We are pleased to announce that Dr Somiame Itseme Okuofu has joined CircBio at CABR, MTU Kerry, as the Lead Postdoctoral Researcher on the BluePasture project. 

Dr Somiame Itseme Okuofu holds a PhD in Microbiology from the University of Galway, completed in collaboration with Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark. Her research focuses on driving circular bioeconomy solutions by transforming agricultural biomass and side streams into high-value functional products, through sustainable upstream and downstream bioprocessing, process optimisation, and green extraction technologies.   

Within BluePasture, Dr Okuofu is drawing on this experience to establish Ireland’s first integrated blue–green biorefinery model, valorising seaweed as a complementary feedstock to terrestrial crops.