Department of Biotechnology: Recent submissions
Now showing items 101-120 of 368
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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., ... -
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 ... -
An investigation into the antimicrobial and immune modulatory effects of Sutherlandia frutescens and Salvia africana-lutea extracts and their respective biogenic nanoparticles
(University of the Western Cape, 2020)The prevalence of cancer and antibiotic-resistant microbes has led to the necessity of affordable, efficacious, non-toxic and easily accessible therapeutic approaches. There is numerous anecdotal evidence that African ... -
Responses of maize antioxidant enzymes to drought stress
(University of the Western Cape, 2019)Maize (Zea mays L) was subjected to drought stress for 28 days. The effects of the drought stress on growth, H2O2 content and lipid peroxidation were investigated and the activities of antioxidant enzymes [superoxide ... -
Development and validation of a pharmacogenomics profiling panel suitable for personalizing metformin therapy
(University of the Western Cape, 2019)The burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in South Africa is predicted to increase substantially in the next decades if the necessary preventative measures are not taken. The two most common NCDs associated with ... -
Responses of maize Antioxidant Enzymes to drought stress
(University of the Western Cape, 2019)Maize (Zea mays L) was subjected to drought stress for 28 days. The effects of the drought stress on growth, H2O2 content and lipid peroxidation were investigated and the activities of antioxidant enzymes [superoxide ... -
Biogenic synthesis of gold nanoparticles using red and green pear fruit extracts
(University of the Western Cape, 2019)There has been a growing interest in the design of biocompatible and environmentally affable nanoparticles (NPs) among scientists to develop novel and safe biomaterials for use in various biomedical applications. This can ... -
MicroRNAs as predictive biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of colorectal cancer using in silico approaches
(University of the Western Cape, 2019)Colorectal cancer (CRC) is referred to as cancers that arise in the colon or rectum. Rectal cancer is most often defined as cancers originating within 15 cm from the anal verge. The crude incidence of CRC in sub-Sahara ... -
Development of an aptamer based lateral flow test strip for a diabetes biomarker
(University of the Western Cape, 2019)Diabetes mellitus is one of the major chronic diseases that poses a significant risk to human health globally. Current diagnostics for diabetes are based on blood glucose measurements, which can go unnoticed for years. ... -
The antimicrobial activity of zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesized with plant extracts against Staphylococcus aureus
(University of the Western Cape, 2019)Nanoparticles using a green synthesis production method is of increasing interest for biomedical applications. Zinc oxide is currently used in medicinal and cosmetic formulations, and zinc oxide nanoparticles have potential ... -
The development of functionalized metallic nanoparticles for the treatment of brain cancer
(University of the Western Cape, 2019)Cancers of the nervous system often result from abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells in nervous tissue. Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) and neuroblastoma (NB) are among the most common nervous system-associated cancers ... -
The detection of meningococcal disease through identification of antimicrobial peptides using an in silico model creation
(University of the Western Cape, 2019)Neisseria meningitidis (the meningococcus), the causative agent of meningococcal disease (MD) was identified in 1887 and despite effective antibiotics and partially effective vaccines, Neisseria meningitidis (N. meningitidis) ... -
Analysis, expression profiling and characterization of hsa-miR-5698 target genes as putative dynamic network biomarkers for prostate cancer: a combined in silico and molecular approach
(University of the Western Cape, 2019)2018, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) estimated that prostate cancer (PCa) was the second leading cause of death in males worldwide. The number of deaths are expected to raise by 50 % in the next ... -
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 ... -
Bioactivity and genome guided isolation of a novel antimicrobial protein from Thalassomonas viridans
(University of the Western Cape, 2019)The continued emergence of bacterial resistance to the antibiotics currently employed to treat several diseases has added to the urgency to discover and develop novel antibiotics. It is well established that natural products ... -
Novel gold nanoparticles of drought tolerance enabler GYY4137
(University of the Western Cape, 2019)Different nanoparticles have the ability to improve plant tolerance to drought stress. In the study we report for the first time novel morpholin-4-ium 4-methoxyphenyl (morpholino) phosphinodithioate capped- gold nanoparticles ... -
Aptamer selection against GFRa1 for its application in the prognosis of breast cancer
(University of the Western Cape, 2019)Breast cancer is the second most common cancer amongst South African women. Despite ongoing efforts to combat breast cancer, current prognostic and/or therapeutic monitoring methods are limited since very little improvement, ... -
Evaluation of cytotoxic activity of gold nanoparticles naturally synthesised from South African indigenous medicinal plant extracts
(University of the Western Cape, 2018)Nanotechnology has emerged as a promising field in the quest to address health conditions. Green nanotechnology is a fairly new branch of nanotechnology, which aims to produce and utilize nanomaterials in a way that is ... -
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 ... -
The effect of blocking selected endocytic mechanisms on heterologous protein secretion in the yeast saccharomyces cerevisiae
(University of the Western Cape, 2018)The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is considered a good host used for heterologous protein production due to the organism’s microbial safety, rapid growth and eukaryotic post- translational processing. As a fermentative ...