W12047 Faculty of Science final - Stellenbosch University€¦ · processes using theory, computer...
Transcript of W12047 Faculty of Science final - Stellenbosch University€¦ · processes using theory, computer...
Faculty of ScienceStellenbosch University
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Contents
At A glAnce 2
DePARtMent OF BIOcHeMIStRY 5
DePARtMent OF BOtAnY AnD ZOOlOgY 9
DePARtMent OF cHeMIStRY AnD POlYMeR ScIence 13
DePARtMent OF eARtH ScIenceS 17
DePARtMent OF MAtHeMAtIcAl ScIenceS 21(Mathematics, computer Science, Applied Mathematics)
DePARtMent OF MIcROBIOlOgY 27
DePARtMent OF PHYSIcS 31
DePARtMent OF PHYSIOlOgIcAl ScIenceS 35
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centRA AnD ReSeARcH cHAIRS
• 14Centraandresearchinstitutes
• 11Researchchairs
ReSeARcH excellence
Since2013,theaccreditedpublicationunitshaveincreasedfrom211.45to275.67
unitsin2018
InteRDIScIPlInARY ReSeARcH InItIAtIveS• StellenboschUniversityWaterInstitute• CentreforBioinformaticsandComputationalBiology• InstituteforBiomedicalEngineering• AfricanMicrobiomeInstitute
• DataScience
cOllABORAtORS AnD PARtneRS • AfricanInstituteforMathematicalSciences• iThembaLABSforAccelerator-basedSciences• SouthAfricanNationalBiodiversityInstitute• CouncilforScientificandIndustrialResearch
690 postgraduate students: •167Honours•259MScand•264full-timePhDstudents
In 2017 we successfully
graduated 158 BscHons,
120 Msc and 49 PhD students
At A glAnCe
StellenboschUniversityisamongthetopuniversitiesinAfricaandtheworld.AsoneofthefourfoundingfacultiesofStellenboschUniversityin1918,theFacultyofSciencemaintainsanethosofresearchexcellenceandremainscommittedtoprovideour
studentswithageneralformativeeducationinthenaturalsciences.
OuR PeOPle
173permanentacademics 119NRF-ratedresearchers 104postdoctoralfellows
OuR StuDentS
2 264 undergraduate students
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DePARtMent oF BIoCHeMIstRY
WHO ARe We?TheDepartmentofBiochemistrywasestablishedin1974whentheagriculturalbiochemistryresearchgroupintheFacultyofAgriculturejoinedforceswiththebiochemistryresearchgroupintheFacultyofScience.Today,thespiritofenquirytypicalofanewdisciplineisseeninallofthedepartment’swell-establishedlaboratories.
WHAt DO We DO?Wearepositionedattheinterfacebetweenchemistryandbiology,movingfrommolecularstructuresviamacro-molecularactivitytobiologicalfunction.Weundertake,interalia,appliedstudiesinwastewatertreatment,potatovirusspread,contraceptives,drugdiscoveryandmalaria,andfundamentalworkinSystemsBiologyandP450function.ThedepartmentisalsohometotheSouthAfricanresearchchair(SARChI)inMechanisticModellingofHealthandEpidemiology.
ReSeARcH FIelDS
Immunology, Plant Bioinformatics and Molecular SystematicsResearchfocusesontheevolution,anddetection,ofvirusesandbacterialpathogensthatinfectpotatoesandfruittrees.WeuseimmunoassayandPCR-basedtechniquesforthedetectionofviralandbacterialpathogens,whilegenesequencingandmolecularsystematicapproachesareusedtounderstandthenatureoftheevolutionofvirusesandbacteriainfectingpotatoesandfruittreesinSouthAfrica.Muchworkhasalsobeendonetoinvestigatedisease-causingorganismsinostrichesandspecificallyorganismsthathaveanimpactonostrichproductioninSouthAfrica.Forexample,wewereinvolvedinestablishinganELISAandimmunizationschedulesforNewcastleDiseaseVirus,aswellasthedevelopmentofELISAforClostridiumperfringenstoxins,andcurrentlythedevelopmentofDNA-vaccinesagainstmycoplasmas.
Discovery and development of novel antibiotics and biocidesOurresearcheffortsarebroadlyfocusedonincreasingourunderstandingoftheenzymologyofcoenzymeA(CoA)andothermedicinally-relevantlowmolecularweightthiols,andapplyingtheknowledgetobiocatalysisandantibioticdrugdevelopment.OuraimistoidentifynewdrugtargetsinimportanthumanpathogenssuchasStaphylococcusaureus,MycobacteriumtuberculosisandPlasmodiumfalciparumthatexploittheirdependenceontheseessentialcofactors.
Wealsoinvestigateresistancetowards,mechanismofactionandstructure-activityrelationship(SAR)ofantimicrobialpeptidesandmembraneactiveantibiotics,usingbothnaturalandnovelsyntheticcompounds.TheseantimicrobialsaredirectedagainstanumberoftargetssuchasresistantbacterialpathogensinparticularListeriamonocytogenes,fungalplantpathogens,andparasitescausingmalariaandAfrican
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sleepingsickness.Morespecifically,wefocusonthedevelopmentofantibioticpeptidesproducedbysoilorganismsasnaturalfungicidesandantimicrobialsforapplicationinfoodpreservation,agricultureandthemedicalfield.
SteroidsSteroidhormonesplayavitalroleintheregulationofmetabolism,inflammation,immunefunction,saltandwaterbalance,stressmanagement,andreproductioninallmammals.Whilethesehormonesareessentialtonormalphysiologicalfunction,theyalsocontributetothepathogenesisofanumberofdiseasestates.SteroidresearchiswellestablishedintheDepartment,withsixactiveresearchgroupsinvestigatingvariousissuesinthisfield:
• Studyofadrenalsteroidogenicpathwaysbytheheterologousexpressionofenzymes,togetherwithinvestigationsintothemetabolismofsteroidsinadrenalandpro-statecellmodels.Thesemetabolicpathwaysformthebasisofongoingstudiesintothebiologicalactivitiesofnaturalplantproductsandtheirinfluenceonthehumanendocrinesystem.
• Understandingthefundamentalmechanismsofhowcompoundssuchasprogestinsandbio-identicalhormonesusedinhormonereplacementtheorycontributetothedevelopmentandprogressionofinflammationandbreastcancer.
• Studyoftheeffectsofspecificcompounds,suchasCompoundAandphytoestrogens,orphysiologicalconditionssuchasstress,onsteroidhormonesignaltransductionviacognatereceptors,suchastheglucocorticoidreceptor(GR)andoestrogenreceptor.
• Theroleoftheadrenalsteroidhormone11OHA4incastrationresistantprostatecancer,andtheidentificationofnovelbiomarkersforprostatecancer.Techniquesusedincludemolecularbiology,tissueculture,proteinexpressionandpurification,enzymaticassaysandUPLC-MS/MS.
• Therolethatglucocorticoids,viatheglucocorticoidreceptorandinflammation,haveoninsulinsignaling.
Systems BiologyThreeresearchgroupsinthisfieldinvestigatethecontrolandregulationofcellularprocessesusingtheory,computermodellingandexperimentalapproaches.Morespecifically,researchactivitiesincludethefollowing:
• Developmentofatheoreticalframework,basedoncontrolanalysis,fordescribingmetabolicregulationinanintegrativecellularcontextthatincludesmetabolism,signaltransductionandthegenetichierarchy.Aspectsofthistheoryarestudiedexperimentallyinyeast,bacteria,andthemalariaparasiteusingcontrolledcultivationinbioreactorsandquantitativeanalysiswithHPLC,massspectrometryandNMR.
• MetabolismofhumanpathogenssuchasPlasmodiumfalciparum,Mycobacteriumtuberculosis,andonmodellingdiseasestatessuchasType2diabetesandHIVpathogenesisatawholebodylevel.
• Constructionofunifiedframeworksforanalysesofpharmacologicaleffectsofdrugsanddiseaseresponseinpatientsandpopulations.Thisisaccomplishedbycombiningdetailedmechanisticmathematicalmodelsofmetabolismandsignaltransductionwithstatisticalandphenomenologicalmodelsofdisease,pharmacologyandepidemiology.
• EnzymekineticsforSystemsBiology,LivingCellTheoryandCodeBiology.
epigenomics and BioinformaticsTheanalysisofepigenomicdatarequiressignificantcomputationresources,andresearchquestionsrequirethedevelopmentofnewbioinformaticsmethodsandtools.WorkinthisresearchgroupincludethedevelopmentoftoolsforgenericanalysissuchastheprocessingofChIP-seqdata,anddevelopmentandcodingofnovelprograms,dependentonspecificresearchquestions.
Please contact usProfessor Johann Rohwer,HeadofDepartmentTel:+27(0)218085843|E-mail:[email protected]://www.sun.ac.za/english/faculty/science/biochemistry/
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DePARtMent oF BotAnY AnD ZoologY
WHO ARe We?TheDepartmentsofBotanyandZoologywerefoundedasseparateacademicdepartmentsin1903.TodaytheDepartmentofBotanyandZoology,formedin2005,ishometoavibrantcommunityofmorethan34staffmembers,24postdoctoralfellowsandalargepostgraduatestudentbodyofnearlyahundredfull-timestudents.
WHAt DO We DO?WestrivetoachieveadeepunderstandingoftheuniquesouthernAfricanfloraandfaunaandparticularlyitssocietalvalueinanAfricanandglobalcontext.Weachievethisthroughworld-leadingresearchdirectedatpreservingthediversityofanimalandplantlife.
TheDST/NRFCentreofExcellenceforInvasionBiology(CIB),hostedinthedepartment,coversallaspectsofbiologicalinvasions,alltaxonomicgroupsandallecosystems.Throughitsresearch,theCIBmakesscientificinformationavailabletoassistpolicymakersandmanagerswithrationaldecision-makingoptionsregardinginvasivealienspecies.
ReSeARcH FIelDS
Behavioral ecologyWeresearchanimalcommunication,inparticulartheevolutionofsignals–whetherolfactory,acousticorvisual–ofawiderangeoforganismssuchaswasps,invasiveandnativeants,greatwhitesharksandEuropeanstarlings.Othertopicsincludehoneybeediseases,honeyproductionandparasiteloadsassociatedwithstressinlionsandpenguins.
Biological InteractionsWeresearchtheformandfunctionofplantsandhowtheirecology,evolutionanddiversificationisshapedbyselectiveagents,fromfungiandbacteriatopollinatorsandherbivores,aswellastheabioticenvironment.Thisincludestheecologicalandevolutionaryeffectsofplantsonthemorphologyandcommunitystructureoftheorganismsthatinteractwiththem.Weexaminetheforcesthatdrivevariationinthestructureofcommunities,andhowthosedifferentcommunitiesdrivevariationbetweenpopulations.Theloopisclosedbyidentifyingpatternsandcausesofdiversityinplantsandtheorganismswithwhichtheyinteract.
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isknownforitsrichterrestrialandmarinebiodiversity,associatedwithacomplexlandscape.Thisenvironmentlendsitselftotestvarioushypothesisassociatedwithevolutionandspeciation.Bystudyingtheinterplaybetweenlifehistory,biogeographyandecology,weaddresssystematicuncertaintiesatalltaxonomiclevels,usingavarietyofmoleculartechniques.Currentresearchfocusesonparasite-hostcodivergenceatthephylogeographicandspecieslevel;stockassessmentandconservationofmarineresources;comparativephylogeographyofterrestrialvertebrates;andtheevolutionandsystematicsoffree-livingandparasiticarthropods.
Molecular Plant PhysiologyWefocusonthemolecularplantphysiologyofphosphorusnutritionduringplant-microbeinteractions,specificallythephosphorusnutritionoflegumesinsymbiosiswithyeasts,mycorrhizasandnitrogenfixingbacteria.WeintegrateclassicalplantphysiologicalmethodswithmoderntoolssuchasqRT-PCR,micro-arrayanalysis,proteomicsandretro-transposoninsertional-mutantlinesofMedicagotruncatula.
Medicinal Plant BiologyTheexploitationofmedicalplantsislargelyattributedtothewealthofpharmacologicallyrelevantactivechemicalswhichtheseplantsareabletosynthesizethroughsecondarymetabolism.Weapplyabroad-basedbiotechnologicalapproachtofacilitateuseofplantsefficiently,inanon-destructivesustainablemannertogaininsightsintotheregulationofsecondarymetabolism.
vertebrate Functional Biology and Herpetology
WestudythelifehistoriesofsouthernAfricanlizards,andspecificallytheevolutionofviviparityinscincomorphlizards,theevolutionofplacentalnutrienttransferinscincomorphlizards,andtheevolutionofasynchronousbreedinginlizardsoccurringinafire-proneecosystem.
ecophysiologyWehaveabroadinterestinfunctionalaspectsofvertebrates,inparticularamphibiansandreptiles.Weinvestigatephysiologicalresponsestoclimatechangeandchemicalpollutioninaquaticenvironments;thermoregulationinreptilesandhowthepredictedclimatewarmingmayaffectlocal
populations;andthepotentialdisruptionofthereproductiveandthyroidendocrinesystemsbyman-madechemicalsknowntopollutetheaquaticenvironments.
global changeWestudytheriskandimpactsofglobalchangeinoneoftherichestbiodiversityregionsontheplanet.Wewanttounderstandtheunderlyingmechanismsofspeciesresponseandadaptationunderchangingenvironmentalconditions,particularlyhowimportantspecieswillrespondtoanticipatedfuturerisks,includingchangingclimaticconditions.
Marine genomics and conservationWeusegeneticandgenomicapproachesforstudyingvariousaspectsofmarinesystemsinAfricaandsouthernAfrica,withastrongemphasisonusingmoleculartechniquesforconservationandbiodiversityplanning.
Drivers, patterns and impacts of marine invasionsWefocusonunderstandingwhatregulatesthespreadandpatternsofmarineinvasionsandonquantifyingtheimpactsofthesespeciesaroundtheSouthAfricancoast.Thisincludestheintra-regionalspreadofmarinealiens,thecomplexinterplaybetweenenvironmentalregulationandbioticinteractions,andquantificationoftheimpacts.
eastern cape forest faunaForestsmakeuponly0.56%ofSouthAfrica’slandarea,andofthattheEasternCapecontainsanestimated46%.Theseforestsdisplayunusuallyhighbiodiversity,buttodatethefaunaldiversityhasbeenpoorlydocumented.Wecomparethegeneticdiversityofpopulationsofmoremobilespecies,suchasbirdsandbats,tomoresedentaryones,likelandsnailsandshrews.UsingDNAbarcoding,wewanttoestablishadigitizedreferenceencyclopaediaofthetaxaintheseforests.
evolutionary genomicsTheconservationofbiodiversitydependstoalargeextentonexplainingtheevolutionarypatternsandprocessesassociatedwithlivingorganisms.SouthernAfrica
Please contact usProfessor Conrad Matthee,Head:DepartmentofBotanyandZoologyTel:+27_21808-3957|E-mail:[email protected]://www.sun.ac.za/english/faculty/science/botany-zoology
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DePARtMent oF CHeMIstRY AnD PolYMeR sCIenCe
WHO ARe We?TheDepartmentofChemistryandPolymerScienceisoneofthepre-eminentresearchdepartmentsinchemistryinSouthAfrica,andisengagedinawiderangeofresearchareas,includingthelargestresearcheffortinpolymerscienceinSouthAfrica.
WHAt DO We DO?Weusehighlevelresearchinthechemicalsciencestogeneratenewknowledgeandpromoteindependentthinking.Wearehometothreeresearchchairs:theSouthAfricanresearchchairinNano-structuredFunctionalMaterials,theSouthAfricanresearchchairinAdvancedMacromolecularArchitectures,andtheSASOLresearchchairinAnalyticalPolymerScience.
ReSeARcH FIelDS
Analytical chemistryWeusestate-of-the-artinstrumentaltechniquestosolveanalyticalproblemsofacademicandindustrialrelevance.Broadly,thisentailsadvancedchromatographicandmassspectrometricmethodsforthedetailedcharacterizationofcomplexmixtures,withaspecialfocusonSouthAfricannaturalproducts,andadvancedmultinuclearliquidandsolid-stateNuclearMagneticResonancespectroscopyappliedtothestudyoftherecovery,separationandfundamentalchemistryofthePlatinumGroupMetals.
Supramolecular and Material chemistryThisconsortiumofresearchgroupsfocusesonthedesign,synthesisandcharacterisationoffunctionalcrystallinematerials.Theprinciplesofcrystalengineeringareusedtodevelopnovelmaterialswithusefulpropertiessuchastailoredporosity,magnetismandanomalousthermalresponses.ThestructuralcharacteristicsofsuchmaterialsareinvestigatedexperimentallyusingsinglecrystalandpowderX-raydiffraction,andcomputationallyusingquantummechanicalandforcefieldcalculations.Thesetechniquesareemployedtorationalisetherelationshipbetweenmolecularstructureandpacking,andtheobservedphysicalproperties.
Inorganic and Organometallic chemistryResearchisfocusedonthedevelopmentofnovelmetal-containingmaterials,includedamongstwhicharediscretemetalcomplexesaswellasmetalnanoparticles.Thesesystemsareevaluatedinarangeofapplications,whichincludecatalysis,wastewaterremediationaswellasbiologicalapplications,especiallynewmetallodrugsforthetreatmentofcancerandinfectiousdiseases.
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chemical BiologyResearchisfocusedontheapplicationofchemistrytothestudyofmoleculareventsthatoccurinbiologicalsystems.Thisinvolvestheuseofchemicaltools(synthesis,analysisetc.)toprobethemechanism,anddevelopdrugsorearlydetectionassaysagainstdiseasessuchasmalaria,cancerandHIV/AIDS.
Organic chemistryWefocusmainlyonthesynthesisofbothnovelandpreviouslyknownorganicmoleculesforapplicationasprobestostudyormodulateenzymeorproteinfunction,asligandsfornewcatalystsandasfunctionalmaterials.Thedevelopmentofnovelapproachestoneworganiccompoundclassesisalsoofimportance,asisthevalorizationoforganicscaffoldsfromnatureandindustry.
Polymer ScienceWearetheonlychemistrydepartmentinSouthAfricawithanin-depthfocusonPolymerScience.Researchareasincludesyntheticpolymerchemistry,analyticalpolymerchemistryandstructurepropertyrelationshipsofpolymersandnano-composites.Morespecifically,wefocuson:
• Designandsynthesisofadvancedmacromolecularstructuresthroughreversibledeactivationradicalpolymerizationincombinationwithvariousotherpolymerizationtechniques;
• Investigationofthestructureproperty-relationshipincomplexpolymermaterialssuchassemi-crystallinepolymers,multiphasecopolymers,nano-structurepolymersandnano-filledpolymercomposites;
Please contact us:Professor Peter Mallon,HeadofDepartmentTel:+27–218082971|E-mail:[email protected]://www.sun.ac.za/chemistry
• Developmentofmultidimensionalanalyticaltechniquesforcomplexpolymersystems;and
• Investigationoftherelationshipbetweenmolecularmake-upofpolyolefinsandmacroscopicpropertiesofbothcommercialandexperimentalpolyolefins.
Physical chemistryThefocusofthisresearchfieldistheuseanddevelopmentofcomputationaltechniques,supportedbyexperimentalmeasurements,fortheanalysisofstructure-propertyrelationshipsofisolatedmoleculesandcrystallinesystems,andtheapplicationofthisinformationtoelucidatingchemicalandphysicalprocesses.
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DePARtMent oF eARtH sCIenCes
WHO ARe We?Foundedin1895,theDepartmentofEarthScienceatStellenboschUniversityhasalongandproudhistorythatcanbetracedbacktothediscoveryofdiamondsin1867andgoldin1886.
WHAt DO We DO?TheDepartmentofEarthScienceisoneoftheleadingtrainingandresearchcentresinSouthAfricaingeneralGeology,ExperimentalPetrology,andGeochemistry.
ReSeARcH FIelDS
Metamorphisms, Magmatism, Igneous and crustal evolutionWehavealonghistoryofpetrologicalresearchandishometotheSouthAfricanresearchchair(SARChi)inPetrology.Wefocusonunderstandinghigh-temperatureprocessesinvolvedincontinentalevolution,specificallytheoriginsofgranitesastheprimaryconstituentsofthecontinents.AnotherresearchinterestisthestudyofLargeIgneousProvinces(LIPs)whichtypicallyformedduringthebreak-upofasupercontinent.Multi-disciplinaryresearcheffortsintoPrecambrianmaficdykesofferawealthofinformationabouthowancientLIPsformed,wereemplaced,relatedtosupercontinentalbreakupandeventuallygotdispersedontheirhostfragments.Supercontinentalreconstructionsprovideanevenlargergroupofgeologistswithamorecompletegeologicalpuzzlepicturetoworkon.
Marine geochemistryThechemicalcyclesintheoceansarecloselyrelatedtoprocessesintheatmosphereandterrestrialecosystems,aswellastobiologicalandanthropogenicactivity.Marinegeochemistrystudiesalltheprocessesthatinfluencethechemistryinthewater,sediments,porewaters,aswellastheabioticandbioticprocessesthattakeplacewithinthesediment.AtStellenboschUniversity,wefocusontheAtlanticsectionoftheSouthernandAntarcticOceanandthewestcoastofsouthernAfrica.
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environmental geochemistryIngroundwatersystems,isotopesprovidemeansofunderstandingtheoriginsandmovementofwaterthroughthemeteorologicalcycleandthemechanismsandpathwaysoftransfer.OurworkfocusesongroundwatersystemsintheNaukluftMountains,Namibia,theBuffelsRiverinthenorthernCapeandtheVerlorenvleicatchmentintheWesternCape.
Sedimentology and PaleontologyWeutilizefaciesandarchitecturalanalysiscoupledwithvariousstratigraphicmethodstoaddressquestionsofenvironmentalchangeatvariousscalesanditsaffecttobiologicallifeindeeptime.Wecouplethiswithbasintectonicmodelstobetterunderstandregionalandglobalrelationships.Inthefieldofgeochronologyweutilisechemicaltracerswithinfossilentombingsedimentstoprovideaprobableagedateforthefossilassemblage,andtoelucidatesedimentprovenanceandratesofinfill(e.g.,detritalzircongeochronology;Lu-Hfisotopes).Lastly,weinvestigatetheevolutionanddiversificationofmajorlifeforms(archosaurs)between250-66.5Ma.ThisdynamicperiodinEarth’shistoryincludestheseperationofPangeaintothenorthernLaurasiaandsouthernGondwana,whichresultedintheisolationandsubsequentdiversificationofoncecosmopolitanlifeforms.Hereweutilisecontextualcluespreservedwithinfossilassemblagestoaddressquestionsofbiogeographicalrelationshipandextinctioneventsbetweenmajorcladesataglobalscale.
economic geology and Mineral geochemistryWhilethestatusofpowersupplyinSouthAfricaremainsacriticalissue,thereisstrategicincentivestomorefullyunderstandthegeology,geochemistryandgeometallurgyofrawmaterialssuchascoalanduranium.Researchisfocusedonbandedironformations,suchastheSishendeposit,withparticularemphasisontheirmineralizationandtheimplicationsfortheevolutionoftheearth’satmosphereandearlybiogeochemicalsystematics.Thisresearchcouldleadtofindingsthatarebeneficialtotheindustry’sneeds,whileatthesametimemakingasignificantcontributiontobroaderscientificunderstanding.
Please contact us:Professor Alex Kisters, HeadofDepartmentTel:021-808-3113|E-mail:[email protected]:http://www.sun.ac.za/english/faculty/science/earthsciences
Structural geology and tectonicsResearchismainlyfield-basedandrevolvesaroundthegeologyofmid-crustal,high-gradeterrainsandassociatedpartialmeltingandgraniteplutonism,and,secondly,thecontrolsofdeformationonhydrothermalfluidflow,withapplicationsineconomicgeologyandlode-goldmineralization.
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DePARtMent oF MAtHeMAtICAl sCIenCes
WHO ARe WeAppliedMathematics,ComputerScienceandMathematicsformthethreedivisionsoftheDepartmentofMathematicalSciences.Withnearly50full-timeresearchersandalargecohortofpostgraduatestudents,thedepartmentstrivestoenhancetheenrichmentandtransferofknowledgetoempowersocietytoanalyseandsolvecomplexproblems.
WHAt DO We DOMathematicsandcomputationalscienceareutilizedinalmosteverydisciplineofscience,engineering,industryandtechnology.InthefieldofAppliedMathematics,forexample,ourworkfindsapplicationinengineering,medicine,theenvironment,andthedefenceindustry.Applicationsofmachinelearningisfoundacrossabroadspectrumofdisciplines.
TheMathematicsDivisionisalsohometotheSouthAfricanresearchchair(SARChI)inMathematicalandTheoreticalPhysicalBiosciences,aswellastheDST-NRFCentreofExcellenceforEpidemiologicalModellingandAnalysis(SACEMA).TheComputerScienceDivisionhoststheTelkom-SiemensCentreofExcellenceinATMandBroadbandNetworksandtheirApplications.
ReSeARcH FIelDS In MAtHeMAtIcS
Algebraic number theory and Arithmetic Algebraic geometryResearchinterestsareinthefieldsofalgebraicnumbertheory,arithmeticgeometryandintheapplicationoftheabovetopicsinexperimentalnumbertheory,computationalalgebraandalgebraiccodingtheory.Questionsstudiedinvolvethearithmeticandgeometryofcurvesoverp-adicandfinitefields,theirautomorphismgroupsandGaloiscovers,functionfieldarithmeticandDrinfeldmodules.
AlgebraResearchinthisareaincludesnon-commutativealgebras,inparticularvariouskindsofmatrixringsandtheirsubstructuresandalgebraicproperties;commutativealgebrasandgrouptheory;algebrasoffunctionsassociatedwithagivenalgebraicstructure,andnearvectorspaces.
category theory and DualityCategorytheoryisarelativelyrecentunifyingtheoryinmathematics,withapplicationsingeometry,algebra,andlogic,andspecificallyincomputerscience.AnimportantresearchfocusoftheMathematicsDivisionliesincategoricalalgebra,wherealgebraicstructuresthatoccurinvariousbranchesofmathematicsarestudiedfromthepointofviewofcategorytheory.
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Functional analysisInvolvingthestudyofnormed,BanachandHilbertspaces,theoperatorsonthemandgeneralizationsoftheseconcepts,thiskeyareaofmathematicsunderpinsmuchoftheresearchandapplicationsinareasofanalysissuchasmeasureandprobabilitytheory,financialmathematics,quantumfieldtheoryintheoreticalphysics,approximationtheoryanddifferentialandintegralequations.
Discrete MathematicsResearchinterestsinthisfieldcovervariousbranchesofdiscretemathematics,includingenumerative,probabilisticandanalyticcombinatorics,graphtheory,discretealgorithmsandtheanalysisofalgorithms.Discretemathematicshasconnectionstovariousotherbranchesofmathematicsaswellasotherfields,suchascomputerscience,chemistryandphysics.
Mathematical and theoretical Physical BiosciencesThisgroupworksontheinterfacebetweenmathematicsandbiology.Thefocusisonthedevelopmentofnovelandapplyingavailablemethodsinmathematics,statisticsandtheoreticalphysicsforunlockingthemechanismsbehindrealisticbiologicalpatterns,especiallypatternsrelatedtotheheterogeneityofspeciesdistributionsandtheirgeneticstructures,thehierarchyofbiologicalnetworksandthesizeofadaptivetraits.
Boolean Functions and lattice theoryResearchisfocusedonspecificlatticestructuresandontheapplicationthereofincombinatoricsandnonlinearsignalprocessing.Otherresearcheffortsinvolveusingthetechniquesoflogicanduniversalalgebratoinvestigatethestructureofcertainclassesoflattices,e.g.varietiesandquasivarieties.
Model theoryModeltheoryisabranchofmathematicallogicwhichinteractswithseveralotherpartsofmathematicsincludingcombinatorics,numbertheory,algebraandgeometry.Researchincludesworkonconnectionsbetweenpuremodeltheoryandcertainideasfromcombinatorics,workono-minimalityandanalyticfunctionsandworkonconnectionsbetweenmodeltheoryandcategorytheory.
Quantum topologyOverthelasttwodecades,theimpactofideasfromquantumfieldtheoryongeometryhasspawnedanewfieldcalledquantumtopology.Thisnewfieldtriestounderstandthephysicist’smostpowerfultool,thepathintegral,andtoutilizetheresultingstructurestocomputenewinvariantsofgeometricobjectssuchasknotsasmanifolds.Thisendeavordrawsonmanypartsofmodernmathematicssuchashighercategorytheory,homotopytheoryandrepresentationtheory.
ReSeARcH FIelDS In APPlIeD MAtHeMAtIcS
computer vision, Pattern Recognition and Machine learningAutomatedrecognitionsystems,reconstructionof3Ddatafromimages,trackingofobjectsinvideosequences,visioninrobotics,imageprocessingandhandwritinganalysis.
Fluid Dynamics and ModellingTransportphenomenainporousmedia;permeability,diffusion,dispersion,theflowofnon-Newtonianfluidsthroughporousmedia,multi-phaseflows,coastalengineering,heattransfer,electricalconductionandpercolation;computationalfluiddynamics.
Numerical Analysis and Scientific ComputingNumericalanalysisisagrowingfieldasindustryislookingfornewwaystonumericallyandaccuratelysolveequationsthatarisefromengineering,fluiddynamics,fluidmechanics,biologicalmathematicsandeconomics.Researchinterestsincludenumericalsolutionofdifferentialequations;matrixcomputations,numericalintegration,computationofspecialfunctionsandintegraltransforms,waveletsandmathematicalsoftware.
graph theory and coding theoryResearchinterestsincludetheprotectionofgraphs,withaspecificinterestindomination,andgamesongraphs.Thedominationproblemfindsapplicationinthefacilitylocationproblemwheretheoptimalpositionsoffacilities,undercertainconstraints,arecalculated.
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ReSeARcH FIelDS In cOMPuteR ScIence
theory and Applications of Automata and grammarsResearchinterestsincludethetheoryofnondeterministicfiniteautomata,mostlyasitpertainstothedescriptionalcomplexityofformalsystems.Inaddition,thetheoryofautomataandgrammarsisappliedtomanyreal-worldproblems.Specificapplicationareasinclude:
• Layoutoptimizationwithcellularautomata;
• Musicgenerationinthestyleofagivecomposerusingprobabilisticautomata;
• ProbabilisticautomataonparsetreesofEnglishsentencesforautomaticgrammarcorrections;and
• Findingdenial-of-serviceattacksinregularexpressionlibraries.
Software Engineering and Verifi cationSince1990,wehavebeeninvolvedinthedevelopmentofoperatingsystemkernels,protocols,andverificationtools.Weinvestigatethedevelopmentofhighlyreliablesystemsoftwarebyusingacombinationofcomputer-aidedverificationofdesigns,systematictesting,anddefensiveprogrammingtechniques.Ourspecificfocusareasinclude:
• Automatedtestingtechniquestofinddeeperrorsinsoftwareprograms.WespecificallyworkonsymbolicexecutionandfuzzingforJavaprograms;
• FindingconcurrencyissuesinbothCandJavaprogramsusingmodelchecking;and
• Constraintsolvingandmodelcountingforprogramanalysis.
Artifi cial Intelligence, Machine learning, and Data Science
Weconsideralmostanyaspectofthegeneraldecision-makingproblem,includingsequentialdecision-makingunderuncertainty.Majorsub-problemsareplanning,machinelearning,andsearchalgorithms.Ourapproachisgroundedinprobabilitytheoryandgametheoryformanaginguncertaintyandmulti-agentsystems.Ourspecificfocusareasinclude:
Please contact usProf. Ingrid Rewitzky,Head:DepartmentofMathematicalSciencesT:+27021808-3282IE:[email protected]
Prof. Stephan Wagner,Head:MathematicsDivisionT:+27021808-3269IE:[email protected]
Prof. Bernd Fischer,Head:ComputerScienceDivisionT:+27021808-4232IE:[email protected]
Dr. Willie Brink,Head:AppliedMathematicsDivisionT:+27021808-4215IE:[email protected]
http://mathsci.sun.ac.za/
• Searchandplanningforprobabilisticsystemswithincompleteinformation(forexamplegamessuchasGo);
• UnderstandingnoisepropagationinDeepNeuralNetworks;and
• Theanalysisofdatafromearthobservationsatellitesensorsandradiointerferometers.
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DePARtMent oF MICRoBIologY
WHO ARe We?TheDepartmentofMicrobiology’shistoricalrootscanbetracedbackto1918whenplantpathologywasrecognizedasafieldofexpertiseinthethenFacultyofAgriculture.Today,theDepartmenthaseightresearchgroupsworkinginstate-of-the-artlaborato-riesintheJCSmutsbuilding.
WHAt DO We DO?Micro-organismsrepresentmorethan50%oflivebiomassonearthandareomnipresent.Westudyawidevarietyofmicro-organisms,astheyplayaroleinnature,renewableenergy,humanhealthandmodernbiotechnology.
ReSeARcH FIelDS
Biological Processing of Plant MaterialMicrobialenzymesareevaluatedforthehydrolysisoflocalfeedstocksfortheproductionofbio-ethanol.Projectsincludetherecombinantexpressionofdifferentalpha-andgluco-amylasestoidentifythebestcombinationforoptimalhydrolysisofrawstarch;evaluatingtheimpactofdifferentsecretionsignalsontherecombinantexpressionofgluco-amylases;andevaluationoftheexpressionofα-amylasesunderthecontrolofdifferentpromotersintheyeastSaccharomycescerevisiae.
Interactions between yeast and their biological, chemical and physical environment
Ourresearchfocusesontheinteractionsoffungi,includingopportunisticfungalpathogensofmammals,suchasyeastsbelongingtotheCryptococcusneoformans/Cryptococcusgattiispeciescomplex.Symbiosesofplantgrowthpromotingsoilyeastsarealsostudiedwiththegoalofdevelopingbiofertilisersfordifferentcrops,includingwheatandlupin.
lactic Acid BacteriaWefocusontheantimicrobialpeptides(bacteriocins)andprobioticpropertiesoflacticacidbacteria.Regulationofthegenesencodingthesepeptidesandtheeffectofthelatteronpathogensarestudiedinvitroandinvivo.Genomeminingledtothediscovery,andconstruction,ofnovelantimicrobials.Carriermoleculesaredevelopedtoprotect,transferanddirectthesepeptidestositesofinfection.Slowreleasedrugcarriers,con-structedatnano-scalesizes,areinsertedintodressingsandprostheticdevicestofightinfections.Werecentlypatentedthetechnologythatformsthebasisfortheworld’sfirstNanoPocpoint-of-caredevice.Aleadingpharmaceuticalcompanyisfundingitsdevelop-mentintoablue-toothdevice.Backedbymorethan50scientificpapers,theprobioticentiroTMwaslaunchedthreeyearsago.Ayearagowediscoveredanovelantibacterialandantifungalnon-ribosomalantibiotic–clinicaltrialswillcommencein2020.
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Microbial ecology and MycologyWeinvestigatethediversityandstructureofmicrobialcommunitiesfromsoil,withaspecialinterestinthesoilmicrobialcommunitiesofthefynbosbiomeandagriculturalsystems.Westudytheeffectofhumanactivitiesonsoilcommunitiesanditsimpactonsoilprocessesandecosystemservices.SomeofthemainmicrobialgroupsincludePenicillium,Trichodermaandtherhizobialbacteria.
Water treatmentWeaimtoprovidecommunitiesinurbaninformalsettlementsandultimatelyruralareaswithasustainablesolutiontowatershortageandavailability,bytheutilizationofrainwater.Mainprojectsarethedesign,constructionandmonitoringofsustainabledomesticrainwaterharvestingsolarpasteurizationanddisinfectiontreatmentsystems;identificationoftheprimarymicrobialandchemicalsourcetrackingmarkersinharvestedrainwaterforthedetectionoffaecalcontamination;applicationofbiologicalcontrolforrainwatertreatment;andbioprospectingfornovelbiosurfactantsandbiosurfactantproducingbacteria.
Fungi Biotechnology for Bioenergy and the BioeconomyThisisanestablishedresearchfieldthatinvestigatesthemicrobiologyandbiochemistryofplantdegradingenzymes.Wefocusontherecombinantproductionoftheseenzymesinbaker’syeast,andinthemouldAsperfillusniger,fortheproductionofbiofuelsandothervaluablechemicals.Mainprojectsincludetheevaluationofnativeyeastsfortheirpotentialforsecondgenerationbioethanolproduction;developmentofCBPyeastforrawstarchandcellulosicconversiontobiofuels;developmentofenzyme-producingfungalcellfactoriesforligninconversiontogreenchemicals;anddevelopmentofacarboxylateplatformforproductionofgreenchemicalsusingrumenmicrobialcultures.
Functional Microbial BioinformaticsWeemployfunctionalbioinformaticsapproachestostudyyeastphysiology.Thisinvolvescomparativemolecularprofilingofyeastgenomesequencesand/ortranscriptome/proteomeprofilestogenerateamolecularportraitofspecificphysiologicalresponsesinyeast.Intheprocess,high-throughputtechnologiessuchaswhole-genomenextgenerationsequencing,RNA-seqandLC-MS/MS-basedproteomicsareemployedtogeneratecomparativegenome-wideQTL/SNP,transcriptomeandproteomedatasetsrespectively.Newinsightsintoyeastphysiologycanbeappliedtodecodethegeneticbasisofyeastphenotypes,reverseengineeringofindustry-specifictailoredyeaststrainsusingatruesystemsbiologicalapproach,thediscoveryofuncharteredpathstoantifungaldrugtargetdiscovery;andnewfunctionpredictionof(un)characterizedyeastgenesandproteins.
Biotechnologies for Water treatmentOurfocusistoimproveefficiencyinbiotechnologysuchaswatertreatment,andtofindsolutionstomicrobially-relatedproblemssuchasbiofouling,infectionandcontamination.Mainprojectsincludeinvestigationofthepersistenceofmicro-pollutantssuchaspharmaceuticals,personalcareproductsandantimicrobials;managementofpathogens;andbiotechnologyforresourcerecovery;waterpurificationandsupplyusingnoveltechnologies;implicationofmicrobialprocessesonlarge-scaleoperations,suchasbiofilmformationandfacilitatedprecipitationinindustrialandagriculturalwaterlines,andthelong-termperformanceofrepositoriesofnuclearwaste;lastly,bacterialpersistenceatsolid-airinterfacesandtheroleofbiofilmsinantibioticresistance.
Please contact usProf. Alf Botha,Head:DepartmentofMicrobiologyT:+27(0)21808-5856|E:[email protected]://www.sun.ac.za/english/faculty/science/microbiology/
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DePARtMent oF PHYsICs
WHO ARe We?TheDepartmentofPhysics,establishedin1903,isoneoftheoldestphysicsdepartmentsinSouthAfrica.Throughoutitshistory,membersoftheDepartmenthavebeeninvolvedintheestablishmentorcontinuetocontributetonationalresearchinstitutionssuchasiThembaLABS,theNationalLaserCentre,theAfricanLaserCentre,andtheNationalInstituteforTheoreticalPhysics.
WHAt DO We DO?TheDepartmentofPhysicsisanactiveresearchenvironment,withmanyinternationalandnationalcollaborationsinallthefieldslistedbelow.Ourresearchcoversthreebroadthemes:LaserPhysics,NuclearPhysicsandTheoreticalPhysics.Wearealsohometotworesearchchairs,theSouthAfricanResearchChairinPhotonicsandUltrafastLaserScience,andtheCSIR/StellenboschUniversityResearchChairinQuantumOpticsandAtomicPhysics.
ReSeARcH FIelDS
ultrafast laser Science Weinvestigatephoto-inducedreactionsofatomsandmoleculesinmatterwithmicroscopicresolutionintimeandspace.Westudyandmodifymicroscopicdynamicsinorganicandorgano-metallicmolecules,andphoto-inducedmacroscopicphasetransitionsincrystals.
Spectroscopy and laser DiagnosticsWefocusonalasermethodallowinghighlyselectiveionizationofparticularmolecules,atomsorisotopesfromagaseoussample,aimingforapplicationtomedicalradioisotopes.Weprobethechargedynamicsatburiedsilicon-siliconoxideinterfacesrelevanttotheminiaturizationofelectronics.Wehavedevelopedadepthprofilingmethodusingnon-ionizingradiation.
laser DevelopmentWedevelopcustomfibrelasersforscientificprojects.
trapped Ion Quantum controlAtomictrapshavebecomeanimportanttoolforstudyingphysicsinthequantumregime.Theyare,forexample,oneofthepotentialtechnologiesforquantumcomputers.Exploitationofthequantumregimepromisesahostofadvancesinphysics,includingquantuminformationandcommunication,quantumsimulation,quantummetrologyandquantumcoherentcontrol.
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Biophotonics and ImagingTheimagingresearchfocussesonlasersourcedevelopmentandcontrolforbiophotonicsimagingapplications.Theserangefromsecond-andthirdharmonicimaging,CoherentAntistokesRamanSpectro-microscopy(CARS-microscopy)andtwo-photonfluorescencemicroscopy.Developmentofwidefieldsinglemoleculemicroscopy,Ramanimaging,opticaltweezers,andremotesensingformpartofthisinitiative.
Additive Manufacturing, x-Ray Imaging and BiomimicryOurresearchinvolvesadditivemanufacturing,especiallylaserpowderbedfusionofmetals(3Dmetalprinting),improvingtheprocessesandadvancingdesignusingscaffoldstructures(lattices)andtopologyoptimization.Thispromisesnewlight-weightmaterialdesigns.HighresolutionX-rayimagingallowsbiomimeticdesign.AdvancesinX-raytomographyapplicationsarealsocovered.
Solitons in Field theoryConfigurationswithlocalisedenergy-densities(solitons)emergeinalmostanynon-linearfieldtheory.Solitonshaveparticlepropertiesandcanbeusedtostudybaryonpropertiesthat(sofar)evadedirectcomputationfromquantumchromodynamics,thefundamentaltheorydescribingthestrongnuclearforce.Also,solitonsinducecorrectionstoenergiesonthequantumlevel.Wecomputethesecorrectionsinfieldtheorieslikethestandardmodelofparticlephysics.Weaskwhethertheseenergycorrectionscanstabilisesolitonsthatwouldbeunstableclassically.
Quantum Phase transitions and exceptional PointsExceptionalpointsaresingularitiesofspectrumandeigenstateswhentheyarecontinuedintothecomplexplaneof,forinstance,astrengthparameter.Theirproximitytotherealaxisplaysacrucialroleinquantumphasetransitionsaswellasinquantumchaos.
Multiparticle correlations and Bayesian PhysicsBayesiananalysisisinvestigatedinitsfoundations,andwealsodevelopapplicationsofBayesiantoolstovariousproblems.Theoreticalandexperimentalaspectsofmultiparticlecorrelationsinelementaryparticlephysicsandheavyioncollisionsarestudied.
condensed Matter PhysicsWestudythephysicsofcondensedmatterwithafocusoninteractingquantumsystemsandclosedquantumsystemsoutofequilibrium.Wedevelopapplicationsofmethodssuchascontinuousunitarytransformationsandalgebraictechniqueswithinthissetting.
Soft condensed Matter and Biological PhysicsWestudyequilibriumanddynamicalpropertiesofpolymers,whentheyformnetworks,areconfined,ordrivenbymolecularmachines.Theoreticalandcomputationalinsightsareappliedtogels,cytoskeleton,andothercellular-levelprocessesorstructures,includingcells’activemachineries.
nuclear PhysicsResearchinthisfieldrangesfromthedevelopmentofnewdetectorsfornuclearphysicsexperiments,theoreticaldevelopments,andthroughtothestudyofradiationintheenvironment.ManyoftheactivitiesarecentredaroundthefacilitiesatiThembaLABS.
Please contact usProf. Kristian Müller-NedebockT:+27-21-808-3386|E:[email protected]@sun.ac.zahttp://www.sun.ac.za/english/faculty/science/physics
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DePARtMent oF PHYsIologICAl sCIenCes
WHO ARe We?TheDepartmentofPhysiologicalSciences,establishedin1922,strivestobeaworld-classoperationthatconcentratesonexcellenceandinnovationinteachingandresearchtoenhancehumandevelopment,welfareandhealth.
WHAt DO We DO?WeundertakeinvestigativeresearchtobetterunderstandthehealthchallengesfacingSouthAfricaandaimtodeliverstudentswhowillcontributetothiseffort.Therationaleistogainadeeperunderstandingoftheunderlyingmechanismsthatdrivetheonsetofpathophysiologicstates,withtheultimateaimofdesigningnoveltherapeuticordiseasepreventativeinterventions.Inthisregardweemployintegrativemodelstoinvestigateresearchquestionsofnationalimportance,usingcutting-edgetechnologiessuchasadvancedtissueculture,fluorescentmicroscopy,electronmicroscopy,flowcytometry,CRISPRandmuscleexosometechnology.
ReSeARcH FIelDS
cancer researchWhileanthracyclinessuchasdoxorubicinhasproventobeoneofthemostsuccessfulapproachestocancertreatment,itinducesvarioussideeffectssuchasnausea,vomiting,hematopoieticsuppressionandcumulative,dose-dependentcardiactoxicity.Cancercellsarealsobecomingincreasinglyresistanttochemotherapy-inducedcelldeath.Weexplorenewavenuesofchemotherapyandadjuvanttreatmentsthatwouldfavortheuseoflowerconcentrationswithlessside-effectstonormalhealthycells,whilemaintainingsatisfactorylevelsofcancercelldeath.
cardio-oncology researchWeinvestigatethesideeffectsofchemotherapy,particularlydoxorubicin,ontheheart.Cardiotoxicity,definedasarangeofadverseeffectsontheheart’sfunctioninducedbytherapeuticmolecules,isnowconsideredoneofthemostimportantconsequencesofchemotherapy,leadingtoanincreaseinmorbidityandmortalityofcancersurvivors.
Multidisciplinary Stress BiologyOurmainresearchinterestisinthemaladaptationofthebody’scontrolsystems(endo-crine,immuneandnervous)inthecontextofchronicstress,whichresultsinamyriadofmodernchronicdiseases,suchasTypeIIdiabetes,themetabolicsyndrome,inflammatoryandneurodegenerativediseases.Aspecificstrengthisourcapacityforinterdisciplinaryresearch,incorporatinggenetics,biochemistry,psychology,phytomedicine,pharmacology,exercisescienceandmanymorethroughcollaborationsnationallyandinternationally.
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Amajorfocusisthestudyofinflammationandoxidativestress-relatedacceleratedageing,whichisahallmarkofmanychronicdiseaseswithaninflammatorycomponent,suchasTypeIIdiabetes,cardiovasculardisease,anxietydisorders,cancerandauto-immunediseasessuchasrheumatoidarthritis.Ouraimistouncoverstrategieswithwhichtopreventacceleratedageingandtransitionofmaladaptationintochronicdisease.
cardio-metabolic researchFutureprojectionsindicatethatType2diabetesandheartdiseaseswillbethemajorcauseofdeathindevelopingcountrieswithinthenextfewdecades.Ourresearcheffortsarefocusedontacklingthisprobleminordertobetterunderstanditsoriginandprogression,andtothendriveinnovationtoultimatelyensureimprovedhumanhealthandwell-being.
Muscle Physiology researchOurresearchfocusesonstemcellbiologyandregenerativemedicine.UndertheauspicesoftheSouthAfricanresearchchair(SARChi)inIntegrativeSkeletalMusclePhysiology,BiologyandBiotechnology,weacquiredtheseconddevicefornanoparticletrackinginSouthAfrica.Wearenowabletoassessvesiclesinthenanoparticlesizerangethatarereleasedbyhumansafterexercise–thesevesiclesarecalledexosomesandaddanotherlevelofcomplexityinthestudyofintercellularcommunicationandadaptationbroughtaboutviamodulationoftheextracellularmilieu.Asabiologicalentity,theexosomesarepotentiallyimportantforwholebodyadaptation,butuntilnowthefieldofexercisesciencewasunawareoftheirexistence.
neuro researchOurresearchcombinescellbiology,cellphysiology,microscopyandbiochemistryapproachestodissectandinvestigatetherelationshipandroleofproteindegradationthroughmacroautophagyandcelldeathsusceptibilityinneurodegenerationandgliomas.Thefinebalanceofproteostasiscontrol,proteinaggregationandproteotoxicityisthemainfocuspoint,duetoitsroleintheonsetandprogressionofdiseasessuchas
neurodegenerativediseasesandcancer.Inthisregard,wefocusonmacroautophagy,chaper-onemediatedautophagy,cellularmetabolism,mitochondrialmorphologyandfunction,tubulinandtransportsystems,thecytoskeletonandATPconsumption.
Metabolic Physiology and HealthAccordingtotheWorldHealthOrganiza-tion(WHO)non-communicablediseases(NCDs)kill41millionpeopleannually,withmorethan85%ofthesedeathsoccurringinlow-andmiddle-incomecountries.InSouthAfrica,NCDsaccountforalmost40%oftotaldeaths.Weworkinafarmworkerscommu-nityinaperi-urbansettingtoinvestigateandunderstandhowobesitycontributestowardsthedevelopmentofNCDsandinflammatorymetabolicdiseasessuchasdiabetes,andhyper-tensionandcardiovasculardiseases.
clinical Haemorheology and coagulation researchManydiseasesareaccompaniedbychronicinflammation,buttheoriginofthisinflamma-tionremainsmostlyunclear.Hallmarksofinflammationarebothachronichypercoagu-labilityandupregulatedinflammatorymarkerprofile,accompaniedbyachangedbloodrheology.Inflammationisthereforesynonymouswithapathophysiologicalhaemato-logicalandcoagulationsystem.Ourresearchhasledtoabetterunderstandingofthecoagulationsystemduringinflammationandhowrheologyisaffected.Wehaveprovidedextensiveevidencethatinflammationinchronicconditionsiscausedbythepresenceofbacterialwallcomponentsthatactaspotentinflammagens,withoriginsfrombacteriaenteringviagutdysbiosesandinthepresenceoflowimmunity.ThisknowledgehasgreatimplicationsforthetreatmentofahostofinflammatoryconditionswhichincludeTypeIIdiabetes,cancer,AlzheimerandParkinson’sdisease,andothersystemicinflammatoryconditions.Weusethisknowledgetodevelopearlydetectionmodalitiessuchasnano-biosensors,andstudynovelcirculatingbiomarkermoleculestobothidentifyandtrackinflammatoryconditions.
Please contact usProf. Resia Pretorius, Head:DepartmentofPhysiologicalSciencesT:+27(012)808-3143|E:[email protected]://www0.sun.ac.za/physiologicalsci/eng/index.php
Prof. Louise WarnichDean: Faculty of Science
A.I. Perold Building, Merriman AvenueStellenbosch University
T: +27 021 808-3072 I E: [email protected]://www.sun.ac.za/english/faculty/science/