Department of Biotechnology
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Domestic greywater systems: a potential reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes transfer
(University of the Western Cape, 2024)During the Western Cape drought from 2015 to 2018, the use of greywater to alleviate pressure on the limited potable water available in the province was encouraged. Greywater, however, has the potential to harbour residual ... -
Actinobacteria associated with two diverse soil environments and their multicopper oxidase diversity
(University of the Western Cape, 2024)The Cape Floristic Region (CFR) is a biodiverse region boasting unique plant diversity with a rich concentration of endemic plants. Aspalathus linearis (Rooibos) is an indigenous plant that grows in the Clanwilliam region ... -
Biochemical characterisation of an alpha-amylase with pullulan hydrolase type III characteristics derived from a hot spring metagenomics library
(University of the Western Cape, 2024)The field of metagenomics has provided biotechnological researchers with new enzymes and insight into previously unknown enzyme families with potential for novel modes of action and being able to function under extreme ... -
Valorisation of brewers’ spent grain: enzymatic hydrolysis in the production of xylooligosaccharides
(University of the Western Cape, 2023)The beverage industry constitutes approximately 26% of all food wastes, making it one of the largest contributors in this waste segment. By utilising waste or by-products from agriculture and food production in manufacturing ... -
Antibacterial effects of biogenic silver nanoparticles synthesized using manihot esculenta (cassava) leaf aqueous extract
(University of the Western Cape, 2023)Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global health concern that poses a serious threat to the health of humans, animals, and plants. The major public health problem of AMR is primarily caused by the incorrect use ... -
South African medicinal plant extracts used in the treatment of fungal infections.
(University of the Western Cape, 2023)The incidence of fungal skin infections is increasing at an alarming rate, especially in people with underlying immunosuppressive conditions. Currently, the most used methods of treatment are in the azole group of synthetic ... -
Evaluation of the anticancer and molecular effects of green synthesized silver nanoparticles
(University of the Western Cape, 2023)Globally, cancer is considered the second leading cause of death with a staggering tally of 10 million deaths. Breast, lung, colon, rectum and prostate cancers are amongst the most commonly diagnosed cancers. The current ... -
Biosurfactant screening through metagenomic and culture-based approaches
(University of the Western Cape, 2022)The biosurfactant market is still predominantly represented by the three main products: surfactin, sophorolipids, and rhamnolipids, mainly as a result of the high cost and low yield associated with biosurfactant production. ... -
The molecular characterization of trichoplusia ni single nucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus: a study on early regulatory features
(University of the Western Cape, 2003)With the development of biological insecticides, many research efforts have been made in baculoviruses to investigate fundamental molecular aspects of these viruses, such as the function and regulation of genes, genome ... -
Isolation, identification and characterization of novel actinomycetes from Antarctic soil samples
(University of the Western Cape, 2008)Actinomycetes are Gram-positive bacteria that form filamentous branching hyphae with asexual spores. They occur in a variety of environments and are important industrially and pharmaceutically. The aims of this study were ... -
Reconstruction of major male and female lineages of the kensington Muslim community
(University of the Western Cape, 2010)The earliest Cape Muslims were brought to the Cape from Africa and Asia from 1652 to 1834. They were part of an involuntary migration of slaves, political prisoners and convicts, and they contributed in the ethnic diversity ... -
identification of Quantitative Tralt Locl Controlling the Requirement for chilling ln Vegetative budbreak in apple (malus x domestica Borkh')
(University of the Western Cape, 2007)The domesticated apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.) has been distributed into diverse climatic conditions worldwide for commercial production of fruit. Apple trees need exposure to cold temperatures, referred to as chill ... -
An investigation of the plants used medicinally In self-care in the Bredasdorp / Elim region
(University of the Western Cape, 2004)Much of the traditional medicinal plant knowledge is to a large extent known by the older generations. This knowledge is at risk of disappearing due to not being passed down to younger members of the respective families ... -
Isolation and identification of PNP-A homologues from Xerophyta viscosa Baker
(University of the Western Cape, 2004)Maintenance of growth, development and normal physiological processes remains crucial for the survival of plants. Plant hormones are described as integrators of external signal and internal developmental process in plants. ... -
Genome-wide identification and comprehensive analysis of transcriptionsl desert regions
(University of the Western Cape, 2009)The initiation of transcription in mammalian genomes predominatly occurs at 5' promoter regions, however increasingly initiation events have been observed within introns, coding exons and 3' UTRs. Nevertheless there ... -
Investigation of the anti-obesity effects of citrate-capped gold nanoparticles on 3T3-L1 cells and their genetic profiling
(University of the Western Cape, 2023)The incidence and prevalence of obesity and its related diseases has nearly tripled and is increasing at an alarming rate worldwide. Several modern methods for the management and treatment of obesity are available, with ... -
Mitigation of salinity stress using exogenously applied molybdenum in sorghum bicolor
(University of the Western Cape, 2022)The agricultural sector is the main producer of food throughout the world. However, the constant changes in environmental conditions, such as extreme weather, droughts, and salinity have impacted this sector negatively ... -
Using CRISPR/Cas9 to construct consolidated bioprocessing strains from natural isolates of Saccharomyces cerevisiae
(University of the Western Cape, 2022)Saccharomyces cerevisiae has gained much attention as a host for cellulosic bioethanol production using consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) methodologies, due to its high ethanol producing titres, heterologous protein producing ... -
Biological and enzymatic activity of actinobacteria associated with aloe ferox
(University of the Western Cape, 2023)Antimicrobial resistance is a global crisis that has been on the rise for decades, threatening the health and safety of many nations. This highlights the need to discover novel antimicrobial compounds to combat already ... -
Developing a lateral flow device for the detection of novel breast cancer biomarkers
(University of the Western Cape, 2023)Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy and one of the leading causes of death in women worldwide. Delayed diagnosis of breast cancer greatly reduces the effectiveness of treatment and is considered one of the major ...