Molecular Medicine Research Group 

Where there's a will, there's a way

The Molecular Medicine Research Group

“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Principal Investigator: Dr. R. S. Katete


The Molecular Medicine Research Group aims to elucidate the molecular basis of diseases. The Group strongly believes that understanding the detailed molecular mechanisms involved in any disease development will help elucidate its transmission, diagnosis, vaccine development, rational drug design, and prevention. The topics covered by the research group include, but are not restricted to, biomarker discovery, transmission patterns, genotypic diversity, development of molecular diagnostic tools, and vaccine and drug discovery. The group welcomes new members who are working or interested in any of these areas. The Molecular Medicine Research Group regularly convenes to discuss the ongoing research of its members to enhance research productivity and high-profile publications; the group is also open to other forms of academic exchange/collaboration, joint workshop/conference hosting, peer review of research papers, common grant application, collaborative innovation projects, co-supervision, student exchange, invited talks by guest speakers, discussion of new books and articles, screening of documentaries, or public debates on ongoing developments in the medical field. For those far away, you are welcome to join us online.

The Molecular Medicine Research Group is part of the Southern Africa Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance (SACGPS) in collaboration with other research groups. 


Available MSc, Ph.D. and Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Opportunities in the Molecular Medicine Research Group

Projects are offered in Biochemistry, Biophysics, Microbiology, Medical Genetics, Cell Biology, Biopharmaceutical Bioprocessing, Biotechnology, Medical Biochemistry, Medical Microbiology, Biology, Industrial Biotechnology and Entrepreneurship, and Molecular Biology. The following projects are currently available to prospective students/fellows in the Molecular Medicine Research Group: 

Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

If you have your own research topic, please feel free to submit your research statement (a maximum of one page). 


Ph.D. Studentships

If you have your own research topic, please feel free to submit your research statement (a maximum of one page). 


MSc Studentships 

If you have your own research topic, please feel free to submit your research statement (a maximum of one page). 


Available Internships for Undergraduate Students 

If you are an undergraduate student or have just completed your first degree, look for available internships here. Please note that if you are an undergraduate student, you can covert your Internship project to become part of your BSc Project. Internships are available in Bioinformatics, Molecular Dynamics, Homology Modelling, Molecular Docking, Protein Purification, Microbiology Techniques, Biochemical and Biophysical Techniques, Protein Characterization, Molecular Modelling, Cloning, Gene Expression, Chromatography, Data Collection and Analysis, Public Health Surveys, Renewable Energy, etc. The list of available Internship is based on the following topics: 


If you are interested in any of the above topics, please contact Dr. Katete for a brief introduction to a specific project, expected tasks, and prerequisite training requirements. For available undergraduate research projects, please click here. If you have your own research topic, please feel free to submit your research statement (a maximum of one page). 


Current Group Activities 

1. Three Personal Papers to Publish 

1.1. Structural Basis of Malaria Vaccine Design

2. Two Books to Publish 

2.1. Research Methodology for Medical and Allied Health Professionals

2.2. Biochemistry 

3. One Course Booklet to Publish 

3.1. Research Methodology for Medical and Allied Health Professionals

4. Minimum Two Papers to Publish with each of the Three MSc Students 

4.1. Mike Nundwe (210600040)

Project Title:  

Antimicrobial Resistance, Serodiversity and Genotypic Diversity of Multidrug-Resistant Shigella spp. and New Horizon for Treatment

Proposed Title of Papers to be Published: 

4.1.1. Genotypic Diversity of Multidrug-Resistant Shigella spp.: Elucidating New Novel Drug and  Vaccine Targets 

4.1.2. Prevalence of Multidrug-resistant Shigella Isolated in Zambia 

4.1.3. Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profiles of Multidrug-Resistant Shigella species  Isolated at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka

4.1.4 One Research Paper from Your Lab Research Work 

Current Status of the Student: Graduated with MSc in Infectious Diseases in September 2023

4.2. Emmanuel Zulu (210100331)

Project Title: 

THE EMERGENCE OF SARS-Cov-2 IN ZAMBIA: CHARACTERIZATION OF ITS GENETIC DIVERSITY AND TRANSMISSION PATTERNS

Proposed Title of Papers to be Published:

4.2.1. Potential Antivirals target for SARS-CoV-2

4.2.2. Advances in structure-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccine design

4.2.3. One Research Paper from Your Lab Research Work

Current Status of the Student: Graduated with MSc in Infectious Diseases in September 2023

4.3. Benson Kaunda (210500499)

Project Title: 

Correlation between ART-related HIV Mutations and Renal dysfunction among people living with HIV on Tenofovir-based Antiretroviral Therapy

Proposed Title of Papers to be Published:

4.3.1. Evaluation of hepatic and kidney dysfunction among newly diagnosed HIV patients with viral hepatitis infection in Zambia 

4.3.2. Prevalence and Mutation Patterns of HIV among individuals with Renal and  Hepatic Dysfunction Co infected with HBV, HCV and TB

4.3.3. The Treatment and Prophylaxis of HIV and HBV Infections by Tenofovir  Alafenamide

4.3.4. One Research Paper from Your Lab Research Work

Current Status of the Student: Graduated with MSc in Infectious Diseases in September 2023

5. Ph.D.  STUDENTS

5.1. MENTOR FOR  ANNETTE BERTILLA MWIMBA LOMBE

Research Project Title:

Microbial Community Structure and Their Potential for Bioremediation – A Case of Selected Areas of Kabwe

Proposed Title of Papers to be Published:

5.2.1 Lombe, A., Pamba, J., Kasali, G., Mwaanga, P. and Katete, R. S. (2021). The current trends in lead contamination in Zambian towns: save the innocents. EQA – International Journal of Environmental Quality, 45-46 (2021) 9-25. https://doi.org/10.6092/issn.2281-4485/12548 

5.2.2 Lombe, A. and Katete, R. S. (2024) Lead Remediation Techniques – Lessons for Sustainable Remediation of Lead-Contaminated Sites in Zambia’s Mining Towns. EQA – International Journal of Environmental Quality, 59, 13-21.  https://doi.org/10.6092/issn.2281-4485/17928 

5.2.2 Katete, R. and Lombe, A. (2024). Genomic and proteomic insights into the lead bioremediation by Enterobacter cloacae. Working on the Manuscript


Papers Submitted and Published 

In addition, members of the Molecular Medicine Research Group are encouraged to attend/organise/present weekly;

They are also expected to attend or present their work at Conferences/Symposiums, Write Monthly Blogs, Provide Monthly Research Progress Reports, Provide Bi-Monthly Supervisor-Student Meeting Reports, Organise/Attend Workshops, Attend relevant courses to improve their knowledge and skills in their subject area, regularly apply for Grants and actively be involved in collaborative innovation projects. 

Molecular Medicine Research Group Alumnus

1. PANDIAN SOUNDARA PANDIAN

Former PhD Student

PhD Research Project Title: 

Association of Microbial Pathogens in Oral Infection with Various Systemic Diseases and Effects of Herbal Medicine Extracts on Oral Pathogens

2. MENTORED MASAO YAMASHITA at Sheffield University, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. Dr Yamashita is currently at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University

Publication: Yamashita, M., Shepherd, M., Booth, W. I., Xie, H., Postis, V., Nyathi, Y., Tzokov, S. B., Poole, R. K., Baldwin, S. A., & Bullough, P. A. (2014). Structure and function of the bacterial heterodimeric ABC transporter CydDC: stimulation of ATPase activity by thiol and heme compounds. The Journal of biological chemistry, 289(33), 23177–23188. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M114.590414