Browsing Magister Scientiae - MSc (Biotechnology) by Author "Dept. of Biotechnology"
Now showing items 21-40 of 41
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Investigation into the role of DWNN in cell death
Seameco, Tumelo (University of the Western Cape, 2004)Many genes are activated to influence the self-destruction programme of the cell. This programme entails synchronised instigation and implementation of numerous subprograms. The arrival of gene targeting aided in the ... -
Investigation of South African estuarine microbial species and genome diversity
Kaambo, Eveline (University of the Western Cape, 2006)A study of the microbial diversity in sediments of the Great Berg River estuary is carried out using modern molecular phylogenetic methods. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of (pollution by) the effluents ... -
Isolation and characterisation of esterases from thermophilic Actinomyces
Oldale, Megan (University of the Western Cape, 2010)Alternative sources of fuel are required worldwide, and bio-ethanol is the leading candidate. Lignocellulosic biomass, a waste component of the agricultural industry, is a promising renewable source. Due to its complex ... -
Isolation, expression, purification and characterisation of a novel acetyl xylan esterase from streptomyces species ORS10
Gao, Yu (University of the Western Cape, 2012)Lignocellulosic biomass represents an important renewable resource for biofuels production. Lignocellulosic biomass is comprised of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Lignocellulosics are highly recalcitrant to enzymatic ... -
Iterative helical real-space reconstruction of histone octamer tubular crystals and implications for the 30 nm chromatin fiber
Frouws, Timothy Duncan (University of the Western Cape, 2006)This thesis investigated the helical structure of core histone octamers to discover interacting surfaces and their relevance to the compaction of nucleosome arrays into the chromating fiber. -
The microbial composition of a natural methanogenic consortium
Mashaphu, Nthabiseng (University of the Western Cape, 2005)Wetlands account for approximately 20% of annual global methane emissions. Many wetlands receive inputs of organic matter, nutrients, metals and various toxic compounds from adjacent agricultural and industrial areas. The ... -
Microbial diversity of Antarctic Dry Valley mineral soil
Moodley, Kamini (University of the Western Cape, 2004)Antarctica provides some of the most extreme environments on earth. Low temperatures, low water availability and nutrient deficiency are contributing factors to the limited colonisation of Antarctic biotopes, particularly ... -
Microbial quality and safety of ostrich meat
Cloete, Anya (University of the Western Cape, 2010)The aim of this study was to determine the quality of slaughtered ostrich meat and to evaluate the ostrich slaughter process, to determine whether ostrich meat are contaminated by the in-house slaughtering practices and ... -
Microbiology of fly ash-acid mine drainage co-disposal processes
Kuhn, Eloise M. R. (University of the Western Cape, 2005)The waste products acid mine drainage formed during coal mining and fly ash from coal burning power generation, pose substantial environmental and economic problems for South Africa. Eskom has developed a remediation system ... -
Phylogenetic diversity of nifH genes in Marion Island soil
Rapley, Joanne (University of the Western Cape, 2006)The microbial life of sub-Antarctic islands plays a key role in the islands ecosystem, with microbial activities providing the majority of nutrients available for primary production. Knowledge of microbial diversity is ... -
Physiological and cellular characterization of a plant natriuretic peptide
Maqungo, Monique Nonceba (University of the Western Cape, 2005)Plants in the field are exposed to multiple stresses and their response to these various stresses determines their capacity to survive. Plants can use multiple signaling pathways and signals to mediate their response; for ... -
The prevalence and survival of Campylobacter, Salmonella and Listeria species in poultry processing plant
Mabogo, Rudzani David Lesly (University of the Western Cape, 2004)The organisms in this study were chosen due to their associations with foods and their potential as food borne pathogens. Food borne diseases are an import public health problem in most countries. Bacteria of the genera ... -
Recombinant expression and full backbone assignment of the human DWNN using heteronuclear NMR
Faro, Andrew (University of the Western Cape, 2005)The cellular levels of a number of proteins have been found to be regulated by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. In this pathway, proteins are covalently tagged (“ubiquitinated”) by ubiquitin, which acts as a signal for ... -
Recombinant expression of the pRb- and p53-interacting domains from the human RBBP6 protein for in vitro binding studies
Ndabambi, Nonkululeko (University of the Western Cape, 2004)This thesis describes the cloning and recombinant expression of domains from the human RBBP6 protein for future in vitro binding studies with pRb and p53. RBBP6 is a splicing-associated protein that is known to interact ... -
Sample preparation methods and molecular based detection for the rapid isolation and identification of Listeria monocytogenes in food samples
Rip, Diane (University of the Western Cape, 2006)Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive bacterium responsible for listeriosis, a food-borne disease, which may result in severe illness and possible death. The importance of L. monocytogenes as a food-borne pathogen has ... -
Screening extracts of indigenous South African plants for the presence of anti-cancer compounds
Essack, Magbubah (University of the Western Cape, 2006)Early man dabbled with the use of plant extracts to cure ailments. This practice has been passed down from generation to generation and today more than 50% of the world'sdrugs are natural products or derivatives thereof. ... -
Screening for subtate tolerant Geobacillus pallidus RAPc8 nitrile hydratase
Mketsu, Moses Clive Masisange (University of the Western Cape, 2009)In this study G. pallidus RAPc8 NHase mutants were screened for reduced substrate inhibition compared to the wild type enzyme. Wild type and mutant enzymes were expressed and purified using hydrophobic interaction ... -
Screening of natural products and alkylating agents for antineoplastic activity
Kanyanda, Stonard Sofiel Elisa (University of the Western Cape, 2007)Background and objectives: Apoptosis is a process in which a cell programmes its own death. It is a highly organized physiological mechanism in which injured or damaged cells are destroyed. Apart from physiological stimuli ... -
Spartial distribution of cyanobacterial phylotypes in Antarctic Dry Valley soil biotopes
Keyster, Marshall (University of the Western Cape, 2007)Recent advances in moleculr methods have enabled the analysis of cyanobacterial diversity using PCR- based approaches. Snap-shot techniques such as 16S rDNA library construction and DGGE have allowed for increased access ... -
The structure, function and engineering of a thermostable nitrile hydratase
Mavengere, William Nyasha (University of the Western Cape, 2008)Nitrile hydratases (NHases) are enzymes that catalyse the conversion of organocyanides to amides via a non-hydrolytic hydration reaction. They are industrially relevant enzymes, currently used in the manufacture of ...