Two graduate researchers from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have been named winners of the 2025 Commonwealth Chemistry Poster Prizes, joining a select group of 25 early-career scientists recognised across the Commonwealth.

The announcement, made on 8 December 2025, follows the sixth edition of the Commonwealth Chemistry Posters event, which received more than 250 poster abstracts from researchers in 23 countries. The competition, held online in October, featured high levels of engagement across three live scientific sessions.

This year’s prizes were awarded across five research themes aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Responsible Energy, Clean Water and Sanitation, Sustainable Planet, Good Health and Wellbeing, and Community, Education and Industry.

Both Ghanaian winners emerged in the Good Health and Wellbeing (SDG 3) theme: one of the most competitive categories, which received 109 submissions and awarded only ten prizes. Muntawakilu Padiga Seidu, an MPhil candidate received the prize for his research titled:
“Antiplasmodial Mechanism of Salacia debilis Metabolites Involves Adaptive Binding to Plasmodium falciparum Enoyl-ACP Reductase.”

His study explores how bioactive compounds from Salacia debilis, a medicinal plant, interact with malaria parasites at the molecular level. The findings could support the discovery of new therapeutic pathways in the fight against malaria.

Jehoshaphat Oppong Mensah, a PhD student, was recognised for his work on:
“Nodule-Specific Cysteine-Rich Peptides: Dual Roles in Symbiosis and Antimicrobial Defense in Plants.”

His research examines plant peptides that both enhance nitrogen-fixing symbiosis and provide antimicrobial protection, insights that could strengthen sustainable agriculture strategies and crop resilience.