Oluwatoosin Agbaje

Biography

Oluwatoosin (‘Toosin) Agbaje received his B.Sc. (Hons.) in Pure and Applied Chemistry at Obafemi Awolowo University in 2008. In 2012, he obtained M.Sc. at the University of Ibadan in Organic Chemistry with a solid foundation in inorganic chemistry. ’Toosin was awarded a Ph.D. at Macquarie University, Sydney, where his studies focused on biomineralization and biomineralization processes with the characterization of biomaterials and biomimetic analogues. This theme was continued with his first postdoctoral appointment between two continents and Universities — the University of Uppsala, Sweden, and Macquarie University, Sydney. In 2019 till 2021, he leveraged a Swedish VR grant/Uppsala University financed project into Australia in order to study fossilised resins, calcareous and phosphate-shelled biominerals, including modern and fossil samples. Most recently, ’Toosin has expanded his area to bioarchaeology and palaeontology with a Marie Curie Fellowship at the GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Research

Toosin’s research focuses on biomolecules including peptide-, protein-, and polysaccharide-based polymers, which provide a scaffolding for the biominerals, that is, calcium carbonates and phosphates or silica. His current research is on organic (peptide, protein, and DNA) sequences binding to the inorganic materials. Further, he is using several tools to explore preserved protein and DNA in dental plaque (i.e., dental biofilm and calculus) and other artefacts, including ceramics and fossilised shells. He aims to use a multi-omics approach to improve the reconstruction of diets and diseases and evolution in action. His technical skills include biomaterials isolation and purification, organic-inorganic synthetic methods, and characterization (microRaman, AFM, DFS, CFM, FTIR, pyrolysis GCMS, TGA-DSC, XRD, FESEM) as well as in vitro activity assay techniques.