International profiles
Wealth of
opportunity
Chemists in developing countries face unique challenges. But as Mike Brown
discovers, for those willing to take them on, the benefits can be enormous
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UNITED NATIONS
The International Year of Chemistry
(IYC), this year, is an opportunity
to celebrate chemistry and its
contribution to society. It is a chance
for chemists to come together
to share ideas and collaborate in
order to find answers to some of the
world’s biggest challenges such as
clean water for all, and combating
climate change and poverty.
Like many industries, the
chemical sector and scientific
research and development (R&D)
are arguably dominated by the big
players such as the US, Europe
and China. But IYC also gives
other countries the platform to
showcase their work. Sponsored
by the International Union of Pure
and Applied Chemistry (Iupac) and
the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization
(Unesco), the year-long celebration
invites countries to endorse and
promote the concept.
One country that has been heavily
involved in IYC is Ethiopia. The
Ethiopian Chemical Society worked
with the Federation of African
Societies of Chemistry (FASC)
to bring a resolution to Unesco
in which 25 countries including
Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, the
Republic of Korea, South Africa,
Togo, Uganda, United Republic of
Tanzania and Zambia showed their
support for IYC.
Yonas Chebude, a chemist at the
University of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia
and treasurer of FASC, believes
that chemistry has a key role to play
in maintaining and improving our
quality of life and should therefore
help in the development of a country.
After training as an inorganic
chemist is Germany, Chebude
returned to Ethiopia to carry on his
research, but quickly realised that he
would be unable to continue work
on boron and fluorine-containing
small molecules because of limited
facilities. ‘I found that sustainable
chemistry is more meaningful
for a developing country such as
Ethiopia, because we have resources
such as sunshine, which offer good
opportunities to discover and apply
new chemistry,’ he says.
Exploiting local resources
One of Chebude’s research
projects is focused on synthesising
biodegradable materials from the oil
of an endemic plant called Vernonia
galamensis, while a new project
that he is excited about involves
identifying and characterising
zeolites – microporous,
aluminosilicate minerals commonly
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used as commercial adsorbents,
catalysts or for water purification.
‘Zeolites are important raw materials
for the economy of many countries
around the world. However, zeolite
deposits in Ethiopia, despite being
abundant, are yet to be exploited,’
he says. His research team are
heavily involved in characterising
the mineral and chemical properties
of the zeolites in order to assess the
potential for their exploitation and
commercialisation.
Johannes Awudza, head of
the department of chemistry at
the Kwame Nkrumah University
of Science and Technology in
Kumasi, Ghana, also appreciates
the importance of recognising local
resources. His research focuses
on developing biofuels, as well as
materials for solar cells and treatment
of drinking and waste water.
With the need for alternatives
to fossil fuels as energy sources,
biofuels are good candidates, but
Awudza stresses that researchers
have to be conscious about the ‘food
versus energy’ debate and the use
of agricultural land for energy crop
production. His team’s work on
biofuels involves characterising
 Chemists in developing different oils (including edible, nonedible and used vegetable oil) for
countries often face
biodiesel production. ‘We search
problems of funding and
for locally based raw materials such
infrastructure
as cocoa husks and plantain peels
 By concentrating on
for catalyst production,’ he says.
fields relevant to local
‘And we have been trying to use
problems or resources,
corn cobs, corn husks, rice husks
research can have
and other agricultural wastes to
significant impacts
produce bio-ethanol.’
 Support and
investment in research
and development is
Clearing the water
increasing in many
But one of the biggest problems
developing countries
in Ghana is contaminated
 The opportunities for
water. ‘People often depend on
enterprising researchers contaminated water from rivers,
are wide ranging and
streams and shallow wells for
intellectually rewarding
domestic use. Using this kind of
water often leads to water-borne
diseases,’ Awudza says. ‘Application
of simple water treatment
techniques using locally-based
materials can help reduce incidences
of water-borne diseases to a large
extent, hence we research in this
Water quality is an area
area,’ he adds.
where chemistry can
Shem Wandiga, at the University
have a huge impact in
of Nairobi in Kenya, agrees that
developing countries
water quality is an area where
chemistry can have a real impact. ‘I
wanted to contribute to changing
the lives of my people,’ he says. He
underlines the ‘appalling’ state
of water supplies in Africa: water
is contaminated with sediments,
biological pathogens and chemicals
from agriculture and industry, which
has a direct impact on human health.
Together with his research team,
Wandiga is developing analytical
techniques that can be applied at
the household and community level
to identify and remove chemical
pollutants from water. ‘We are
developing catalysts that can oxidise
chlorinated organic compounds in
water. If successful, we shall be able
to provide catalysts that can be used
at the point of water use,’ he says.
Wandiga is also involved in the
development of a climate change
adaptation institute at the University
of Nairobi. The institute will offer
degrees and short training courses
to help professionals from all sectors
of society adapt to climate change.
It will also encourage research into
climate adaptation technologies, and
provide a framework for national
and regional policy assessment and
advice to governments regarding
climate change issues.
In short
Local solutions to local needs
On the small island of Mauritius in
the Indian Ocean, the big problem
is not water, but waste. ‘Wastes
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International profiles
HOLISTIC WASTE MANAGEMENT GHANA
to make money as the price of
chemical fertilisers rises. The island
is developing its first large-scale
commercial composting plant where
around 300 000 tonnes of waste
will be converted into compost on
a yearly basis. ‘Mauritius is well
on the way to producing biological
agricultural products free of
fertilisers,’ Mohee adds.
But some forms of waste require
more drastic clean-up operations.
In Ghana there are high volumes
of waste plastics and rubbers – in
the cities, on landfill sites and on
agricultural land – that do not
degrade. Awudza explains that this
is a huge problem, as many places no
longer support plant life because of
the plastics present in the soil. ‘The
environmental aspect of polymer
use, especially the menace of plastic
waste, poses an important challenge
to scientists and technologists. With
a background in polymer chemistry,
I also feel the need to contribute to
the solution,’ he says.
find environmentally friendly waste
disposal alternatives and explore
readily available feedstocks in
Mauritius for ethanol production.
Mohee also devotes some of
her resources to optimising the
enrichment of compost and the
composting process, with the aim
of using compost as an alternative
to chemical fertilisers. ‘I work
on the optimisation of chemical
parameters such as carbon content
to ensure stability of the composts,’
she explains.
In a country where the chemical
industry is mainly in food products,
agrichemicals and pharmaceuticals,
many farmers are finding it hard
New means to deal
with plastic waste
are a pressing need in
countries like Ghana
Composting can help
reduce waste volumes
as well as reliance on
chemical fertilisers
MAURITIUS SUGAR PRODUCERS’ ASSOCIATION
were disposed of in open dumps
around the island and were creating
a high risk to the environment and
public health,’ says Romeela Mohee
from the University of Mauritius.
‘Furthermore, the quantity of solid
wastes was increasing year by year
and finding an appropriate solution
for a small island developing state
like Mauritius, was quite a challenge.’
Mohee looks to this waste as a
source of materials or energy. A
major part of her work involves
hydrolysing lignocellulosic
biomass – plant material composed
of cellulose, hemicellulose, and
lignin – through acid, alkali and
enzymatic hydrolysis. Her aim is to
Harnessing biodiversity
There are 36 000 plant species
reported in Colombia and probably
98 per cent of them are chemically
unknown, explains Andrew Jarvis,
who works at the International
Center for Tropical Agriculture in
Cali. ‘They have all sorts of traits
and interesting chemical properties,
but also genes that are useful in
improving our crops,’ he says. ‘These
wild plants are absolutely essential
for food security globally,’ he adds.
Jarvis spends a lot of time
identifying where the plants are,
then his collaborators extract the
natural products. He identifies the
sites where specific plants are likely
to have the genes or traits that are
useful for domestic crops. ‘In places
where there is very low rainfall for
example, we could find traits that
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THINKSTOCK
would allow our crops to adapt to
climate change and drought,’ he
says. ‘We could be looking in areas
where there is reported resistance to
a specific disease.’
As well as enhancing crops, the
natural world is a rich source of
molecules with all sorts of uses.
Carmenza Duque, who works at the
National University of Colombia in
Bogotá, specialises in marine natural
products and flavour chemistry.
She has discovered many new
compounds that show promise as
antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory
and anticancer drugs.
Duque has discovered the aroma
composition of about 15 fruits and
identified several glycosides and
polyols as important contributors
to the total aroma of fruits. Two of
her aroma formulation products
have been used by the domestic
flavour industry, as a base to prepare
flavourings for commercial products.
Duque contends that working in a
developing country means that there
are many more opportunities open to
a chemist. She says that in scientific
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research there are many fields to
choose from and many problems to
solve. In Colombia for example there
are many organisms that you cannot
study anywhere else in the world.
‘One can see that the results obtained
[from studying newly discovered
organisms] could be applied for
the benefit of the people and of the
country,’ she says.
Jarvis agrees – for example, there
is a plant that grows about 100km
from his office that the indigenous
people are very protective of. ‘They
call it Alegria or “happiness” because
if you make a tea out of it, it acts like
a natural Prozac,’ he says. ‘You could
have a billion dollar antidepressant
industry coming out of that – the
potential is immense!’
Building industry
One country that is already taking
advantage of its biodiversity is
Brazil. The country has a strong
pharmaceutical sector based around
natural product chemistry, explains
Vanderlan Bolzani, who studies the
metabolomic profile of sugar cane
The rich biodiversity of
countries like Colombia is
a source of molecules with
all sorts of properties
‘In a developing
country, there
are many more
opportunities
for chemists.
There are many
fields to choose
from and many
problems to
solve’
at the institute of chemistry at São
Paulo State University. The chemical
industry in Brazil is also very
dynamic, Bolzani tells Chemistry
World, and can boast self-sufficiency
in petroleum. The country is one
of the most efficient at producing
ethanol from sugar cane – which
powers 90 per cent of its cars – and
manufactures executive aircraft for
international customers.
In neighbouring Argentina,
Ernesto Calvo and Federico
Williams at the University of Buenos
Aires, believe that there is a very
strong chemical industry in their
country. Calvo explains that the
industry was forced to develop
between the two world wars, when
importing raw materials from the
US and Europe ceased. As a result,
the raw materials were made from
locally produced agriculture and
feedstocks. Large scale chemical
industry in Argentina today focuses
on petrochemicals, steel, aluminium,
pigments and paints, says Calvo.
Calvo and Williams have strong
links with industry in Argentina
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and internationally. They develop
chemically modified surfaces
and coatings to prevent against
corrosion. They are currently
working on a $2.4 million
(£1.5 million) project to develop
functional nanostructured
aluminium surfaces that have
antibacterial and superhydrophobic
properties. They are also researching
self-demoulding surfaces for
specific products for the chemicals
and tyre industries.
But establishing high-tech
industries in sub-Saharan Africa
poses more of a challenge,
as Chebude reveals. The
pharmaceutical industry in Ethiopia
mainly formulates and packages
drugs from imported ingredients.
‘The synthesis of pharmaceutical
products is still in its infancy,’ says
Chebude. He explains that fertilisers
dominate the chemical industry
in Ethiopia, with the government
planning to build a fertiliser
manufacturing plant to produce
diammonium phosphate and urea,
based on natural gas. ‘A potential
area for the growth of the chemical
industry in Ethiopia is the mining
industry,’ he adds.
Many foreign companies with
sites in Ghana carry out their
research and development in other
countries, says Awudza. ‘However,
with time and by training more
Brazil boasts a worldchemists with entrepreneurial skills, leading bioethanol fuel
I believe the situation will improve.
industry
There is a lot of opportunity to
develop small- and medium-sized
enterprises in Ghana,’ he says.
A time of progress
Wandiga highlights the lack of an
efficient economic infrastructure
as a major challenge when trying to
grow a chemical industry or R&D.
But things are beginning to change.
‘Kenya has a good education system
that produces quality students
who have done very well in more
advanced countries,’ he says. ‘There
are many qualified Kenyan chemists
who are employed abroad, for lack of
suitable employment opportunities
at home. With proper government
policy and investment, Kenya stands
to leapfrog in chemical science, due
to its highly trained manpower,’ he
adds. Organisations like the RSC’s
Pan Africa Chemistry Network, of
which Wandiga is president of the
Kenya hub, have an important role to
play in supporting this development.
Chebude emphasises that even
though there is a lack of funding and
facilities in Ethiopia, the government
is showing signs of devoting more
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‘There is now a
generation of
scientists with
the knowledge,
ideas and
enthusiasm to
do high quality
work’
DAVID R. FRAZIER / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
International profiles
funds to R&D. ‘There are ample
opportunities for doing chemistry
here,’ he says. ‘More importantly,
there is a generation of scientists
with the knowledge, ideas and
enthusiasm to do high quality work.’
In Argentina, Calvo explains
that support for science has been
growing with the recent creation of
the Ministry of Science, Technology
and Innovation. ‘Their policy has
been to achieve and demonstrate
a social and industrial impact of
science,’ he says.
This is an important change in
policy and has prompted a surge
of young scientists in Argentina.
Since 2002, the national budget
for science and technology has
increased steadily and has now
reached unprecedented levels, Calvo
tells Chemistry World. In 2002, the
budget was ARS818 million (£126
million), but this has risen 532 per
cent to ARS5176 million in 2010.
‘The Ministry of Science also has
a special programme to repatriate
young scientists and to involve
Argentine scientists living abroad in
current research projects,’ he says.
Brazilian science and technology
has also achieved a significant
position in the international arena
in the last few decades. Bolzani
explains that the country is the 13th
highest producer of leading scientific
publications in the world, and more
than 90 per cent of these articles
were as a result of research in public
universities. ‘Brazil is still behind
the US and China in its capacity to
translate investment in R&D into
tangible results for the economy,’ she
says. But for how long?
It is clear that chemistry is a
major player in the development,
growth and independence of a
country. IYC gives all nations the
opportunity to showcase their
innovative chemistry vision. Areas
in the world that are affected by
really difficult challenges such as
contaminated drinking water and
poverty aren’t just waiting for other
countries to help, they are finding
solutions themselves. ‘For us in the
developing world, doing chemistry
can be daunting. Materials and
equipment are scarce, access to
journals and literature in general
can be difficult,’ says Awudza.
But even with these challenges,
passionate chemists from all over
the world are still willing to try to
solve the major issues affecting
their fellow man.
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