The Punch, a leading Nigerian newspaper has reported the feat performed by a Nigerian scientist, Chukwuma Hilary Akpu, who put the country on the global research map with his groundbreaking study on worm mating behaviour, using artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionise biological research.
According to the highly respected newspaper, Akpu’s work, recently published in an internationally recognised scientific journal, showcases how AI can be leveraged to advance the study of animal behaviour, unlocking insights that could have a far-reaching impact across multiple scientific fields.
The newspaper gives further details thus:
From Nigeria to the Global Stage
For years, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), which are tiny nematode worms, have been widely used by scientists to study genetics, neurobiology, and even environmental pollution. However, manually tracking these microscopic creatures has always been a tedious and time-consuming task. Enter Akpu and his team, who have developed a state-of-the-art AI-powered system to automate this process, saving researchers valuable time and significantly improving accuracy.
Harnessing AI for Scientific Advancement
The AI system at the heart of this innovation is powered by YOLOv8, a highly efficient object detection model. This technology allows scientists to instantly identify and track individual worms in video recordings, replacing the painstaking hours of manual observation.
But Akpu didn’t stop there. His team went a step further by enhancing DeepSORT, a widely recognised state-of-the-art object tracking algorithm. Outperforming such advanced models is a daunting challenge in AI research, yet Akpu’s modifications led to an astounding 77% improvement in tracking accuracy. This level of enhancement is almost unheard of, marking a major leap forward in automated animal behaviour analysis and cementing his work as a significant contribution to the field.
For making Nigeria proud and the world better via his feat in research, Chukwuma Hilary Akpu wears the crown of BEACONS AND ICONS NEWS’ maiden BEACON OF THE WEEK
Check the news report out at https://punchng.com/nigerian-scientist-breaks-new-ground-in-ai-driven-worm-behaviour-research/
