Mercy Kitavi is a Research Support Technician in crop sciences attached to the BecA Hub research laboratories. She is responsible for DNA extractions and quantification, preparation of PCRs and samples for sequencing and fragment analysis, genotyping of accessions using molecular markers, data generation and analysis.  Mercy also trains numerous staff, visiting scientists, and students in these techniques, and is currently helping to expand the techniques which we can support at the Hub.

Mercy has extensive experience in the use of molecular markers in diversity and disease resistance studies.  She received a M.Sc. in Biotechnology from Kenyatta University in 2007.  Her masters research was conducted in part at the BecA Hub, under Dr. Dan Kiambi at the International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT); she assessed the genetic diversity and patterns of relationships among West African sorghum accessions using microsatellite markers (in press, African Journal of Biotechnology). At the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, she performed DNA fingerprinting of maize inbred lines and screened them for resistance against Gray leaf spot and Turcicum blight.  In 2007, she worked with ICRISAT as a research technician where she genotyped over 5000 sorghum and millet accessions.

Mercy has taught numerous students and visiting scientists from the region in her role at the BecA Hub.  Her position is supported by a grant from the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture.