Nelson Enos Masota, PhD
International Scholar
- PharmRx Discovery Lab, School of Pharmacy, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences
- Tanzania, United Republic of
- Antimicrobial Resistance | Antimicrobial Resistance Mitigation | Microbiomes | Novel Antibiotics | Quality Use of Medicine | Regulatory Frameworks | Translational Research
Languages: English (Fluent), Swahili (Native), German (Intermediate)
BIO STATEMENT
I am a pharmacist-scientist specializing in antimicrobial products discovery, pharmaceutical chemistry, and regulatory sciences, dedicated to combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and improving access to quality medicines in low-resource crisis settings. My research isolates novel antibiotic-producing microbes from underexplored African soils and hospital environments using tools like the Isolation Chip. Concurrently, I develop and validate analytical methods and establish frameworks to ensure the quality of essential medicines in humanitarian contexts. As Head of the University’s Innovation Center, I coordinate translation of discoveries into practical products and services.I've recently completed the Penn Implementation Science Institute (2025). Fluent in English, Swahili, and German, I collaborate effectively with global teams.
Recent Global Health Projects
Searching for Novel Antibacterial Agents against Multidrug-resistant Pathogens of Critical Priority: Exploring the Synergy between Chemical Biology, Chemoinformatics, and Synthetic Chemistry”. We investigate the rather underexplored Tanzanian Soil microbiomes for potentially novel producers of new antibiotics against bacteria of global critical priority based on the WHO's classification. The project is funded through a grant for New African Principal Investigators (SG-NAPI) (2024 – 2025). Funder: UNESCO-The World Academy of Science (TWAS)
Exploring Access to Quality Assured Anti-Infective Medicines: A Multifaceted Study in Humanitarian Crisis-Prone Regions of the East African Community (CRISIS-RX)”. (2024-2025). We investigate the Quality of selected essential medicines ins such areas (Mainly anti-infectives), determine local factors related to poor quality of medicines, as well as the utilization and outcomes of portable qualitz screening technology. Funder: East African Center of Excellence for Vaccines, Immunization and Health Supply Chain Management.
Select Publications
Masota NE, Ohlsen K, Schollmayer C, Meinel L, Holzgrabe U. Isolation and Characterization of Galloylglucoses Effective against Multidrug-Resistant Strains of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Molecules. 2022; 27(15):5045. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27155045
Masota, N. E., Vogg, G., Ohlsen, K., & Holzgrabe, U. (2021). Reproducibility challenges in the search for antibacterial compounds from nature. PLOS ONE, 16(7), e0255437. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0255437
Last Updated: 11 August 2025