Desalegn Abebe Mekonen is a Plant Biotechnologist at the Amhara Agricultural Research Institute (ARARI), Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, and a PhD student in plant biotechnology at Egerton University, Kenya, under the EU-funded Intra-Africa GENEs II program. He is also a graduate research fellow at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nairobi, Kenya, focusing on CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to enhance blast resistance in finger millet. He holds a BSc in Biotechnology (University of Gondar, 2011) and an MSc in Agricultural Biotechnology (Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, 2021), with his thesis research fellow at Ebony State University, Nigeria. Skilled in molecular biology techniques, bioinformatics, plant tissue culture, and molecular marker-assisted breeding, he led the establishment of ARARI’s molecular lab and developed crop propagation protocols. His research interests include CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing and in silico methods, including comparative genomics and gene function validation, to enhance crop productivity, thereby assuring food security.
Desalegn Abebe Mekonen
Desalegn Abebe Mekonen is a Plant Biotechnologist at the Amhara Agricultural Research Institute (ARARI), Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, and a PhD student in plant biotechnology at Egerton University, Kenya, under the EU-funded Intra-Africa GENEs II program. He is also a graduate research fellow at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nairobi, Kenya, focusing on CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to enhance blast resistance in finger millet. He holds a BSc in Biotechnology (University of Gondar, 2011) and an MSc in Agricultural Biotechnology (Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, 2021), with his thesis research fellow at Ebony State University, Nigeria. Skilled in molecular biology techniques, bioinformatics, plant tissue culture, and molecular marker-assisted breeding, he led the establishment of ARARI’s molecular lab and developed crop propagation protocols. His research interests include CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing and in silico methods, including comparative genomics and gene function validation, to enhance crop productivity, thereby assuring food security.