Nigerian researcher Hilary Akpu has propelled the country into the global scientific spotlight with his revolutionary study on worm mating behaviour.
By integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into biological research, Akpu has introduced a game-changing approach that enhances the understanding of animal behaviour with far-reaching implications across various scientific disciplines.
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For years, the tiny nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) has been a staple in studies related to genetics, neurobiology and environmental science. However, tracking these microscopic organisms manually has remained a labour-intensive challenge. Akpu and his team have tackled this problem head-on by developing an advanced AI-powered system that automates worm tracking, significantly boosting efficiency and accuracy while saving researchers countless hours.
AI at the Forefront of Scientific Discovery
At the core of Akpu’s breakthrough is YOLOv8, an advanced object detection model that enables real-time identification and tracking of individual worms in recorded footage, eliminating the need for tedious manual observation.
But his innovation didn’t stop there. Akpu’s team enhanced DeepSORT, a leading object-tracking algorithm, achieving an unprecedented 77% increase in tracking accuracy. Improving upon such cutting-edge AI models is an exceptional feat, making this advancement a major step forward in automated animal behaviour studies.
Moreover, the system incorporates an intelligent contact detection feature that precisely identifies physical interactions between male and female worms—an essential aspect of mating studies. By applying sophisticated mathematical models, Akpu’s research calculates the exact distances between worms to analyse interactions with exceptional accuracy. The inclusion of the Segment Anything Model (SAM) further refines object localisation and segmentation, making the analysis even more precise.
Hilary Akpu, a graduate of Mountain Top University (MTU), Prayer City, Ogun State, with an MSc from the University of Reading, has also developed novel character-consistent AI image generation models, implemented LLM algorithms to classify diagnosis and reduce loss for a company, crafted a Python emailing package with about 15,000 downloads in three years and created a vaccination notification app which increased vaccination rates in babies, all of which have contributed positively to lives and businesses.
A Breakthrough for Science and Nigeria’s AI Research Landscape
This pioneering work isn’t just a milestone for the scientific community—it’s a testament to Nigeria’s growing influence in AI-driven research.
Akpu’s innovation has the potential to transform biological studies, accelerating research into mating behaviours, genetic patterns and environmental impact assessments.
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