Profile

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Bolaji Thanni

    • About Me:

      I am a mom. I am a soil scientist and work at University of Manchester. I am a Christian. I love cooking, making art and craft and dancing.

    • Read more

      I have a super power which is the ability to think outside the box. I am a very spontaneous thinker with lot of ideas popping in my head. I love to study and that made me have 2 PhD degrees. I have also found a fun way to study and I simplify science on my educational channels. I love working on the soil, what’s in it and how we can improve it to make our plant better. I am a Soil Doctor

    • My pronouns are:

      She/her

    • How I use Science in my work:

      My work involves science because I study the tiny living organisms in soil and how they help plants grow and keep ecosystems healthy. This links to what you learn at school in biology and science lessons about living things, food chains, and how plants get the nutrients they need from the environment.

    • My Work:

      I study tiny little organisms in soil and how they help plant grow. I am a Soil Doctor.

    • Read more

      In my work I look closely at microorganisms like bacteria and fungi that live in the soil and break down dead plants and other material.

      These tiny helpers release nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus that are returned into the soil so plants can take them up as food and grow.

      I also study how these soil microbes communicate with each other, with plant roots, and with the environment, which helps us understand things like soil fertility, plant health, and how we might better care for our land and food systems

    • My Typical Day:

      1. I wake up , pray and take a cup of water.
      2. I get to work at anytime but most ensure I spend 9 hours at work.
      3. I work in the lab using the microscope and other fancy equipment to view the soil
      4. I work on my laptop, running codes and doing analysis using a lot of tools
      5. I chat with my colleagues
      6. Once I accomplish my task for the day I return home.

    • What I'd do with the prize money:

      If I won the £500 prize money, I would use it to develop my existing soil education channel by improving videos, creating new child-friendly resources, and adding simple experiments students can try at school or at home. This would help more young people understand soil science, ecosystems, and why soil is important for plants, food, and the environment (linked to school science topics such as living things and habitats).

    CV

    • Education:

      1. First Degree – Nigeria
      2. Second Degree- Nigeria
      3. 1st PhD – Nigeria
      4. 2nd PhD – Belgium
      5. Post Doc – United Kingdom

    • Qualifications:

      At 17- I had my O levels. I couldn’t get straight into Uni so I had to go for a Diploma course that was for 2 years.

      At 20- I had my National Diploma, I finished with a second class upper grade and proceeded to the University.

      The University program was for 5 years and at the end I finished with a Distinction.
      After Uni, I got married and had kids and was pursuing my Masters Degree which I finished in 2016.  I started my 1st PhD in 2017 and was also a University lecturer at the same time, after 4 years I finished the PhD and got a Scholarship for another PhD in Belgium from 2020 to 2024.

    • Work History:

      1. I worked as an intern in a a Research institute

      2. I have also being an Agricultural Science teacher in Secondary School.

      3. A University Lecturer at Federal University of Agriculture, Nigeria

      4. Research Fellow with International Institue for Tropical Agriculture, Nigeria

      5. Research Associate at Catholic University, Leuven, Belgium

    • Current Job:

      Post Doctoral Research Associate

    • Employer:

      University of Manchester

    • My Interview

      • How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

        Fungi loving, problem solving researcher

        What did you want to be after you left school?

        I wanted to be a Medical Doctor

        Were you ever in trouble at school?

        Few times

        If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?

        Making art and craft with kids

        Who is your favourite singer or band?

        Hillsong

        What's your favourite food?

        Jollof rice and peppered smoky chicken

        If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!

        I wish to be invisible. I wish to be Child again. I wish to be a billionaire

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