Browsing Department of Biotechnology by Title
Now showing items 152-171 of 360
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The geographical analysis of the mitochondrial DNA control region found in southern African population's by using a bioinformatics approach
(University of the Western Cape, 2020)South Africa’s demographic complexity has been historically shaped by interethnic admixture between the native KhoiSan inhabitants and the Bantu expansion that started 3000 - 5000 YBP and reached South Africa about 1000 ... -
Green synthesis and characterization of gold nanoparticles from South African plants and their biological evaluations
(University of the Western Cape, 2019)The field of nanotechnology continues to offer solutions for biotechnologists whose target is to improve the quality of life by finding new therapies to combat diseases. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been showing great ... -
Green Synthesis and characterization of gold Nanoparticles using Green Alga Ulva Lactuca and evaluation of their Catalytric Role
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)Nanoparticles synthesized using typical chemical procedures have associated environmental risks because of the use of hazardous chemicals. With the ever-increasing potential application for nanomaterials, there is a growing ... -
Green synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from Bulbine frutescens leaf extract and their antimicrobial effects
(University of the Western Cape, 2020)Combating antimicrobial resistant infections caused by nosocomial pathogens poses a major public health problem globally. The widespread use of broad-spectrum antibiotics for the treatment of wound infections has led to ... -
Human testis angiotensin-converting enzyme: crystal structure of a glycosylation mutant and investigation of a putative hinge-mechanism by normal mode analysis
(University of the Western Cape, 2004)Human angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is a key enzyme in the regulation of blood pressure via the renin-angiotensin and kallikrein-kinin systems. A number of orally active drugs have been developed over the years ... -
Identification and characterisation of a novel gene, DWNN, isolated from promoter-trapped Chinese hamster ovary cells
(University of the Western Cape, 2005)The process of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) killing involves the recognition and destruction of foreign antigens by cytotoxic T cells and is of crucial importance to the defence of the organism against viral infections. ... -
Identification and characterisation of hemicellulases from thermophilic Actinomycetes
(University of the Western Cape, 2010)To ensure the sustainability of bioethanol production, major attention has been directed to develop feedstocks which provide an alternative to food-crop biomass. Lignocellulosic (LC) biomass, which is chiefly composed of ... -
Identification and characterisation of novel cellulolytic genes using metagenomics
(University of the Western Cape, 2010)Metagenomics has been successfully used to discover novel enzymes from uncultured microorganisms in the environment. In this study, metagenomic DNA from a Malawian hot spring soil sample was used to construct a fosmid ... -
Identification and characterisation of potential virulence genes of Salmonella from rooibos tea
(University of the Western Cape, 2015)The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of Salmonella in the tea processing environment, to identify and detect potential virulence genes isolated from Salmonella in the tea, and to determine the antibiotic ... -
Identification and characterisation of sorghum bicolor heme oxygenase-1 (sbho1) gene and its role in conferring biotic and abiotic stress tolerance to plants
(University of the Western Cape, 2019)Biotic and abiotic stresses such as herbivore attack, pathogen infection, salinity, drought, cold, heat and UV radiation, are unfavourable conditions that affect plant growth and productivity globally (Fedoroff et al., ... -
Identification and characterization of microorganisms associated with marine macroalgae Splachnidium rugosum
(University of the Western Cape, 2014)Marine macroalgae are known to carry diverse bacterial communities which interact with their hosts in both harmful and beneficial ways. Algae hosts provide the bacteria with a rich source of carbon in the form of carbohydrate ... -
Identification and Molecular validation of Biomarkers for the accurate and sensitive diagnosis of bacterial and viral Pneumonia
(University of Western Cape, 2019)Pneumonia remains the major cause of death in children and the elderly and several efforts have been intensified to reduce the rate of pneumonia infection. The major breakthrough has been the discovery of certain biomarkers ... -
Identification and validation of micrornas for diagnosing type 2 diabetes : an in silico and molecular approach
(University of the Western Cape, 2015)Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a metabolic disease characterized by chronic hyperglycemia, is the most prevalent form of diabetes globally, affecting approximately 95 % of the total number of people with diabetes i.e. ... -
Identification and validation of putative therapeutic and diagnostic antimicrobial peptides against HIV: An in silico approach
(University of the Western Cape, 2013)Background: Despite the effort of scientific research on HIV therapies and to reduce the rate of HIV infection, AIDS still remains one of the major causes of death in the world and mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa. To date, ... -
Identification of a transducin (beta)-like 3 protein as a potential biomarker of prediabetes from rat urine using proteomics
(University of the Western Cape, 2010)Obesity is a globally increasing disease particularly in developing countries and among children. It is mainly caused by intake of diets high in fat and the lack of physical activity. Obesity is a risk factor for diseases ... -
The identification of aptamers against serum biomarkers of human tuberculosis
(University of the Western Cape, 2018)Tuberculosis (TB) is a global health problem and rated as the second leading cause of death after HIV/AIDS. Transmission of TB from one person to the next is very rapid in crowded communities. Therefore, it is crucial to ... -
Identification of bacterial pathogenic gene classes subject to diversifying selection
(University of the Western Cape, 2009)Availability of genome sequences for numerous bacterial species comprising of different bacterial strains allows elucidation of species and strain specific adaptations that facilitate their survival in widely fluctuating ... -
Identification of biomarkers associated with cervical cancer: a combined in silico and molecular approach
(University of the Western Cape, 2014)Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality among black women in South Africa. It is estimated that this disease kills approximately 8 women in South Africa every day. Cervical cancer is caused by the human ... -
The identification of candidate genes using cDNA microarray and the analysis of two SNPs of the reelin gene in a South African austistic population
(University of the Western Cape, 2009)Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) that's incidence is approximately 1 in 158. It is four times more prevalent in males than females and is believed to be caused by both genetic and environmental factors. ... -
Identification of candidate plant growth promoting endophytes from Echium plantagineum roots
(University of the Western Cape, 2018)The yearly increase of global population will result in a greater demand for crop production, but with the climates changes and a lack of available agricultural land it will become increasingly more difficult to provide ...