Dr. Jimmy Moses Tindamanyire

PhD (Biotechnology) – Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia;

Master of Science Crop Science (Plant Biotechnology) – Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda;

Masters in Biosafety (Plant Biotechnology) – Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy;

Bachelor of Science Agriculture (Crop Science) – Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

• Plant biotechnology, Molecular biology, and plant tissue culture – advancing innovative techniques for crop improvement, regeneration, and propagation.
• Plant Genetic Resources – collection, conservation, characterisation, and sustainable utilisation of Uganda’s and region’s rich biodiversity.
• Crop production constraints – developing science-driven processes and products to address pests, diseases, abiotic stresses, and low-yield traits especially in the face of climate change.
• Trait enhancement – improving crop productivity, quality, and resilience to meet industrial and market demands.
• Food, nutrition, and income security – translating research into practical solutions for vulnerable subsistence farming and trading communities in Uganda and her neighbours.
• Value chain development – strengthening plant genetic resource-based value chains in Uganda and the region for enhanced livelihoods and regional trade.
• Biodiversity-industry linkages – bridging research, academia, and industry to generate high impact-oriented agricultural solutions and innovations.

1: Mr. Frank Kalungi (MSc Biochemistry) registered and completed Jan 2026 at Makerere University. Research topic: Establishing a CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing System in the East African Highland Banana.

2: Mr. Geresemu Omuut (MSc Molecular Biology candidate registered at Makerere University). Defended proposal and research ongoing. Research topic: Over-expression of Musa balbisiana Genes Confers Enhanced Resistance to Banana Xanthomonas Wilt Disease in Cooking Bananas.

Publication

1. Tindamanyire, J.M., Watkins, L.J., Mortimer, C., Mlalazi, B., Daniells, J., Harding, R., Dale, L.J. and Paul, J.-Y. (2026). Pro-Vitamin A Biofortified Cavendish Banana: Trait Stability in the Field. Plant Biotechnology Journal1–18. https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.70516
2. Kalungi, F., Tindamanyire, J.M., Ntui, V.O., Mustafa, A.S., Nerima, B., Nandutu, A., Ozimati, A., Bwesigye, P.N. and Anywar, G. (2025). Plant molecular pharming in Africa for sustainable health and economic development. Vegetos, pp.1-10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42535-025-01466-w
3. Kalungi, F., Mulindwa, J., Mustafa, A. S., Bwesigye, P. N., Kubiriba, J., Barekye, A. and Tindamanyire, J. M. (2025). Efficient CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing of phytoene desaturase in Musa-AAA: a critical step for genetic improvement of east African highland bananas. Frontiers in Plant Science, 16, 1677409. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2025.1677409
4. Buah, S., Tindamanyire, J. M., Namanya, P., Kubiriba, J., Arinaitwe, G., Paul, J. Y., Harding, R., Dale, J. and Tushemereirwe, W. (2025). Field selection of elite events of East African highland bananas expressing elevated levels of pro?vitamin A. Plant Biotechnology Journal. https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.70190
5. Sinha, P., Robson, A., Schneider, D., Kilic, T., Mugera, H.K., Ilukor, J. and Tindamanyire, J.M (2020). The potential of in-situ hyperspectral remote sensing for differentiating 12 banana genotypes grown in Uganda. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 167, pp.85-103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2020.06.023
6. Namanya, P., Tindamanyire, J., Buah, S., Namaganda, J., Kubiriba, J. and Tushemereirwe, W. “Genetically modified bananas for communities of the great lakes region of Africa.” In Genetically Modified and Irradiated Food, pp. 117-130. Academic Press, (2020).
7. Walugembe, J., Buah, S., Runo, S., Ateka, E., Kubiriba, J. and Tushemereirwe, W., (2020). Genetically engineered East African highland bananas–proximate analysis and effect of cooking on the enhanced provitamin A levels. African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 20(1), pp.15205-15221. Tindamanyire, J.M. as MSc supervisor at NARO.
8. Buah, S., Tindamanyire, J., Namanya, P., Kubiriba, J., Paul, J. Y., Dale, J., Tushemereirwe, W. (2019). Biofortified East African highland bananas to alleviate vitamin A deficiency in Uganda. Gates Open Res, 3.
9. Kosmowski, F, Ilukor, J., Johnson, N., Sekabira, H., Stevenson, J., and Wambugu, S. A country-level approach for tracking the diffusion of agricultural innovations in developing countries. Vol. 7. Technical Note No, (2019). Tindamanyire, J.M. as special contributor on insights into shaping the country-specific list of innovations on banana.
10. Tumuhimbise, R., Buregyeya, H., Kubiriba, J., Tushemereirwe, W.K., Barekye, A., Ssali, R. T., Namagembe, B., Muhangi, S., Kazigye, F., Talengera, D., Namaganda, J., Akankwasa, K., Nabulya, G., Waswa, W., Kushaba, A., Namuddu, M., Oyesigye, N., Namanya, P., Tindamanyire, J., Arinaitwe, I. K., Waniale, A., Karamura, D and Karamura, E. (2019). ‘NABIO808’ (Syn.‘NAROBAN5’): A tasty cooking banana cultivar with resistance to pests and diseases. Crop Breeding and Applied Biotechnology, 19(4), 491-495.
11. Paul, J. Y., Khanna, H., Kleidon, J., Hoang, P., Geijskes, J., Daniells, J., Zaplin, E., Rosenberg, Y., James, A., Mlalazi, B., Deo, P., Arinaitwe, G., Namanya, P., Becker, D., Tindamanyire, J., Tushemereirwe, W., Harding, R., Dale, J. (2017). Golden bananas in the field: elevated fruit pro-vitamin A from the expression of a single banana transgene. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 15(4), 520-532. https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.12650
12. Tindamanyire, J. M., Townsley, B., Kiggundu, A., Tushemereirwe, W., Sinha, N. (2013). Building a bi-directional promoter binary vector from the intergenic region of Arabidopsis thaliana cab1 and cab2 divergent genes useful for plant transformation. African Journal of Biotechnology, 12(11), 1203-1208.