Mapping Four Decades of Microbial Waste Valorization Research in Africa through a Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis

Johnson, N. K.; Palnam, W. D.; Abraham, P.; Ogra, I. O.; Iroha, O. K.; Jonathan, E. U.; Glen, E.; Usman, S.; Joshua, S. C.; Elisha, D. T.; Luka, M. I.; Daji, M.; Joseph, D. N.; Wabba, G. P.; Nathaniel, M.; Okibe, F.; Mohammed, Z. K.; Opara, U. L.

doi:10.1101/2025.10.21.683771

bioRxiv · 10.1101/2025.10.21.683771

Mapping Four Decades of Microbial Waste Valorization Research in Africa through a Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis

Johnson, N. K.·Palnam, W. D.·Abraham, P.·Ogra, I. O.·Iroha, O. K.·Jonathan, E. U.·Glen, E.·Usman, S.·Joshua, S. C.·Elisha, D. T.·Luka, M. I.·Daji, M.·Joseph, D. N.·Wabba, G. P.·Nathaniel, M.·Okibe, F.·Mohammed, Z. K.·Opara, U. L.

View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

The annual Africa waste production has been predicted to triple by 2050. Due to lack of proper waste disposal plans and services in many African countries, wastes are indiscriminately dumped leading to environmental and human health issues. Microorganisms with their complex biochemical functionaries play a significant role in waste valorization. Research in the application of microorganisms in waste conversion has been ongoing globally. However, there i no information on the extent of research on this subject with regards to Africa using bibliometric and systematic review approaches. This study was aimed at understanding the extent of research in microbially-driven waste valorization in Africa to identify research gaps and future perspectives. Bibliographic and systematic literature review (SLR) methodology guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) were used for this study. Bibliographic data (752) was extracted from Scopus database. Thereafter, 264 data were excluded and the remaining 488 data were analysed using Biblioshiny, Vosviewer and Excel analytical tools. Nigeria with 369 published articles ranked above other countries from 1984-2024. However, using the number of citations and single country publication (SCP) South Africa dominated with 3233 and 75% SCP. Themes like wastewater treatment, composting, recycling, and microorganisms evolved to biodegradation, biomass, microbial community, anaerobic digestion etc. The findings suggest that emerging themes are still revolving around biomass and anaerobic digestion, as more research is still on wastewater treatment and management, recycling and fermentations in waste valorization. This knowledge contributes to future research designing and gap identification in the area of waste valorization in Africa. Graphical abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=141 SRC="FIGDIR/small/683771v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (36K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@11c6478org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1081f92org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@50e74borg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@18108c8_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

Explore related subjects

microbiology Preprint

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeX RIS

Johnson, N. K., Palnam, W. D., Abraham, P., Ogra, I. O., Iroha, O. K., Jonathan, E. U., Glen, E., Usman, S., Joshua, S. C., Elisha, D. T., Luka, M. I., Daji, M., Joseph, D. N., Wabba, G. P., Nathaniel, M., Okibe, F., Mohammed, Z. K., Opara, U. L.. 2025-10-21. Mapping Four Decades of Microbial Waste Valorization Research in Africa through a Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.10.21.683771

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related preprints

bioRxiv2026

pTRIP, a novel integration plasmid for Listeria monocytogenes

In the past decades, several tools to genetically modify the human pathogen Listeria monocytogenes were developed. Here, we constructed a new integrative plasmid system for L. monocytogenes named pTRIP, for treB insertion plasmid. pTRIP is a vector which stably integrates into the treB locus of the wild type EGD-e. This locus encodes the sole trehalose-specific EIIB and EIIC component of a phosphotransferase system. Successful integration leads to the disruption of treB and thus, to an inability of the resulting L. monocytogenes strains to grow on trehalose as sole carbon source. Due to integration through double homologous recombination, it is the first integrative system which does not require antibiotic selection pressure. To assess functionality of the pTRIP system, prfA and its native promoter region were integrated into the treB locus of a {Delta}prfA strain. Complementation was confirmed in 78% of the isolated clones, indicating successful integration of prfA into the treB locus. We further constructed derivatives of pTRIP harboring the constitutive Pp60 (pTRIP1) and the inducible Prha (pTRIP2) promoter to further expand application possibilities. Microscopic analyses confirmed the functionality of both promoter constructs and showed dose-dependent induction for Prha. pTRIP is an efficient tool for stable gene expression as well as functional studies and expands genetic modification possibilities for L. monocytogenes.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2026

A rational design strategy and validation for protease-resistant fusion-inhibitor antiviral peptides

Peptide-based fusion inhibitors are promising pharmaceuticals in the fight against enveloped viruses relying on membrane fusion for host infection. However, peptide therapeutic applications have long been hindered by their poor stability in vivo. Here, we discovered that peptide inhibitors with the wildtype sequence of the heptad repeat 2 (HR2) domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein are efficiently cleaved by Transmembrane Protease, Serine 2 (TMPRSS2), a key protease involved in the SARS-CoV-2 virus-cell fusion pathway. We then identified the corresponding cleavage sites and designed three protease-resistant peptides using ranking based on deep mutational scanning and natural occurrence. The three candidates all exhibit inhibitory activity in a cell-cell fusion assay. A high-resolution cryo-EM structure of the top candidate, HR2-NHN, bound to its HR1 target reveals the molecular basis for its potent activity. The top candidate of the cell-based screening assay significantly improved efficacy relative to the wildtype peptide when administered 12 h before infection in both an authentic virus-cell infection assay and a mouse assay. More broadly, our results suggest that the design strategies for protease-resistant peptides could be applied to a broad spectrum of other enveloped viruses and pave the way for the development of safe, prophylactic antivirals that can be administered before exposure.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2026

Host soluble inositol phosphate signaling promotes coronavirus replication

Coronaviruses rely extensively on host pathways for replication, making host-directed therapies an attractive strategy for broad-spectrum antivirals with reduced risk of viral resistance. Here we identify the host soluble inositol phosphate pathway as a previously unrecognized dependency for coronavirus infection. Genetic or pharmacologic inhibition of several kinases in this pathway markedly suppresses replication of both alpha- and betacoronaviruses, while increasing pathway activity promotes viral replication. We developed UNC7844, a potent multi-target inhibitor of these kinases, which reduces coronavirus replication by more than four orders of magnitude in cultured cells and suppresses coronavirus infection in mice. Mechanistically, UNC7844 suppresses inositol (pyro)phosphates production, disrupts phosphoinositide homeostasis, and impairs late endosomal dynamics, blocking early post-entry steps required for viral genome release and replication. Together, our findings establish the soluble inositol (pyro)phosphate pathway as an important regulator of coronavirus infection and highlight its inhibition as a promising host-directed antiviral strategy.

microbiology↗