Asemota conducted PhD research at the University of Benin and Frankfurt University, where she studied the molecular genetics and metabolism of the browning of yam tubers in storage.
Upon moving to Jamaica, prompted by ongoing problems with production and storage in the Jamaican yam industry, Asemota continued researching yams, founding the multidisciplinary UWI Yam Biotechnology Project. Initially, Asemota investigated the biochemical effects of removing yam heads at harvest, a common farming practice in Jamaica. Over the ensuing decades, Asemota's research team has investigated many aspects of yam biochemistry and physiology, from DNA fingerprinting studies of Jamaican yam varieties to the carbohydrate metabolism of yam tubers in storage.
In addition to her work on yam production and storage, Asemota has studied the metabolic effects of yams and yam-derived products on animal models of diseases such as diabetes. More recently, the Yam Biotechnology Project has moved towards a farm to finished products strategy, with the goal of producing yam-based food, medical, and biofuel products to benefit the Jamaican economy. She has also applied similar research techniques to other types of tropical crop.
Asemota has served as Principal Investigator for the National Institute of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF) grants. She has lectured undergraduates, postgraduates and postdoctoral levels worldwide, and has supervised or advised at least 30 postgraduate students in Biochemistry or Biotechnology. She has over 250 publications, and owns four patents from her research.