Biotechnology: The Future Is Now, Declares Prof. Osuntoki At UNILAG Inaugural Lecture

The University of Lagos (UNILAG) on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, played host to a captivating inaugural lecture delivered by Professor Akinniyi Adediran Osuntoki, a distinguished Professor of Biochemistry, at the Tayo Aderinokun Lecture Theatre.

The event, also streamed virtually, was titled “Dancing on Shifting Carpets: Between Molecules and Devices.”

With poetic precision, Professor Osuntoki led his audience into the invisible realm of molecules, unveiling how their silent conversations sustain life, respond to environmental cues, and offer solutions to humanity’s most pressing challenges. He explained that when paired with devices born of human ingenuity, molecules can be transformed into diagnostic tools, clean energy systems, and sustainable technologies — a synergy he described as the frontier of discovery and design.

The lecture underscored how biotechnology, fuelled by molecular innovation, can revolutionize healthcare, agriculture, and environmental stewardship. “Biotechnology is the next industrial revolution; we must not miss the train,” he declared with urgency, adding that Africa’s opportunity to lead is within reach if visionary investment and collaboration are embraced today.

Professor Osuntoki also spoke candidly about the “shifting carpets” faced by researchers in Africa: technological gaps, uncertain funding, and limited pathways to translate discoveries into real-world solutions. Yet, rather than lament, he called for resilience and adaptability. Quoting Thomas F. Crum, he said, “Instead of seeing the rug being pulled from under us, we can learn to dance on a shifting carpet.”

Having earlier described Biochemistry as the “love child of Biology and Chemistry,” he stressed the growing role of Artificial Intelligence in driving the next phase of biochemistry research and positioned biotechnology and molecular biology as twin engines of innovation.

Beyond the science, his lecture was also a call to action for UNILAG: to remain not just a platform for groundbreaking research, but a steward of capacity building and a catalyst for Africa’s scientific leadership.

About Professor Akinniyi Adediran Osuntoki

Born on February 22, 1966, Professor Osuntoki is a homegrown scholar of the University of Lagos, where he obtained his B.Sc. in Biochemistry (1986), M.Phil. in Protein Chemistry/Enzymology (1991), and Ph.D. in Biotechnology/Molecular Biology (1998).

He began his academic career as a Graduate Assistant in the Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, UNILAG (CMUL), rising steadily through the ranks: Assistant Lecturer in 1994, Lecturer II in 1999, Lecturer I in 2001, Senior Lecturer in 2008, Associate Professor in 2012, and Professor in 2016.

Professor Osuntoki, now Dean of the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, CMUL, has co-patented groundbreaking innovations, including a Smartphone Application for preventing musculoskeletal conditions linked to smartphone addiction (2020/2021) and a dual-slot antenna technology for microwave ablation of breast tumours (2019). His vision is to position the Faculty as a centre of excellence in multidisciplinary healthcare research, innovation, and global collaboration.

Married and blessed with children, Professor Osuntoki stands today as a seasoned scholar whose journey from hopeful undergraduate to global thought-leader exemplifies resilience, creativity, and academic brilliance.