www.sciencemag.org SCIENCE VOL 316 29 JUNE 2007 1849 CREDIT: SALT FOUNDATION EDUCATION FORUM G reen Chemistry involves the design and use of less hazardous chemicals and processes (1, 2). Since the early 1990s, it has become increasingly accepted as a promising route to more sustainable pro- duction of the chemicals that underpin mod- ern society. Much of the research focuses on the search for renewable feedstocks and more environmentally acceptable solvents to replace petroleum-based products. Thus, Green Chemistry is particularly relevant to the needs of African countries such as Ethiopia, which face an increasing demand for chemicals, little or no indigenous oil, and rapidly expanding populations. However, 4 years ago, the subject was unknown in Ethiopia. Since then, a collaboration that began as a chance meeting has substantially increased awareness. Many Ethiopian chem- ists now recognize Green Chemistry, and growing interactions are enabling these sci- entists to organize a conference on the topic for chemists across Africa. How Can Africa Compete? In some areas of science, Africa can attract international collaboration on the strength of its natural resources, such as the unique geology of the Rift Valley or the fossils of early hominids in Ethiopia. Very occasion- ally, an African country has succeeded in building a world-class scientific facility, such as the Southern African Large Tele- scope (SALT) (see figure, right). More com- monly, however, scientists in Africa find themselves in the position of chemists in Ethiopia—a group of enthusiastic and tal- ented researchers striving to establish them- selves in a world-wide arena. Scientists across the world have been helping their African counterparts for many years, often with great success. However, it remains cru- cial that African scientists develop research directions that will attract the interest of other scientists and that they remain compet- itive in the face of international laboratories with much better resources. Green Chemistry provides a unique oppor- tunity for African chemists because it combines the search for new science with the develop- ment of sustainable chemical technologies appropriate to the needs of the community. There- fore, the resources of Africa—intense sunlight, unique plant species, and enthusiastic young people—provide its chemists with scientific opportunities that are less readily available in many other countries. The opportunities are clear, but how does one begin to advertise them in a country where they are unknown? Raising awareness of Green Chemistry has been easier than we expected. With modest fund- ing and overseas support, a determined group of Ethiopian scientists has estab- lished an international presence within only 4 years. Perhaps this model can be replicated elsewhere. Ethiopian Green Chemistry: Case Study Green Chemistry in Ethiopia began with a meeting between Nigist Asfaw (N.A.), a chemistry lecturer at Addis Ababa University, and Martyn Poliakoff (M.P.), a research professor in chemistry at Not- tingham, while M.P. was on holiday in Ethiopia. When the meeting took place, N.A. was about to start her independent career and was looking for an appropriate research theme; M.P. is an enthusiastic pro- ponent of Green Chemistry (3). N.A. made a brief visit to Nottingham later in 2003 and obtained U.K. funding for a 3-month stay in 2004. During this stay, N.A. met many U.K. chemists and became a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). She also became intrigued by Green Chemistry. While in Nottingham, N.A. and Pete Licence (P.L.), then a postdoc with M.P., led an investigation on the extraction of essen- tial oils from Ethiopian plants with the use of a wide range of milder extraction tech- niques, including ultrasound, microwaves, and alternative solvents. The subject of their investigation, Artemisia Afra, has for many generations been a key ingredient in a wide variety of traditional medicines used to treat minor ailments ranging from coughs to heart murmurs. N.A. and P.L. found that the oils ex- tracted with the use of milder methods dif- fered considerably in composition from those obtained through tradi- tional hydrodistillation. N.A. brought these re- sults to a major Green Chemistry conference in Germany in October 2004, where she joined the European Union COST Action D29 in Green and Sustainable Chemistry (4); this made her only the fourth African to participate in any COST activity. The full paper (5) based on her Nottingham work was quickly adopted as teaching mate- rial by the New University of Lisbon. Now working in a new field, N.A. needed the equipment to do these extractions in Ethiopia. By chance, M.P. had noticed a paper in his own field by Endalkachew Sahle-Demessie, an Ethiopian chemist working in the United States. M.P. put him in touch with N.A. and he generously donated a microwave reactor for her to use in Addis Ababa. Before leaving Nottingham, N.A. de- cided to run a workshop to begin spread- ing the message of Green Chemistry in Ethiopia. She invited P.L. to Addis Ababa, and he raised independent funding to cover the cost of the trip and to support the work- shop in January 2005. It was a great success, with sessions for academics, industry, and university and high school students (6). The topic really caught people’s imagination. The most exciting outcome was the discov- ery that there were indigenous chemical processes in Ethiopia that satisfied many of Collaborations between scientists in economi- cally developed countries and their African colleagues can be inspiring and productive. Empowering Green Chemists in Ethiopia Nigist Asfaw, 1 * Peter Licence, 1,2 Temechegn Engida, 3 Martyn Poliakoff 2 * COLLABORATIONS 1 Department of Chemistry, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. 2 The School of Chemistry, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK. 3 The Federation of African Societies of Chemistry, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. *Authors for correspondence. E-mail: nigista@chem.aau.edu.et (A.N.); martyn.poliakoff@nottingham.ac.uk (M.P.) Expertise in astronomy. SALT is a flagship for scientific and technological education and development in Africa (16). Published by AAAS on December 19, 2013 www.sciencemag.org Downloaded from on December 19, 2013 www.sciencemag.org Downloaded from