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Dr Lewis Mtashobya

Name
Dr. Lewis Mtashobya

Academic Rank
Senior Lecturer

Department
Chemistry

Biography

Biography

Lewis Atugonza Mtashobya is a senior lecturer in the department of Chemistry, Mkwawa University College of Education (MUCE) since 2021. He graduated from the University of Dar es Salaam, B.Sc.(Ed.) & M.Sc. (Chemistry) in 2006 and 2010 respectively. During Master’s degree, He joined the group of the late Professor Michael Kishimba where he worked on a project titled “Assessment of the Types and Levels of Pesticide Residues in Western Usambara and Uluguru Mountains   of Tanzania” In this work sampling, sample storage, sample extraction and clean-up, GC analysis and confirmation of pesticides on the GC MS was accomplished.   

In the year 2011, He started PhD studies at the University of Southampton where He joined the Linclau group (Professor Bruno Linclau) and worked on “The Synthesis of Fluorinated Carbohydrates and Fluorinated Cyclohexanols” that was completed in 2014. The work involved the synthesis and extensive IR, UV, MS and NMR characterisation of Fluorinated Carbohydrates, Fluorinated Cyclohexanols and benzyl alcohol derivatives. The synthesis of fluorinated carbohydrates aimed at investigating the carbohydrate-aromatic interactions as an important contribution to the binding affinity of sugars to proteins. This was due to an observation that fluorination on the pyranose slightly increases carbohydrates-aromatic stacking interactions. Fluorinated cyclohexanols and benzyl alcohol derivatives were synthesized for use as probes to investigate the influence of fluorination on the alcohol hydrogen bond donating capacity.

After completion of PhD in 2014, Lewis has been teaching various course in organic chemistry at MUCE. 

Contacts

Email:

Email Address
lewis.mtashobya@muce.ac.tz

Research Interest

Research Interest
Bioethanol, Biogas, & Environmental monitoring and assessment

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Projects

Projects

2023- To date: Co-investigator in the two projects funded by the UDSM research and innovation grants namely: “Compositing of disposable diapers: Empowering women on management of Disposable Diapers for economic and environmental health improvement”, an innovation project; and “Biogas generation from fish wastes as energy source in enhancing resource recovery for environmental conservation”

2022- To date: Principal Invigilator on project titled “Transforming Ripe Brewing Banana Fruits into Bioethanol Fuel” The project was also funded by the UDSM research and innovation grants.

During the academic year 2009/2010, He conducted a project that was funded by the Eastern Arc Mountains Conservation Endowment Fund (EAMCEF). The project titled “Levels of Pesticides in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania: Threatening Biodiversity?” involved a baseline study on farmers altitudes, knowledge and practices on the use of pesticides and was followed by the analysis and documentation of the results of pesticide residues analysis.

Publications

Publications
  1. Mtashobya, L.; Kishimba, M.; Nyambo, B. “Levels of Pesticides in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania: Threatening Biodiversity?” Eastern Arc Mountains Conservation Endowment Fund (EAMCEF), 2010.
  2. Lucas, R.; Peñalver, P.; Gómez-Pinto, I.; Vengut-Climent, E.; Mtashobya, L.; Cousin, J.; Maldonado, O. S.; Perez, V.; Reynes, V.; Aviñó, A.; Eritja, R.; González, C.; Linclau, B.; Morales, J. C. J. Org. Chem. 2014, 79, 2419–2429. 
  3. Mtashobya, L. A.; Nyambo, B. Int. J. AgriScience 2014, 4, 452-462.
  4. Compain, G.; Wang, Z.; Mtashobya, L. A.; Graton, J.; Le Questel, J.-Y.; Linclau, B. Abstr. Pap. Am. Chem. Soc.2014, 248. ⟨hal-02142255
  5. Mtashobya, L.; Quiquempoix, L.; Linclau, B. J. Fluorine Chem. 2015, 171, 92-96.
  6. Bogdan, E.; Compain, G.; Mtashobya, L.; Le Questel, J.-Y.; Besseau, F.; Galland, N.; Linclau, B.; Graton, J. Chemistry – A European Journal 2015, 21, 11462-11474.
  7. Graton, J.; Compain, G.; Besseau, F.; Bogdan, E.; Watts, J. M.; Mtashobya, L.; Wang, Z.; Weymouth-Wilson, A.; Galland, N.; Le Questel, J.-Y.; Linclau, B. Chemistry – A European Journal 2017, 23, 2968-2968.
  8. Mtashobya, L. A. (2017). Assessment of pesticide residues in vegetables from the Western Usambara and Uruguru Mountains in Tanzania. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 189(10), 519. doi: 10.1007/s10661-017-6226-6
  9. Mtashobya, L. (2020). Concentrations of pesticide residues in samples of water, soil and sediments in the Western Usambara and Uluguru Mountains part of Tanzania. International Journal of Environmental Studies, 1-18. doi: 10.1080/00207233.2020.1736420
  10. Mtashobya, L. (2021). Insights on tert-butyl alkylation effects on fluorobenzene, Scientific African, 11, e00659. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sciaf.2020.e00659
  11. Mtashobya, L. (2023). The synthesis and characterization of the two 2-(tert-butyl) cyclohexyl methanesulfonate compounds. Ethiop. J. Sci. & Technol., 16(3), 237-244.  https://doi.org/ https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ejst.v16i3.4
  12. Mgeni, S. T., Mero, H. R., Gervas, J. B., Mtashobya, L. A., & Emmanuel, J. K (2024). Bioethanol production from dilute fruit wastes using sorghum as additional fermentable sugar. Biofuels, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1080/17597269.2024.2371211 

Awards

2014        First Prize award (£75) during Postgraduate Research Poster Day at the University    of Southampton in the year 2014.

2024        Distinguished Innovator of the Year on UDSM 9th Research and Innovation Week 2024 for a project on preparation of value added products using bioethanol produced from fruit wastes.