Joshua Magu works at the Plant Transformation Laboratory at Kenyatta University under Prof. Steve Runo. He spent four weeks at the Laboratory for Applied In Vitro Plant Biotechnology in Ho Gent, hosted by Prof. Stefaan Werbrouck, from mid-November 2023. During his stay, he received training on various aspects of plant tissue culture, such as protoplast isolation, meristem culture, medium preparation with new cytokinins, classical micropropagation of banana collection, and temporary Immersion Bioreactor for speed micropropagation of banana. Joshua has shared his experience of this training program in his own words.

Tissue culture is a technique that is used in growing plantlets in a short amount of time. The technique can be used to generate disease free plants and it's not dependent on the season. The training aimed at gaining new insights on the best tissue culture practices, how to manage a tissue culture laboratory and how to ensure that there is rapid micropropagation. I credit Prof. Stefaan, who has shared the knowledge and in the process demonstrated the use of bioreactor as a sustainable way of propagating plantlets. In addition, I also give credit to VLIR-UOS for sharing the opportunity to enhance my knowledge and skills in the field of tissue culture. The skills gained come in handy in ensuring the success of the tissue culture lab in Kenyatta University.