Fort Portal – Mountains of the Moon University (MMU) has commissioned the first Tissue Culture Laboratory in Uganda and the second of its kind in East Africa.
The state-of-the-art facility, the Laboratory for Applied Plant Biotechnology, was established with support from the project titled “Safeguarding Carbon Sinks and their Sequestration with Agrotech Solutions in Western Uganda.”
Commissioning the facility, the Chancellor of MMU, Prof. Edward B. Rugumayo, described it as an exciting opportunity for the institution to showcase quality education in its niche of Agriculture, Tourism and Environment.
“This laboratory places MMU at the forefront of agricultural innovation in the country. It is a practical demonstration of our mandate to provide solutions for climate resilience and community transformation,” Prof. Rugumayo said.
The Vice Chancellor Professor Pius Coxwell Achanga said the laboratory will support efforts to strengthen climate resilience, promote sustainable agriculture, and build local biotechnology capacity. It will enable mass production of clean, disease-free planting materials, conservation of endangered plant species, and research in carbon sink restoration.
He noted that the project is expected to directly benefit farmers in Western Uganda through access to improved, high-yielding crop varieties and contribute to national efforts on climate change adaptation.