Bioscience

Bio

James joined the Programme in 2018 as a joint fellow between KWTRP and the Pirbright Institute, UK. At the Pirbright Institute, his research was focused on setting up a platform for foot and mouth disease, capsid specific single bovine B-cell sorting, B- cell sequencing, antibody expression and functionality assays in Prof. John Hammonds lab. In 2019 he came back to Prof. George Warimwe’s group and focussed on studying arboviruses including Rift Valley fever, Chikungunya and dengue, designing constructs for vaccine development and serological assays development to study these viruses. He is also the biosafety officer in the Programme. James studied BSc Biochemistry degree from Kenyatta University, Kenya. He then went to Wageningen University and Research centre (WUR), the Netherlands where he studied a MSc in Molecular life science (Biomedical research). His PhD research conducted at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Kenya and WUR focused on identification of novel Theileria parva antigens for development of a subunit vaccine for control of East Coast fever in Africa.

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Current Work

My current research focuses on development and validation of serological assays including 1) multiplexing pathogens such as arboviruses for sero-surveillance through the Luminex platform. This involves identification of target antigens, construct design, expression and purification of the recombinant proteins and their conjugation for multiplex testing. 2) Development of viral neutralization protocols and ELISA protocols to study these viruses. Recently, contributed to the development of SARS-CoV-2 ELISA and neutralization assays, the former has been used extensively to determine seroprevalence of anti- SARS-CoV-2 IgG in different target groups and was the first in Africa to estimate the extent of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in this population. My research also focusses on SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody discovery including single B-cell sorting, B- cell sequencing, sequence analysis, recombinant antibody expression and assays to establish their functionality.

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Recent publications

Sero-surveillance for IgG to SARS-CoV-2 at antenatal care clinics in three Kenyan referral hospitals: Repeated cross-sectional surveys 2020-21.
Lucinde, R. K., Mugo, D., Bottomley, C., Karani, A., Gardiner, E., Aziza, R., Gitonga, J. N., Karanja, H., Nyagwange, J., Tuju, J., Wanjiku, P., Nzomo, E., Kamuri, E., Thuranira, K., Agunda, S., Nyutu, G., Etyang, A. O., Adetifa, I. M. O., Kagucia, E., Uyoga, S., Otiende, M., Otieno, E., Ndwiga, L., Agoti, C. N., Aman, R. A., Mwangangi, M., Amoth, P., Kasera, K., Nyaguara, A., Ng'ang'a, W., Ochola, L. B., Namdala, E., Gaunya, O., Okuku, R., Barasa, E., Bejon, P., Tsofa, B., Ochola-Oyier, L. I., Warimwe, G. M., Agweyu, A., Scott, J. A. G., Gallagher, K. E.
PLoS One, (2022). 17:e0265478

Comparative performance of WANTAI ELISA for total immunoglobulin to receptor binding protein and an ELISA for IgG to spike protein in detecting SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Kenyan populations.
Nyagwange, J., Kutima, B., Mwai, K., Karanja, H. K., Gitonga, J. N., Mugo, D., Uyoga, S., Tuju, J., Ochola-Oyier, L. I., Ndungu, F., Bejon, P., Agweyu, A., Adetifa, I. M. O., Scott, J. A. G., Warimwe, G. M.
J Clin Virol, (2022). 146:105061

Seroprevalence of Antibodies to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Among Healthcare Workers in Kenya.
Etyang, A. O., Lucinde, R., Karanja, H., Kalu, C., Mugo, D., Nyagwange, J., Gitonga, J., Tuju, J., Wanjiku, P., Karani, A., Mutua, S., Maroko, H., Nzomo, E., Maitha, E., Kamuri, E., Kaugiria, T., Weru, J., Ochola, L. B., Kilimo, N., Charo, S., Emukule, N., Moracha, W., Mukabi, D., Okuku, R., Ogutu, M., Angujo, B., Otiende, M., Bottomley, C., Otieno, E., Ndwiga, L., Nyaguara, A., Voller, S., Agoti, C. N., Nokes, D. J., Ochola-Oyier, L. I., Aman, R., Amoth, P., Mwangangi, M., Kasera, K., Ng'ang'a, W., Adetifa, I. M. O., Wangeci Kagucia, E., Gallagher, K., Uyoga, S., Tsofa, B., Barasa, E., Bejon, P., Scott, J. A. G., Agweyu, A., Warimwe, G. M.
Clin Infect Dis, (2022). 74:288-293

Epidemiology of COVID-19 infections on routine polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and serology testing in Coastal Kenya.
Nyagwange, J., Ndwiga, L., Muteru, K., Wamae, K., Tuju, J., Testing Team, C., Kutima, B., Gitonga, J., Karanja, H., Mugo, D., Kasera, K., Amoth, P., Murunga, N., Babu, L., Otieno, E., Githinji, G., Nokes, D. J., Tsofa, B., Orindi, B., Barasa, E., Warimwe, G., Agoti, C. N., Bejon, P., Ochola-Oyier, L. I.
Wellcome Open Res, (2022). 7:69

Temporal trends of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence during the first wave of the COVID-19 epidemic in Kenya.
Adetifa, I. M. O., Uyoga, S., Gitonga, J. N., Mugo, D., Otiende, M., Nyagwange, J., Karanja, H. K., Tuju, J., Wanjiku, P., Aman, R., Mwangangi, M., Amoth, P., Kasera, K., Ng'ang'a, W., Rombo, C., Yegon, C., Kithi, K., Odhiambo, E., Rotich, T., Orgut, I., Kihara, S., Bottomley, C., Kagucia, E. W., Gallagher, K. E., Etyang, A., Voller, S., Lambe, T., Wright, D., Barasa, E., Tsofa, B., Bejon, P., Ochola-Oyier, L. I., Agweyu, A., Scott, J. A. G., Warimwe, G. M.
Nat Commun, (2021). 12:3966