Tawanda Proceed Makopa

An enthusiastic and growth orientated biochemist with diversified training in microbiology research, biotechnology and bioinformatics skills specializing in genomics, molecular modeling, and AI-driven data analytics. Experienced in bioinformatics workflows, advanced machine learning for omics data, and predictive modeling for drug discovery. International research exposure with expertise in project design, scientific writing, and multidisciplinary collaboration.

Computational Molecular Modeling for Drug Discovery Training (Schrödinger_Biostruct-Africa)

• I-COOP 2024 Grant Recipient, IATA-CSIC, Spain, Fungal biodiversity exploration for biotech.
• Natural Product Discovery Project, Grant-R00026, Extremophilic microbes for industrial application.
• FEMS Early Career Investigator Fellowship Recipient, 31st International Conference on Yeast Genetics & Molecular Biology (ICYGMB31) in Florence, Italy.

Makopa, T.P., 2025. Valorisation of insect infested sweet  sorghum reeds towards production of a fermented beverage. BMC Microbiology.

Makopa, T.P. et al. (2024). Yeast–insect interactions in southern Africa: Tapping yeast diversity for modern bioprocessing. Yeast.
Makopa, T.P. et al. (2023). The marula and elephant intoxication myth: biodiversity of fermenting yeasts. FEMS Microbes.