Benedict Eboya Karani

b.karani.1@research.gla.ac.uk

ORCID iDhttps://orcid.org/0009-0004-6233-875X

Research title: Measuring the impact of treatment regimens on the evolution of anthelmintic resistance.

Research Summary

My PhD aims to provide a more detailed & quantitative understanding of how different treatment regimes influence the evolution of candidate genetic markers involved in ivermectin resistance in Teladorsagia circumcincta. Teladorsagia circumcincta is the most prevalent and the most resistant parasitic gastrointestinal nematode in sheep in the UK. It causes parasitic gastroenteritis that results in huge production losses to farmers in terms of milk, meat & wool as well as animal welfare concerns. The control of Teladorsagia circumcincta infections in sheep largely relies on the use of anthelmintic drugs. Currently, there are five broad-spectrum anthelmintics classes used in the UK to control parasitic helminths and ivermectin from macrocyclic lactones class is the most widely used. However, Teladorsagia circumcincta has developed resistance to 4 out of the 5 available anthelmintic classes including ivermectin. The effects of anthelmintic resistance are so dire that some sheep farms in the UK, Australia, South Africa and even New Zealand have been shut down after they were unable to control multiple anthelmintic drug resistance. It is estimated that UK spends over £42 million yearly to control these parasitic worms in sheep sector alone, out of which £3 million is attributed to anthelmintic resistance. The project plan is to leverage on modern genomic tools such as whole genome sequencing and targeted genotyping to estimate the relative strength of selection acting on candidate ivermectin resistance loci under different treatment regimes. For this project I am using samples collected during a field trial done at Moredun (2006-2012) to evaluate ivermectin drug efficacy and gastrointestinal worm species composition in sheep under different treatment regimes (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24533296/ & https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27067011/). 

Funding

This work is funded by BBSRC NorthWestBio Doctoral Training Programme through University of Glasgow, School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine and is being implemented in collaboration with Moredun Research Institute and Wellcome Sanger Institute.

Academic History

2023 - present:         PhD. Genomic evolution of anthelmintic resistance; University of Glasgow

2020 - 2021:             MSc. Tropical Animal Health; Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp.

2012 - 2016:              BSc. Microbiology; University of Kabianga, Kenya.

Publications

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Supervisors

Conference

  • Oral presentation - NorthWestBio DTP Annual Conference at Lancaster University (November 2024).

  • Scottish Parasitology Partnership in Research, Innovation and Training ECR Symposium (University of Dundee - 2023; University of West of Scotland - 2024).

  • Oral presentation - British Association for Veterinary Parasitology ECR Meeting (May 2024).

  • Poster presentation - British Society for Parasitology Spring Meeting in Liverpool (April 2024).

  • Oral presentation - Moredun Research Institute PhD Day (April 2024).