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Kassa Semagn

Email: semagn@cgiar.org or semagnk@yahoo.com

Maize Molecular Breeder,International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Nairobi, Kenya

Dr. Kassa Semagn is an Ethiopian national and Maize Molecular Breeder at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Kenya. Dr. Semagn has a wide range of experience in the application of molecular markers in genetic resources characterization, linkage mapping, QTL mapping and molecular breeding in hexaploid wheat, rice, sorghum, pearl millet, barley and maize. His research interest is development and application of high throughput and low-cost molecular tools that help breeders in developing improved varieties for a wide range of traits of interest in Africa.

He received B.Sc in Biology in 1989 at Asmara University, Eritrea and joined the university as Graduate Assistant. In mid 1993, he received a M.Sc. in Biology/Plant Physiology at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. Between September 1991 and December 1996, Dr. Semagn worked as a lecturer at the Institute of Pathobiology (IPB) of the Addis Ababa University. He was involved in different collaborative research projects and in teaching (either fully or partially) several undergraduate courses (Genetics, Plant Physiology, Morphology and Anatomy of Flowering Plants, and Botany) in the Department of Biology at Addis Ababa University. 

In 2000, he received his Ph.D. in Plant Genetics/Breeding from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB), Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences.  After this, Dr. Semagn joined Ethio-Coffee and Tea Plantation and Marketing PLC (Ethio-AGRICEFT P. L. C.) in Addis Ababa as a Desk Officer in coordinating projects in flowers, vegetables, and medicinal plants. In mid 2003, he left Ethio-AGRICEFT and returned to the Norwegian University of Life Sciences as a Post Doctoral Fellow in Plant Genetics. His main responsibilities there were mapping and characterizing genes associated with Fusarium head blight resistance in Norwegian spring wheat. Between November 2005 and mid January 2007, he was a Post Doctoral Fellow in Molecular Biology at the Africa Rice Center (WARDA), Cotonou, Benin. His main responsibilities at WARDA were introgression of rice yellow mottle virus resistant gene from a donor to several locally popular rice varieties, training in molecular techniques to scientists and technicians from 4 west African countries (Gambia, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali) and setting-up molecular laboratories in the four countries.  Between mid January 2007 and mid August 2008, he worked as a molecular genetics technical coordinator at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) regional hub in east and southern Africa. Since mid August 2008, he is working as maize molecular breeder at CIMMYT-Kenya.

Dr. Semagn has been a highly-decorated scientist from the very beginning of his career, earning the 1993 Graduate Student’s Academic Excellent Award from The Ethiopian Scientific Society while he was a M.Sc. student at the Addis Ababa University.  He was also endorsed as a brilliant young researcher by NUFU (Norwegian Universities Committee for Development of Research and Education).

Curriculum Vitae

Name: Dr. Kassa Semagn

Country of birth: Ethiopia

Nationality:  Ethiopian

Position Title: Maize Molecular Breeder

Institution: International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Nairobi, Kenya

Contact Address:

International Maize and Wheat Improvement (CIMMYT), P. O. Box 1041 Nairobi 00621, Kenya

Email: semagn@cgiar.org or semagnk@yahoo.com

Tel: +254 20 422 3814

Specialty Area:

-          Maize Molecular Breeding

Education:

1989  B.Sc. Asmara University, Eritrea. Biology

1993  M.Sc. Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. Biology/Plant Physiology.

2000  Ph.D. Agricultural University of Norway, Norway (Currently Norwegian University of Life Scienices). Plant Genetics/Breeding.

Positions held (since terminal degree):

2000-2003  Desk Officer, Ethio-Coffee and Tea Plantation and Marketing PLC (Ethio-AGRICEFT PLC).

2003-2005  Post Doctoral Fellow, Molecular Genetics, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norway.

2005-2007  Post Doctoral Fellow, Molecular Biology, Africa Rice Center (WARDA).

2007  Molecular Geneticists/Technical Coordinator, ICRISAT-Nairobi, Kenya

2008 to date   Molecular Geneticists/Technical Coordinator, ICRISAT-Nairobi, Keny

Expertise:

-          Application of molecular markers in population genetics

-          Marker-assisted breeding in diploid and polyploidy wheat & species

-          Quantitative genetics

Honors and Awards (since terminal degree):

A selection of major research accomplishments: Discoveries and first reports

A Selection of refereed journal publications (2002-present)

Mutegi E, Sagnard F, Muraya M, Kanyenji B, Rono B, Mwongera C, Marangu C, Kamau J, Parzies H, de Villiers S, Semagn K, Traore PS, Labuschagne M. 2009. Ecogeographical distribution of wild, weedy and cultivated Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench in Kenya: implications for conservation and crop-to-wild gene flow. Genet Resour Crop Evol. DOI 10.1007/s10722-009-9466-7

Ndjiondjop MN, Semagn K, Sie M, Cissoko M, Fatondji B, and Jones M. 2008. Molecular profiling of interspecific lowland rice populations derived from IR64 (Oryza sativa) and Tog5681 (Oryza glaberrima). African Journal of Biotechnology 7:4219-4229.

Semagn K, Ndjiondjop MN, and Cissoko M, Lorieux M, Jones M and McCouch S. 2007. Molecular profiling of an interspecific rice population derived from a cross between WAB 56-104 (Oryza sativa) and CG 14 (Oryza glaberrima). African Journal of Biotechnology 6:2014-2022.

Semagn K, Skinnes H, Bjørnstad A, Mary AG and Tarkegne Y. 2007. QTLs controlling FHB resistance and low DON accumulation in a hexaploid wheat population derived from Arina and NK93604. Crop Science 47:294-303.

Semagn K, Bjørnstad and Ndjiondjop MN. 2006. An overview of molecular marker methods for plants. African Journal of Biotechnology 5: 2540-2568.

Semagn K, Bjørnstad and Ndjiondjop MN. 2006. Principles, requirements and prospects of genetic mapping in plants. African Journal of Biotechnology 5:2569-2587.

Semagn K, Bjørnstad and Ndjiondjop MN. 2006. Progress and prospects of marker assisted backcrossing as a tool in crop breeding programs. African Journal of Biotechnology 5: 2588-2603.

Semagn K, Bjørnstad A, Skinnes H, Mary AG , Tarkegne Y and William M. 2006. Distribution of DArT, AFLP and SSR markers in a genetic linkage map of a double haploid hexaploid wheat population. Genome 49:545-555.

Semagn K, Ndjiondjop MN, and Cissoko M. 2006. Microsatellite and agronomic traits for assessing genetic relationships among 18 New Rice for Africa (NERICA) varieties. African Journal of Biotechnology 5:800-810

Ndjiondjop MN, Semagn K, Cissoko M, Tsunematsu H, and Jones J. 2006. Genetic relationships among rice varieties using expressed sequence tag and microsatellite markers. Asian Journal of Plant Sciences 5:429-437.

Semagn K, Stedje B, and Bjornstad A. 2004. Patterns of phenotypic variation in endod (Phytolacca dodecandra) from Ethiopia. African Journal of Biotechnology 3:32-39.

Semagn K, Bjornstad A, and Stedje B. 2003. Genetic diversity and differentiation in Ethiopian populations of Phytolacca dodecandra as revealed by AFLP and RAPD analyses. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 50:649-661.

Esser K, Semagn K and Wolde-Yohannes L. 2003. Medicinal use and social status of the soapberry endod (Phytolacca dodecandra) in Ethiopia. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 85:269-277.

Semagn K. 2002. Genetic relationships among ten endod types as revealed by a combination of morphological, RAPD, and AFLP markers. Hereditas 137:149-156.

Book chapters:

Invited presentations at major international conferences (2002-present-Maximum 8)

Kitavi M, Kiambi D, Semagn K, Kairachi M, et al (2008) Assessment of the genetic diversity and patterns of relationship of West Africa sorghum accessions using microsatellites. Paper presented at the 1st Africa Biotechnology Congress, 22-26 Sept 2008, Nairobi Kenya.

Kiambi DK, Hash T, Semagn K., Kitavi M and Hoisington D (2008). Use of molecular markers in sorghum diversity studies and Marker Assisted Breeding for biotic and abiotic stresses. Paper presented at the 2nd South African Proteomics and Genomics Conference, 3-5th March 2008, Cape Town, South Africa.

Ndjiondjop MN, Cissoko M, Semagn K, Manneh B, Semon M and Mc Couch S (2005) Genetic characterisation of NERICA lines. Poster presented at the 5th International Rice Genetic Symposium, 19-23 November 2005, Manilla, Philippines.

Skinnes H, Semagn K, Bjornstad A, Tarkegne Y and Maroy AGM (2005) Associations between Anther Extrution and Fusarium Head Blight in European Wheat. Poster presented at the 4th Canadian Workshop on Fusarium Head Blight, Ottawa, Canada, 1-3 November 2005.

Semagn K, Skinnes H, Marøy AG, Tarkegne Y, William M and Bjørnstad A (2004) Mapping of Fusarium resistance genes in the wheat genotypes 'Arina' and 'NK93604'. Proceedings of the 2nd International Symposium on Fusarium Head Blight, 11-15 December 2004, Orlando, Florida USA.

Bjornstad A, Skinnes H, Semagn K, Cooke BM and Browne RA (2004) Identification of FHB QTL coincident with components of partial Fusarium resistance detected using a detached leaf assay. Proceedings of the 2nd International Symposium on Fusarium Head Blight, 11-15 December 2004, Orlando, Florida USA.

Research Grants (2004 – present):

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This database is supported with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation