In Nigeria, access to antibiotics without guidance, low public awareness drive misuse — Chinwe Justice-Alucho, microbiologist, PhD researcher

Chinwe Justice-Alucho is a microbiologist who specialises in food industrial microbiology, food safety, and antimicrobial resistance. She is a PhD student at Clemson University, South Carolina, United States, where she is a graduate assistant. In this interview by KINGSLEY ALUMONA, she speaks about her studies, work, and how antimicrobial resistance affects people.

How would you describe your educational journey and career in microbiology, and how has the journey been so far?

My educational journey in microbiology has been both dynamic and purpose-driven. I earned a bachelor’s degree in Microbiology with First Class honours, where my early exposure to clinical laboratory work shaped my research interests. During my internship, I observed that many patients returned with recurrent infections that were increasingly difficult to treat, often due to antibiotic failure. This experience highlighted the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance and motivated me to understand its underlying mechanisms and impact on human health.

Building on this, I pursued a master’s degree in food and industrial microbiology, where I focused on antimicrobial resistance from a food safety perspective, recognising that resistant pathogens can be transmitted through food systems. My research further strengthened my interest in the molecular mechanisms of resistance.

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Professionally, I began as a quality control and safety officer at Notore Petrochemicals, where I assessed wastee and treatment efficacy. I later gained research experience at the Antonie van Leeuwenhoek Research Centre, where I independently characterised antimicrobial resistance genes in foodborne pathogens isolated from seafood. This work deepened my expertise in molecular microbiology and public health risk assessment. I subsequently transitioned into academia, serving as a graduate assistant and later as an assistant lecturer, where I taught and mentored undergraduate students while contributing to research.

Currently, as a PhD student, my research focuses on bioactive compounds from plants as sustainable alternatives to antibiotics in poultry systems, addressing both animal health and antimicrobial resistance.

What influenced your choice of Clemson University, South Caroline, United States, for your PhD programme? How do you manage the tuition and the cost of living at the university?

Clemson felt like the right fit for me, both academically and personally. The microbiology PhD programme really matches what I was looking for, especially in terms of hands-on, applied research. When I looked into my current lab, I saw that the work being done connects directly to real-world problems, like antimicrobial resistance, which is exactly where my passion lies. I also really liked that the programme is flexible. It gives me the opportunity to shape my research and coursework around my interests, and the access to high-throughput facilities is a huge advantage for the kind of work I’m doing.

Beyond academics, Clemson has a calm, suburban environment, which makes it easier to stay focused and maintain a good balance. It just feels like a comfortable place to grow both professionally and personally.

As for funding, I’m on a graduate assistantship, so my tuition is covered, and I receive a stipend that helps with my living expenses. I’ve learned to manage my finances carefully. So, overall, it’s been sustainable for me.

What do you specialise in for your PhD programme, and what is your PhD thesis about and its significance to society?

My PhD specialises in applied microbiology, focusing on antimicrobial resistance in food systems. My research investigates how fermentation enhances bioactive metabolites in sorghum that can inhibit pathogens like Clostridium perfringens while modulating the poultry gut microbiome to improve disease resistance.

In our recent study, titled ‘Genetic dissection of sorghum [Sorghum bicolour (L.) Moench] grain antimicrobial activity against Clostridium perfringens and its relationship with grain composition and field performance’, we showed that sorghum-derived compounds significantly inhibit C. perfringens, a major cause of necrotic enteritis, which costs the poultry industry billions of dollars globally each year.

Building on this, my current work explores fermented sorghum as a functional feed strategy to improve gut health, reduce pathogen burden, and decrease reliance on antibiotics. Plant-derived bioactive compounds act as prebiotics, and the fermenting microbes serve as probiotics; together, this synergistic combination can enhance gut health and strengthen resistance to disease. . Importantly, this approach has translational potential. ThisSimilar gut microbiome–modulating strategies could be applied in human health to enhance disease resistance and help reduce antibiotic dependence. More so, improving poultry host immunity through this sustainable, food-based alternative to antibiotics would significantly reduce the cost associated with antibiotic growth promoters, enhance food safety, reduce food insecurity, and contribute largely to the economy while ensuring environmental health safety.

In one of your LinkedIn posts, you said that one of the innovative ways you approach antimicrobial resistance research is by utilising metagenomics and bioinformatics. What is unique in these two methods of study, and how are the results they are giving so far looking?

What makes metagenomics and bioinformatics unique is that they allow me to study the entire microbial community without needing to culture individual organisms. So, I can capture both known and previously uncharacterised microbes and viruses. This is especially important in my work because it helps me understand how fermented- sorghum derived metabolites metabolites reshape the gut microbiome at a systems level.

So far, the results have been promising. It’s giving us a more mechanistic understanding of how these natural interventions can enhance host resilience and potentially reduce reliance on antibiotics.

Your bio states that your interests span using education and research to solve health problems, such as antimicrobial resistance in the poultry industry. Why did you choose poultry birds over human beings for your work? And how does antimicrobial resistance in poultry birds affect humans?

I chose poultry because it’s one of the largest users of antibiotics globally, which makes it a critical point for addressing antimicrobial resistance at the source. By targeting poultry systems, we can reduce the selective pressure that drives resistance before it enters the human population.

Antimicrobial resistance in poultry directly affects humans through the food chain, environmental contamination, and potential transfer of resistant bacteria or resistance genes. So, improving poultry gut health using fermentation derived bioactive compounds and reducing antibiotic use in poultry doesn’t just benefit animal production — it’s a proactive, upstream strategy to protect human health, the environment and food safety through one health approach.

You recently published a scholarly article, titled ‘Antimicrobial activity of Syzygium aromaticum (clove) against Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes is enhanced by optimised extraction methods’, in January 2026. What were the findings of this work, especially as regards the microbial it is meant to investigate? Do you think this method could be effective in managing other microbial diseases?

Clove is a common food spice that many people use, but often overlook its ability to fight harmful bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes, which are important in food safety. With the growing interest in clove in recent years, we wanted to not only show that it has antimicrobial properties, but also to find the best way to extract those active compounds so they work more effectively.

We found that certain extraction methods made clove much more powerful against these bacteria, especially S. aureus. This is important because it shows that clove could potentially be used as a natural feed additive to reduce infections in food systems. Overall, the study highlights the need to explore more plant-based alternative ways to reduce reliance on antibiotics and help address antimicrobial resistance.

Antibiotics and antifungal medications are easily acquired over the counter and easily abused in Nigeria, leading to antimicrobial resistance in the human body. How exactly does antimicrobial resistance harm the body? When the resistance sets in, does it have a cure or a lasting solution to it?

Antimicrobial resistance doesn’t harm the body directly, but the problem is that it makes infections much harder to treat. When bacteria or fungi become resistant, the drugs we normally use stop working. So, infections can last longer, become more severe, and sometimes lead to serious complications or death.

There isn’t a simple cure for resistance itself. Doctors often have to use stronger or more expensive drugs, which may not always be available or affordable. That’s why prevention is so important. In a country like Nigeria, where antibiotics are often easily accessible and sometimes misused, preventing infections in the first place can significantly reduce how often people rely on these drugs. If fewer infections occur, there is less pressure to use antibiotics, and that ultimately helps slow down the development and spread of resistance.

The theme of last year’s World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) was ‘Educate. Advocate. Act now’. Do you think there is enough global awareness of antimicrobial resistance, especially in underdeveloped countries? Furthermore, in line with this theme, what is your advice to Nigerians on antimicrobial resistance?

I think global awareness of antimicrobial resistance has improved, especially at the policy and research level. However, there is still a significant gap at the community level, particularly in underdeveloped countries. In many places, including Nigeria, access to antibiotics without proper guidance, limited diagnostic capacity, and low public awareness continue to drive misuse.

In line with the theme ‘Educate. Advocate. Act now,’ my advice to Nigerians is simple but critical: utilise preventive measures like making gut health a priority so there won’t be a need for antibiotic use. Further, only use antibiotics when prescribed, complete the full course, and avoid self-medication. Beyond that, we need to shift focus toward prevention — through better hygiene, food safety, and infection control — because reducing infections will naturally reduce the need for antibiotics.

If you were to address three national problems facing Nigeria using your microbiology expertise, what would they be, and how would you go about them?

The three problems would be food safety, food insecurity, and antimicrobial resistance.

While global awareness of antimicrobial resistance has improved, the challenge in Nigeria is deeper because it’s closely linked to food safety, food insecurity, poverty, and limited access to healthcare. Many people rely on over-the-counter antibiotics due to cost and accessibility issues, and in poultry production, antibiotics are often used to prevent disease losses where biosecurity and veterinary support are limited. This creates a cycle of misuse that drives antimicrobial resistance across both human and food systems.

To address this, we need to focus on prevention. Improving both human and animal gut health is a key strategy because it strengthens the host’s natural ability to resist infections, reduces the need for antibiotics, and ultimately helps limit the development of antimicrobial resistance. Specifically in poultry, improving gut health enhances disease resistance, increases productivity, and reduces mortality, which not only lowers antibiotic reliance but also improves food security and supports the economic sustainability of poultry farming.

At the individual level, Nigerians should avoid self-medication, only use antibiotics when prescribe, and complete the full course. Nigeria already has a One Health AMR National Action Plan for 2024–2028, but implementation at the community level is where the real impact will happen.

You were an assistant lecturer at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), before relocating to the United States for your PhD programme. If you were to return to FUTO to lecture after your PhD programme, what kind of teaching and research methods and innovations would you bring to the classroom and laboratory to improve learning outcomes?

If I return to FUTO after my PhD, I would focus on making microbiology teaching more research-driven, practical, and globally relevant. From my experience at Clemson, I’ve gained hands-on skills in molecular biology, metagenomics, and bioinformatics, and I would integrate a problem-based learning approach.

For laboratory exercises, I would introduce an inquiry-based and project-based experiments, allowing students to design experiments, analyse data using tools like R and bioinformatics pipelines, and interpret results. I would also introduce low-cost, scalable techniques, such as simplified DNA extraction, PCR demonstrations, and basic data analysis. On the research side, I would establish collaborative, interdisciplinary projects that connect microbiology with agriculture, food systems, and public health, particularly focusing on antimicrobial resistance and sustainable alternatives like plant-based antimicrobials.

I would also prioritise mentorship and undergraduate research, helping students build critical thinking, data analysis, and scientific communication skills early in their careers. Overall, my goal would be to bridge the gap between theory and practice by equipping students with both technical skills and problem-solving abilities, so they are not just learning microbiology but applying it to solve real-world challenges.

So far, how are life and studies going in the US?

Life as a student in the United States has been rocky and enjoyable at the same time.

How would you advise young girls aspiring to go into STEM education at the university level, using your own past experience as a secondary school student and later as an undergraduate microbiology student?

I would encourage young girls to pursue their dreams in STEM with confidence, even if the path seems challenging at first. They should stay curious, seek opportunities to grow, and always look for ways their knowledge can make a meaningful impact in solving real-world problems.