Browsing Department of Biotechnology by Title
Now showing items 331-350 of 360
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Structural and functional characterisation of a novel signalling molecule in Arabidopsis thaliana
(2011)Nitric Oxide (NO) influences a wide range of physiological processes in plants including growth and development, responses to abiotic and biotic stress and pathogen responses. NO binds to the heme group of the mammalian ... -
Structural and functional studies of XvPrx2, a type II peroxiredoxin protein from the resurrection plant xerophyta viscosa
(University of the Western Cape, 2012)XvPrx2 is a 1-Cys-containing member of the Prx5 subfamily of peroxiredoxins isolated from the resurrection plant Xerophyta viscosa. It is reported to be up-regulated during periods of desiccation and to protect nucleic ... -
Structural characterisation of the interaction between RBBP6 and the multifunctional protein YB-1
(University of the Western Cape, 2010)As a means of further localising the interaction, truncated fragments derived from the C-terminal region of YB-1, were tested for their interaction with the RING finger domain of RBBP6 using three different assays: a ... -
Structural characterisation of the interaction between RBBP6 and the multifunctional protein YB-l
(University of the Western Cape, 2010)Retinoblastoma binding protein 6 (RBBP6) is a 250 kDa RING finger-containing protein whose function is known to be mediated through interaction with other proteins. RBBP6 plays a role in the regulation of the tumour ... -
The structure of the nitrilase from Rhodococcus Rhodochrous J1: homology modeling and three-dimensional reconstruction
(University of the Western Cape, 2006)The nitrilases are an important class of industrial enzymes that are found in all phyla. These enzymes are expressed widely in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Nitrilases convert nitriles to corresponding acids and ammonia. ... -
Structure, enzymology and genetic engineering of Bacillus sp. RAPc8 nitrile hydratase
(University of the Western Cape, 2005)Microbial nitrile hydratases (NHases) are important industrial enzymes that catalyse the conversion of nitriles to the corresponding amides. A thermostable, cobalt-type Bacillus sp. RAPc8 NHase was previously cloned and ... -
The structure, function and engineering of a thermostable nitrile hydratase
(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 ... -
Studies on the population genetics of Euphausiids: a comparison of patterns in plagic taxa displaying different distributions and life-histories
(University of the Western Cape, 2006)The systematic and population genetic relationships were characterised for three ecologically related euphausiid species: Euphausia lucens, E. recurva and E. vallentini. These species have different geographical distributions ... -
A study of the problems and possibilities of using the marine intertidal zone for teaching principles of ecology in senior secondary schools: A survey of biology teachers in the western cape.
(University of the Western Cape, 1994)In this study I investigate the attitudes of a group biology teachers in the Western Cape, to using the marine intertidal zone for teaching principles of ecology in senior secondary schools, by exploring the problems ... -
Synthesis of silver doped titanium dioxide nanocomposites using tea extract from Aspalathus linearis and evaluation of their antibacterial effects.
(University of the Western Cape, 2018)Despite the wide success of antimicrobial agents against waterborne pathogens, waterborne disease continues to pose a threat to both mankind and animals. A major concern is that certain bacteria have developed resistance ... -
Synthesis of silver nanoparticles and investigating their antimicrobial effects
(University of the Western Cape, 2015)Water is essential for life, yet access to safe drinking water is still a major concern worldwide due to waterborne diseases. The current study proposes silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as an antibacterial agent. Silver ... -
Systematic approach to protein crystallization: emphasis on Vaccinia virus complement control protein (VCP)
(University of the Western Cape, 2006)This work examined the systematic approach to protein crystallization, exploring some of the techniques that have been developed to enhance the success rate of crystallization. The work was centered on two proteins; namely ... -
Targeted delivery of embelin to cancer cells
(University of the Western Cape, 2013)Apoptosis or programmed cell death is vital to the development of organisms as they maintain the balance between cell death and cell growth. Failure to activate apoptosis has been implicated in carcinogenesis and often ... -
Targeted delivery of GFP loaded polymeric nanoparticles to CD4 expressing cells using a CD4 specific aptamer
(University of the Western Cape, 2020)Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which is the cause of Acquired Immunodefiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a major global public health issue affecting over 37 million people worldwide and is responsible for claiming over 32 ... -
The effect of exogenous DIM on Brassica napus and its role in response to heavy metal stress
(University of the Western Cape, 2017)Brassica napus is a plant that is used for human and animal consumption. This plant is also used for phytoremediation due to its relatively higher level of heavy metal tolerance. In South Africa, mining is one of the main ... -
The effects of high temperature stress on the enzymatic antioxidant system in Zea mays
(University of the Western Cape, 2017)High temperature stress is synonymous with the attenuation of plant growth, metabolism and eventually death resulting in major loss of crop productivity worldwide. Part of the metabolic perturbations associated with heat ... -
The inhibition of nitric oxide biosynthesis alters anti-oxidant capacity in soybean
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)Nitric oxide is a signalling gaseous molecule endogenously synthesized from various enzymatic and non-enzymatic sources in plants. It is known to play a crucial role in the regulation of plant physiological processes ... -
The molecular validation of miRNA's as specific biomarkers for early diagnosis of ovarian cancer
(University of the Western Cape, 2017)Ovarian Cancer (OC) is the most common reproductive and the most lethal gynaecological malignant tumour. The majority of Ovarian Cancers, comprising more than 95% of cases, emanate from the surface epithelium of the ovary, ... -
The safety and toxicity of MPA-CdTe quantum dots in legume plants
(University of the Western Cape, 2017)The expansion of nanotechnology, resulting in multitudes of consumer and industrial products, causes concern amongst the scientific community regarding the risks associated with the release of nanomaterials into the ... -
Transcription regulation and candidate diagnostic markers of esophageal cancer
(University of the Western Cape, 2009)Esophageal cancer (EC) ranks among the ten most frequent cancers worldwide. Mortality rates associated with EC are very similar to the incidence rates due to the relatively late stage of diagnosis and the poor efficacy of ...