Dr. Nelson Opoku - University for Development Studies

DR. NELSON OPOKU SENIOR LECTURER DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY FACULTY OF BIOSCIENCE NYANKPALA Campus

Background

Nelson Opoku (PhD) is a Senior Lecturer and Dean of the Faculty of Biosciences. He has also served as the Vice Dean for the Faculty and Head of the Department of Biotechnology and Molecular Biology. Nelson has over 10 years of working experience at the University for Development Studies as a teacher and researcher. He has over 30 refereed article publications and presented academic papers at international and local conferences. His teaching covers areas such as Plant Microbe Interactions, Comparative Virology, Insect Biology and Molecular Plant Pathology. His research focuses on molecular plant disease diagnosis and biological control, monitoring and post-harvest management of mycotoxins such as aflatoxins and Zearalenone and the use of virulence enhanced Fusarium species in the control of Striga species. He has collaborated with other researchers to work on projects funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Peanut Innovation Laboratory and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). He is a member of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants (JECFA) - Roster 2023 – 2027 and the National CODEX Sub-Committee on Food Additives, Contaminants and Mycotoxins (Ghana).

Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nelson_opoku2
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=dL_Y08EAAAAJ&hl=en
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6691-8178
Email: nopoku@uds.edu.gh
Phone: +233542298007

Hudu, A. R., Addy, F., Mahunu, G. K., Abubakari, A. H., and Opoku, N. (2024). Zearalenone contamination in maize, its associated producing fungi, control strategies, and legislation in Sub-Saharan Africa. Food Science & Nutrition, 00, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.4125.
Aluko, O. O., Ninkuu, V., Ziemah, J., Jianpei, Y., Taiwo, E., Ninkuu, S. B., Sabuli, N., Adetunde, L. A., Imoro, A. M., Ozavize, S. F., Onyiro, Q. A., Dogee, G., Adedire, O. M., Hunpatin, O. S., and Opoku, N. (2024). Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of EIN3/EIL gene family in rice (Oryza sativa). Plant Stress, 12, 10, 100437, ISSN 2667-064X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stress.2024.100437.
Sean, P., Nicholas, M., Ellen, B. M., Vivian, H., Nelson, O., and Abdul-Hafiz, A. (2024). Challenges to groundnut value chain development: lessons from an (attempted) experiment in Ghana, Journal of Development Effectiveness, DOI: 10.1080/19439342.2024.2319657.
Damba, Y., Opoku, N., Abubakar, R. M., and Lawa, M. (2023). Evaluation of aflatoxin levels in selected varieties of cowpea in the Greater Accra Region, Ghana. Journal of Food Safety and Hygiene. 9(1): 16-2.
Samari, E., Opoku, N., and Lawal, M. (2022). Aflatoxin determination in selected spices in the Greater Accra Region, Ghana. Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences. 20: 218-226.
Magnan, N., Hoffmann, V., Gajate, G., Kanyam, D., and Opoku, N. (2021). Information, technology, and market rewards: Incentivizing aflatoxin control in Ghana. Journal of Development Economics 151:2, 102620.
Hudu, A. R., Mahunu, G. K., and Opoku, N. (2021). Influence of Indigenous Processing Methods on Aflatoxin Occurrence in Africa. In: Aflatoxin. 10.5772/IntechOpen.96893.
Abudulai, M., Mahama, G., Dzomeku, I., Seidu, A., Sugri, I., Nboyine, J.A., Opoku, N., and Rhoads, J. (2020). Evaluation of Agricultural Practices to Increase Yield and Financial Return and Minimize Aflatoxin Contamination in Peanut in Northern Ghana. Peanut Science. 47:156–162.
Saba, C., Opoku, N., and Baabiineh, P. K. K. (2021). Historical Perspectives of Epidemics; Chronology, Symptoms and Detection of COVID-19 in Ghana and Nothern Ghana. In Kugbe, J. X. (ed). Impact of COVID-19 on Food Production, Nutrition Security & Hospitality in Nothern Ghana.
Ninkuu, V., Adetunde, L. A., Sackey, I., Opoku, N., and Diedong, P. (2019). Antifungal efficacy of crude extracts of Azadirachta indica and Vernonia amygdalina against pathogenic Aspergillus niger (ATCC 16404). Journal of Medicinal Plant Research 13(17):408-412.
Opoku, N., Achaglinkame, M. A., and Amagloh, F. K. (2018). Aflatoxin content in cereal-legume blends on the Ghanaian market far exceeds the permissible limits. Food security.10:6, 1539-1545.
Jordan, D., Branddenburg, R., Payne, G., and Opoku, N. (2018). Preventing mycotoxin contamination in groundnut cultivation. In: Sivasanker S, Bergvinson D, Gaur P, Kumar S, Beebe S and Tamo M. eds, Achieving sustainable cultivation of grain legumes. Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing Limited.
Opoku, N., Back, M., and Edward, S. (2017). Susceptibility of cereal species to Fusarium langsethiae under identical field conditions. European Journal of Plant Pathology. 150:869–879.
Achaglinkame, M. A., Opoku, N., and Amagloh, F. K. (2017). Aflatoxin contamination in cereal and legumes to reconsider usage as Complementary food Ingredients for Ghanaian children: a review. Journal of Nutrition and Intermediary Metabolism. 10, 1-7.
Honger, J. O., Brentu, C., Opoku, N., and Dzidzienyo, D. (2017). Identification and molecular phylogenetics of Lasiodiplodia parva associated with white yam (Dioscorea rotundata L.) in Ghana. Ghana journal of Science. 57, 23-33.