Barbara Adaikpoh, PhD
2023 B2F Scholar
Pharmaceutical Sciences
Pronouns: She/Her
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About
Barbara Iyare Adaikpoh obtained a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Mississippi. During her doctoral studies, she explored myxobacteria responses to rhizosphere-specific cues. She also earned an MSc in Pharmacognosy from the University College London, UK, and a PharmD from the University of Benin, Nigeria. Prior to the Bridge to Faculty Scholar position, Barbara was a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UIC, where her study focused on developing a Burkholderia host to access the biosynthetic potential of the genus. She has used synthetic biology and genetic engineering approaches to identify and utilize endogenous genetic elements in the development of an expression system for genome mining applications in Burkholderia.
Barbara’s research aims at studying the metabolic influences that result from beneficial bacteria–plant chemical interactions within unique environments like the rhizosphere. Her goal to leverage Bacteroidetes chemical interactions in natural product discovery will develop a research program that applies multidisciplinary approaches, standing at the intersection of chemical biology, molecular biology, drug discovery and development. Barbara’s research will develop novel strategies for studying Bacteroidetes chemical interactions within microbial communities to understand the ecological benefits of these bacteria in plant health. She is also interested in applying functional approaches to discovering new antifungals and other bioactive natural products from this under-explored bacterial taxon.