Raymond Jaravaza, Sunday News Reporter
AFTER scooping the grand prize of Presidential Best Innovator and the Best Innovative University categories award in 2024, where it earned a total of US$50 000 in prize money, the National University of Science and Technology (Nust)’s Applied Genetics Testing Centre (AGTC) has widened its scope of work in innovation beyond human DNA testing to cover animal genetics and crime forensics testing.
Since acquiring specialised equipment in 2014, AGTC has to date conducted more than 10 000 paternity tests, making it a leader in innovation and technology in Zimbabwe.
Its success in innovation is helping law enforcement agencies such as the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) solve crimes such as murder, sexual assaults, house breaking, as well as assisting farmers settle disputes bordering on ownership of livestock.
Registered with the National Biotechnology Authority and the Medical Laboratory and Clinical Scientists’ Council of Zimbabwe, AGTC has also performed human forensic tests to identify individuals in cases of road accidents and crime related forensic testing to conducting livestock DNA testing totalling “thousands” of cases, according to its head Mr Zephaniah Dlamini.
Farmers can access AGTC, housed at the Nust campus, to settle livestock disputes, and also ascertain the origins of animal genetics such as pedigree bulls and heifers in a heavily lucrative cattle business that thrives on ancestry, reputation and an important registry system.
“If two farmers are embroiled in a dispute over, for example the ownership of a calf, they can approach AGTC and we can ascertain who the real owner of the animal is through DNA testing of the cows that supposedly gave birth to the calf,” said Mr Dlamini.
“In the cattle pedigree business where it’s important to keep records of the origins and history of an animal to ascertain its status as a pure breed, AGTC also assists in tracing the genes of a beast and farmers can use our lab to access all those services.
“We have broadened our work to include animal DNA testing and crime forensics testing and the figures of the cases we have dealt with to date runs into the thousands in addition to the over 10 000 human DNA paternity tests since opening our doors 10 years ago.”
Nust’s AGTC plays a crucial role in assisting law enforcement authorities by using DNA analysis to identify criminals involved in serious crimes such as rape, where forensic evidence like semen samples is used in court.
Last year, the university’s accomplishments were showcased at the Presidential Innovation Fair 2024 Awards, where Nust won the grand prize of Presidential Best Innovator and the Best Innovative University categories, earning US$50 000 in prize money.
The Presidential Innovation Fair Awards, now in their third year, celebrate the achievements of institutions and individuals aligned with Zimbabwe’s Education 5.0 heritage-based development philosophy.
Nust’s success in innovation extends beyond DNA paternity testing, crime forensics testing and assisting settling livestock over wrangles.
In 2022, the university broke new ground when it began manufacturing Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) kits for Covid-19 testing, reducing testing costs by 60 percent.
Initially, Zimbabwe imported PCR kits at around US$60 per test, but Nust’s reagents manufacturing machine cut the cost to approximately US$20.
The machine also produces reagents for HIV and other virus tests, contributing to the nation’s self-sufficiency in medical diagnostics.
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