A team of researchers at Obafemi Awolowo University has recorded a landmark breakthrough in the global battle against malaria after successfully determining the first-ever crystal structure of a key enzyme used by the deadly Plasmodium falciparum parasite. The study, led by Nigerian medicinal chemist Olatomide Fadare, marks a historic scientific milestone as the structure has now been deposited in the internationally recognised Protein Data Bank — making it the first entry authored entirely by Nigerian scientists. 

The enzyme, known as transketolase, plays a crucial role in the parasite’s metabolic survival and replication within the human body. For years, scientists across the world struggled to develop targeted drugs against it due to the absence of experimentally confirmed structural data, relying largely on theoretical computer models instead. By engineering and crystallising the protein in the laboratory, the Nigerian-led team has now provided a real molecular blueprint that could guide the development of next-generation antimalarial drugs — especially as resistance to current artemisinin-based therapies continues to rise globally. 

Researchers involved in the project say the discovery has already yielded several small-molecule compounds capable of inhibiting the parasite’s enzyme without significantly affecting its human equivalent — a critical step toward safer treatment options. With malaria remaining one of Africa’s leading public health threats, experts believe this structural insight could accelerate the design of locally developed medicines and reduce dependence on imported pharmaceutical solutions in the long term.