Varsity acquires multi-million shilling equipment for research
The Directorate of Research and Development has acquired multi-million shilling state-of-the art equipment for research. This equipment accentuates the university’s profile as the best equipped academic and research institution in East Africa. Dr. Peter Kirira, Deputy Director, Research & Development,expounds on the research capabilities of these equipment.
Research Centre at the Directorate has attracted a number of researchers to conduct their research at the facility. MKU staff members, Postgraduate and undergraduate students are utilizing the Research Centre for their respective projects.
Application
- Atomic Absorption Spectrometer:The prevalence of lifestyle diseases in Kenya has risen of late. Presence of heavy metals has been closely associated with some of these diseases such as cancer. This equipment will help determine presence of heavy metals in water, human and animal foodstuff, and other areas.
- Gas Chromatography Machine:Recently our country has immensely been affected by consumption of illicit brews containing toxic chemicals such as methanol. The Gas Chromatography equipment can be used to detect traces of methanol in suspected alcohol.
- Automated High Performance Liquid Chromatography:In Kenya, most drugs we use are imported. This machine enables us to determine how much of the required ingredient is in a particular drug, thereby ensuring quality assurance.
- Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer :In forensics, this equipment can be used to detect presence of certain compounds through functional group determination. Such information can be used by law enforcers to solve complicated crimes.
- Incubator : In order to understand the micro-organisms that cause infectious diseases, scientists have to grow them in a controlled setting. The incubator is the appropriate environment for the micro-organisms to flourish.Scientists are therefore able to study their strengths and weaknesses.
- Hemocytometer : This equipment has a wide variety of uses. For example it can be used to count the number of red and white cells in the blood, sperm count, cell culture amongst others.