RESEARCH SPECIALIST PROFILE

Research Projects

• Project Coordinator: The Africa Open Science Platform East African Node. Funded by the National Research Fund, South Africa (2023 – 2028). Link
• Co-Principal Investigator: Establishing a digital innovations hub for Climate Smart Agriculture and Trade. Funded by African-European Digital Innovation Bridge Network of European Commission (2023 – 2025)
• Principal Investigator: Nutritional outcomes of feeding children under 5 years with porridge fortified with cricket powder. Funded by Rockefeller Foundation (2022 – 2024)
• Principal Investigator (JKUAT): HEALTHYNSECT: Insects for improved livelihood. Funded by Danida, Denmark (2020 -2024). Link
• Principal Investigator: Enhancing food and nutrition security through promotion of edible insects’ value chain in Eastern Africa (Ento-Economy). Funded African-European ERA-NET Cofund (LEAP-Agri) (2018-2021).
• Principal Investigator: Mass production and utilization of edible insects and cassava meal for feed security and improvement of livelihood for smallholder farmers in Kenya. Funded by The National Research Fund, Kenya (2018 – 2022).
• Project Partner (JKUAT) – Africa center of excellence on sustainable use of edible insects as food and feed (INSEFOODS). Funded by ACE 11 programme of The World Bank (2016-2020). Link
• Principal Investigator and Local Promoter – Using the edible insect, grasshopper (Ruspolia differens) to enhance food security in East Africa. Funded by VLIR-OUS (2016-2020). Link
• Principal Investigator and Project Manager – Up-scaling of cricket farming as protein source for animal feedstuff. Funded by JKUAT (2015-2017).
• Principal Investigator (JKUAT) – GREEiNSECT Project: Insects for green economy. Funded by Danida (2014-2017). Link

Publications

• Konyole, S. O., Omollo, S. A., Kinyuru, J. N., Owuor, B. O., Estambale, B. B., Ritz, C., … & Grenov, B. (2023) Associations between stunting, wasting and body composition: A longitudinal study in 6-to 15-month-old Kenyan children. The Journal of Nutrition, 153(4), 970-978.
• Akullo, J. O., Kiage‐Mokua, B. N., Nakimbugwe, D., Ng’ang’a, J., & Kinyuru, J. (2023). Color, pH, microbiological, and sensory quality of crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus) flour preserved with ginger and garlic extracts. Food Science & Nutrition.
• Weru, J., Chege, P., Wanjoya, A., & Kinyuru, J. (2022). Comparison of healthfulness of conventional meats and edible insects in Sub-Saharan Africa using three nutrient profiling models. Bulletin of the National Research Centre, 46(1), 1-14.
• Mutisya, M. M., Baleba, S. B. S., Kinyuru, J. N., Tanga, C. M., Gicheha, M., Hailu, G., … & Niassy, S. (2022). Effect of Desmodium intortum and black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) based meal on sensory and physicochemical properties of broiler chicken meat in Kenya. Journal of Insects as Food and Feed, 1-14.
• Ishara, J., Buzera, A., Mushagalusa, G. N., Hammam, A. R., Munga, J., Karanja, P., & Kinyuru, J. (2022). Nutraceutical potential of mushroom bioactive metabolites and their food functionality. Journal of Food Biochemistry, 46(1), e14025.
• Mbijiwe, J., Kiiru, S., Konyole, S., Ndungu, N., & Kinyuru, J. (2021). Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Food Consumption Pattern in the Population of Nairobi, Kenya. Journal of Agriculture, Science and Technology, 20(3), 16-26.
• Kipkoech, C., Kinyuru, J. N., Imathiu, S., Meyer-Rochow, V. B., & Roos, N. (2021). In vitro study of cricket chitosan’s potential as a prebiotic and a promoter of probiotic microorganisms to control pathogenic bacteria in the human gut. Foods, 10(10), 2310.
• Kinyuru, J., Kipkoech, C., Imathiu, S., Konyole, S., & Roos, N. (2021). Acceptability of cereal-cricket porridge compared to cereal and cereal-milk-porridges among caregivers and nursery school children in Uasin Gishu, Kenya. International Journal of Tropical Insect Science, 41(3), 2007-2013.