Focus Areas

Research Interests

My work sits at the convergence of microbial ecology, computational genomics, and biotechnology. Using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, whole-genome sequencing, and shotgun metagenomics, I reveal how microorganisms function within complex ecosystems.

From plant-soil microbiome dynamics and biocontrol to fermented food functional genomics, I integrate wet-lab experimentation with cutting-edge bioinformatics pipelines on HPC environments.

My PhD research at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville focuses on genomic and metagenomic approaches to understand microbial community structure and ecological roles across diverse environments.

🧬
Computational Biology
Bioinformatics & HPC pipelines
🌱
Plant–Soil–Microbe
Rhizosphere & biocontrol
⚙️
Systems Biology
Network & pathway analysis
🔬
Microbial Biotechnology
Enzyme immobilisation
🗺️
Microbial Genomics
Comparative & metagenomics
🛡️
Biocontrol & PGPM
Plant growth-promoting microbes
Recent Work

Research Projects

01
16S rRNA Amplicon Sequencing & Metabolic Pathway Reconstruction
End-to-end pipeline from DNA extraction and library preparation through FASTQ QC, SPAdes assembly, and QUAST evaluation. Taxonomic identification via Prokka, NCBI, UniProt and KEGG. Reconstructed metabolic pathways to infer functional potential across microbial communities.
16S rRNASPAdesKEGGProkkaQUAST
2024–2025
Completed
02
Tomato Microbiome & Biocontrol Analysis
Wet-lab investigation of tomato–microbe interactions. Isolated and characterised plant-associated bacteria, assessed biocontrol potential against phytopathogens and conducted greenhouse-based experiments measuring microbial effects on plant growth and disease suppression.
BiocontrolGreenhouseMicrobiomePGPM
2024–Present
Active
03
Microbiome Analysis Using QIIME 2
Sequence denoising, feature table construction, and taxonomic assignment. Alpha and beta diversity analyses comparing community structure across experimental groups. Full statistical reproducibility with publication-quality visualisations.
QIIME 2Alpha DiversityBeta DiversityAmplicon
2024–2025
Completed
04
Metagenomics Analysis of Ugba Microbiome
Shotgun metagenomics and MAG recovery on HPC infrastructure to characterise microbial diversity and metabolic capacity of Ugba, a traditionally fermented African food. Functional genomics approach reveals unique ecological roles of the microbial community.
MetagenomicsMAG RecoveryHPCFunctional Genomics
2025–Present
Active
05
Bacterial Diversity in Urban Carbon Sequestration Trees — Salford, UK
Identified and characterised bacterial diversity in urban trees contributing to carbon sequestration in Salford City. Oral presentation at the University of Salford School of Science and Engineering, 2024.
Urban MicrobiomeCarbon SequestrationBacterial Diversity
2024
Completed
Peer Reviewed

Publications

2023
Characteristics of Luffa sponge-immobilized pectinase from Aspergillus Niger FTR 002 and its use in the continuous clarification of orange juice in packed-bed column bioreactor
Garuba, E.O., Temitope, O., & Onilude, A.
Applied Food Biotechnology, Vol. 10, Issue 4
View Publication →
2017
Evaluation of the Microorganisms Associated with Untreated and Salt-Treated Ogi (Corn Caramel) Stored at Room Temperature
Akin-Osanaiye & Oladele, T.
Microbiology Research Journal International
View Publication →
Capabilities

Technical Skills

🧬
Bioinformatics & Genomics
  • QIIME 2, SPAdes, QUAST
  • Prokka, KEGG, UniProt, NCBI
  • 16S rRNA amplicon analysis
  • Shotgun metagenomics & MAG
  • Whole-genome sequencing
  • Linux / HPC environments
  • Comparative & functional genomics
🔬
Wet Lab & Microbiology
  • Microbial culture & aseptic techniques
  • PCR, gel electrophoresis
  • DNA / RNA extraction
  • Enzyme assays & kinetic studies
  • Fermentation & bioprocessing
  • Microscopy (light, fluorescence, EM)
  • Greenhouse experimental design
📊
Data & Analytics
  • Statistical data analysis & visualisation
  • Business & Excel analytics
  • HPLC, GC-MS, spectrophotometry
  • Quantitative data analysis
  • Research ethics (TRREE certified)
  • Academic writing & reporting
  • Protein analysis (SDS-PAGE, blot)