human Foot Bacterial Communities Producing Chemical Constituents that Mediate Attraction of Malaria Vector Anopheles gambiae to the Preferred Feeding Site

View full CV here:

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