Department of Biotechnology: Recent submissions
Now showing items 141-160 of 368
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Investigation of Guayule's Agronomic Performance and Agro-processing in South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2017)Guayule (Parthenium argentatum) is grown for its high quality hypoallergenic natural rubber latex production. The plant is native to the Chihuahua desert of North America and successful trials have been done in Europe, the ... -
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, ... -
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 ... -
Isolation and characterization of plant growth promoting endophytic bacteria from Eriocephalus africanus roots]
(University of the Western Cape, 2018)Endophytic bacteria are known to have an endosymbiotic relationship with plants and provide them with many beneficial properties. These bacteria stimulate plant hormones, provide protection from pathogens and increase ... -
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 ... -
Using biochemical and nutrient analysis to understand the role of methylglyoxal signalling in soybean exposed to zirconium
(University of the Western Cape, 2017)Soybean have been listed as a priority commodity crop in South Africa (SA) and provide a good source of protein to the population. Therefore, soybean has been earmarked as an important food security crop and strategies ... -
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 ... -
Physiological and biochemical characterization, of antimony stress, responses in Phaseolus vulgaris
(University of the Western Cape, 2018)The mining industry in South Africa is of immense importance as this sector contributes largely to the countries income. In the Limpopo province, a large production of antimony (Sb) is generated per year. Antimony (Sb) is ... -
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 ... -
Investigation of the role of the ubiquitin-like DWNN domain in targeting Retinoblastoma Binding Protein 6 to nuclear speckles
(University of the Western Cape, 2018)Magister Scientiae - MSc (Biotechnology) -
Proteomic characterisation of wine yeast strains for the expression of arginases involved in urea formation during fermentation
(University of the Western Cape, 2018)Wine is a fermented beverage widely consumed all over the world as a recreational drink, but is known for its health benefits to humans. However, wine contain urea, a by-product of arginine hydrolysis by arginases expressed ... -
Biodiscovery of Novel Bioactivities from the South African Marine Environment
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)There is currently a global health crisis taking place, which is the increasing occurrence of drug-resistant pathogens within clinical microorganisms. Drugresistant pathogens are increasingly becoming more difficult to ... -
Response of microbial communities to synthetic winery wastewater in biological sand filters
(University of the Western Cape, 2017)There has been a significant increase in the use of constructed wetlands globally for the bioremediation of wastewater (Welz et al., 2011). In South Africa, the wine industry generates more than one billion litres of ... -
Association between antioxidant activities and drought responses of two contrasting sugar beet genotypes
(University of the Western Cape, 2017)Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L), which belongs to the Amaranthaceae family is a biennial crop widely used as a source of domestic sugar in the European countries, United States, China and Japan. However, in South Africa, sugar ... -
Electroanalysis of Organo-Chalcogenic Perovskite Nanomaterials
(University of the Western Cape, 2017)Organometallic halide perovskite solar cells have developed as one of the most promising contenders for the production of solar cells. The generic perovskite (PS) structure ABX3 allows manufacturing a broad range of PS ... -
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 ... -
Identification of novel miRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for prostate cancer using an in silico approach
(University of the Western Cape, 2017)Cancer is known as uncontrollable cell growth which results in the formation of tumours in the areas that are affected by the cancer. There are two types of tumours: benign and malignant. This study focus is on prostate ... -
Investigation of the link between drought-induced changes in the expression of a novel sterol biosynthesis gene and drought tolerance in soybean
(University of the Western Cape, 2017)Glycine max (soybean) is an important crop species globally as it is used as a protein-rich food and feed crop and as a source of oils used in the food and biofuel industry. However, the growth and yield of soybean is ... -
Discovery of biomolecules from South African marine sponge symbionts through Metagenomic studies
(University of the Western Cape, 2018)Marine sponges are known to harbour diverse microorganisms which have been proposed to be involved in the synthesis of most of the natural compounds derived from sponges. However, only about 1% of these microorganisms can ... -
Proteomic and metabolomic characterisation of novel wine yeasts: towards the evaluation and improvements of their ability to produce aromatic sauvignon blanc wines
(University of the Western Cape, 2017)Wine yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and wild yeasts e.g. Torulaspora delbrueckii forms an integral part of wine production by converting relatively 'neutral' flavoured Sauvignon blanc grape must into varietal aromatic ...