Dr Nancy Nleya is the Acting Chairperson of the Department of Agricultural Genetics and Cell Technology in the Faculty of Agricultural Science and Technology. She holds a PhD in Animal Health from Northwest University, South Africa, MSc in Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology and BSc Honours Applied Biology and Biochemistry from the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Zimbabwe.

Skills and Competences:

Well versed with techniques in Microbiology, Analytical Biochemistry, Biotechnology (microbial culturing, spectroscopy, chromatography, DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction, gel electrophoresis, bioinformatics).

Research Interests:

Food Security and Food Safety in terms of microbial and environmental and emerging food contaminants.

Research and Publications

1. Dangwa, N., Mwenje, E., Dhlamini, Z. & Siwela, A. 2014.  Molecular Characterization of Aflatoxigenic Aspergillus species in dried Traditional foods in Zimbabwe.  Advances in Bioresearch, 5(1):29-36.
2. Nleya, N., Nyararai, Y., Mawanza, M. & Mlalazi, F.  2017.  Colonization of stem borer damaged maize plants by aflatoxigenic Aspergillus species in Zimbabwe.  Tropical Plant Research, 4(1):109-114. DOI: 10.22271/tpr.2017.v4.i1.017
3. Nleya, N., Adetunji, M.C & Mwanza, M.  2018.  Current Status of Mycotoxin Contamination of Food Commodities in Zimbabwe.  Toxins, 10(5):89. doi:10.3390/toxins10050089
4. Ekwomadu, T.I., Dada, T.A., Nleya, N., Gopane, R., Sulyok, M. and Mwanza, M., 2020. Variation of Fusarium Free, Masked, and Emerging Mycotoxin Metabolites in Maize from Agriculture Regions of South Africa. Toxins, 12(3): p.149. doi:10.3390/toxins12030149
5. Nleya, N., Ngoma, L., Adetunji, M.C. and Mwanza, M., 2020. Biodiversity of aflatoxigenic Aspergillus species in dairy feeds in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11, p.3438. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.599605
6. Ekwomadu, T.I., Dada, T.A., Akinola, S.A., Nleya, N. and Mwanza, M., 2021. Analysis of selected mycotoxins in maize from North-West South Africa using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and other analytical techniques. Separations, 8(9), p.143. https://doi.org/10.3390/separations8090143
7. Ngum N. Q, Babalola O. O, Ekwomadu T. I, Nleya N and M, M.  2022.  Six Main Contributing Factors to High Levels of Mycotoxin Contamination in African Foods. Toxins 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins14050318
8. Queenta Ngum Nji, Olubukola Oluranti Babalola, Modupeade Christianah Adetunji, Kgomotso Galian Setsetse, Nancy Nleya, Mulunda Mwanza., 2022. Underreported human exposure to the effects of mycotoxins: The case of South Africa. Foods, 11(17), p.2714. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11172714
9.   Dlamini, W, Nunu, W.N, Ndlovu, V, Nleya, N, Mudonhi, N. and Sibula, M, 2023. Molecular detection of Imbrasia belina proteins associated with allergic reactions on harvesters and consumers from selected districts in Matabeleland: a comparative study. Molecular Biology Reports, pp.1-10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-023-08678-w

Book Chapters

1. Nleya, N., Ngoma, L. and Mwanza, M., Aflatoxin Occurrence in Dairy Feeds: A Case of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. In Aflatoxin B₁ Occurrence, Detection and Toxicological Effects. IntechOpen. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.88582
2. Adetunji, M.C., Akinola, S.A., Nleya, N. and Mulunda, M., 2021. Nutrient Composition and Aflatoxin Contamination of African Sourced Peanuts and Cashew Nuts: Its Implications on Health. In Nuts and Nut Products in Human Health and Nutrition. IntechOpen. http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.95082

Email: nancy.nleya@nust.ac.zw