“I want to make a difference for my country"

Damaris Odeny inspecting crops in a test field, Photo: (C) Auswärtiges Amt / Jan Greune

Damaris’ research area is the internal "operating instructions" of plants. At the Max Planck Institute she is investigating which of the potato's genes are responsible for countering plant diseases such as the potato blight. The research goal is to decode these naturally occurring genes and to introduce them into cultivated plants through breeding – for example, by crossing them with wild varieties.

Research against hunger

Plant biology has experienced a revolution in recent years and the first plant genomes – in other words, the complete genetic codes – of rice and the thale cress, have already been deciphered. Although the potato still holds many secrets, the researchers already know a great deal about its genetic blueprint.

"It has the potential to change people's lives," says the 36-year-old Kenyan "I come from a land where hunger still exists," she adds. Damaris is convinced that her scientific work could improve the lives of small farmers in particular by helping them to produce more resilient plants and better harvests.

Studying abroad

That is why Damaris Odeny left Africa. She wanted to learn more, to work in a laboratory with better conditions. She was the first in her family to enter higher education. The daughter of a farmer from Kisumu, in west Kenya, completed a Bachelor's degree programme at the University of Nairobi. She then decided to approach the subject more scientifically and studied plant genetics at Nottingham University in the United Kingdom. With a Master's degree under her belt she moved to Bonn.

DAAD scholarships for researchers from developing countries

A three-year international doctoral programme at the Center for Development Research (ZEF) in Bonn brought Damaris to Germany. The DAAD offered her and other talented young researchers from developing countries a scholarship, funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

At ZEF the molecular biologist focussed on the pigeon pea, an agricultural plant that is very important to many countries in the Southern Hemisphere, but not the focus of much previous genetic research. Her research also took her to the neighbouring city of Cologne, home to the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, and much further afield – to India, for almost a year.

World famous research institute

Following the completion of her PhD in 2006, Damaris applied and gained the position of postdoc at the Max Planck Institute. The Max Planck Institute is one of the world's leading research institutions in the field of molecular plant biology. The medium of communication here is usually English because half of the 180 research staff come from 30 different countries. Ninety PhD students from all over the world, including 35 from the International Max Planck Research School, ensure that the atmosphere is even more international."I can later apply everything I learn about the potato here to other crop plants that are important in Africa."

Heading home and making a difference

"Later" could in fact be rather soon because Damaris Odeny will be returning to Kenya this year as planned: "My main concern is not increasing my list of publications. I want to make a difference for my country." She would like to lead her own group at a university. Her biggest dream, however, is her own research institute that meets European standards. "Perhaps that sounds very ambitious," she says, "but if you have good ideas and demonstrate you can produce results, then I can imagine funding becoming available, for example, from a large foundation." Damaris has always steadfastly pursued her goals. "I hope what I have learnt at the Max Planck Institute will enable me to reach a scientific level in Kenya comparable to that in Europe," she says. "I know this can't be achieved overnight, but someone has to do it. Why not me?"

Text: Janet Schayan. With kind permission from the DAAD.

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