Royal Society Wolfson Fellow
Steven Runo
Bio
Parasitic plants represent one of the most sophisticated and destructive threats in agriculture, yet they remain among the least understood. My research investigates the molecular underpinnings of parasitic plant–host interactions, with a focus on Striga — nicknamed the "cereal killer" for its devastating effects on smallholder cereal production across sub-Saharan Africa.
What draws me to Striga is a beauty that belies its noxious nature. Striga has evolved remarkable mechanisms to detect, attach to, and manipulate its hosts, while those hosts have correspondingly evolved —or in many cases failed to evolve — effective resistance. My research seeks to understand this arms race at the molecular level, identifying the genetic factors that determine susceptibility or resilience. I integrate molecular genetics, functional genomics, and genome engineering to discover mechanistic insights and translate them directly into improved crop varieties.
My aim is to accelerate the development of Striga-resilient cereals that smallholder farmers can access and grow under real-world conditions — contributing to food security for the hundreds of millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa who depend on these crops.
Job history
-
2025 -
Royal Society Wolfson Fellow
The Sainsburys laboratory, Norwich, UK -
2025 -
Professor
Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya -
2021 - 2023
Alexander von Humboldt, Georg Forster Visiting Professor
Humboldt University and Friedrich Alexander University (Germany) -
2020 - 2025
Associate Professor
Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya -
2009 - 2020
Senior Lecturer
Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kenyatta