Department of Biotechnology: Recent submissions
Now showing items 61-80 of 368
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Cloning, expression and characterization of Novel Lipase and Esterases from Burkholderia multivorans UWC10
(2005)An esterase and lipase producing Burkholderia multivorans strain was isolated by culture enrichment strategies. A shotgun library of Burkholderia multivorans genomic DNA (prepared in E. coli/pUC18) was screened for lipase ... -
New genetic tools to engineer starch production in crops
(University of the Western Cape, 2014)Starch is a major carbohydrate reserve in many plants, providing energy during heterotrophic growth and it is contained in large amounts in staple foods such as potatoes, wheat, maize, rice, sorghum and cassava. Apart from ... -
Respiratory and photosynthetic C and N metabolism of nodulated Lupin roots during phosphorus deficiency
(University of the Western Cape, 2010)Growth of symbiotic legume hosts is P limited, because of the high energetic requirements associated with N2 fixation. Attempts to overcome P deficiency in soils where legumes are grown involve addition of P-based fertilisers. ... -
Bioactive actinobacteria associated with two South African medicinal plants, Aloe ferox and Sutherlandia frutescens
(University of Western Cape, 2021)Actinobacteria, a Gram-positive phylum of bacteria found in both terrestrial and aquatic environments, are well-known producers of antibiotics and other bioactive compounds. The isolation of actinobacteria from unique ... -
Improvement of cell-surface adhered cellulase activities in recombinant strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae engineered for consolidated bioprocessing
(University of Western Cape, 2021)Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP), in which a single organism in a single reactor is responsible for the conversion of pretreated lignocellulosic biomass to bioethanol, remains an attractive option for production of commodity ... -
Massively-Parallel Computational Identification of Novel Broad Spectrum Antivirals to Combat Coronavirus Infection
(University of the Western Cape, 2015)Given the significant disease burden caused by human coronaviruses, the discovery of an effective antiviral strategy is paramount, however there is still no effective therapy to combat infection. This thesis details the ... -
Signalling molecule “calcium” improves germination and growth of Sorghum bicolor seedlings under salt stress
(University of the Western Cape, 2021)Abiotic stress, mainly in the form of extreme temperatures, drought and salinity has caused major crop losses worldwide, putting a severe strain on agriculture. Salinity severely limits plant growth and productivity and ... -
The effects of gallic acid on the membrane proteome and antioxidant system of wheat plants under salt stress
(University of Western Cape, 2020)Salt stress is a major abiotic stress that accounts for huge agricultural losses worldwide, which in turn threaten food security and sustainable agriculture. Salt triggers the excessive production of reactive oxygen species ... -
The C-economy, nutritional benefits and symbiotic performance of dual inoculated Phaseolus vulgaris (L.) plants, under variable nutrient conditions
(University of the Western Cape, 2010)The tripartite symbiosis between Phaseolus vulgaris, arbuscular-mycorrhiza and the nodule bacteria, Rhizobia have been the focus of many studies ranging over a number of decades, however these studies have failed to answer ... -
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 ... -
Isolation and characterisation of leaf endophytic bacteria from weed plants for enhancing salinity stress tolerance in Brassica napus
(University of the Western Cape, 2020)In an ever changing environment, plants are constantly challenged by various abiotic stresses such as salinity, which limits global crop production. This directly affects food availability for the global population, which ... -
Isolation and characterization of bacterial endophytes for growth promotion of Phaseolus vulgaris under salinity stress
(University of the Western Cape, 2020)As the global human population grows, so does the demand for faster food production rates. Owing to this, agricultural practices have had to expand and move into semi-arid and arid regions, too, where frequent irrigation ... -
Biochemical characterization of β-xylosidase and β-glucosidase isolated from a thermophilic horse manure metagenomic library
(University of the Western Cape, 2020)The complete degradation of recalcitrant lignocellulose biomass into value-added products requires the efficient and synergistic action of lignocellulose degrading enzymes. This has resulted in a need for the discovery of ... -
Investigating the antimicrobial potential of Thalassomonas actiniarum
(University of the Western Cape, 2020)bioassay guided isolation approach was then used to isolate the high molecular weight antibacterial compound (50kDa-100kDa) from T. actiniarum fermentations. With common protein isolation, purification and detection methods ... -
Investigating the antimicrobial potential of Thalassomonas actiniarum
(University of Western Cape, 2020)The World Health Organisation predicts that by the year 2050, 10 million people could die annually as a result of infections caused by multidrug resistant bacteria. Individuals with compromised immune systems, caused by ... -
Biological approach to improving the evaporation rates of mine wastewater desalination brine treated in evaporation ponds
(University of the Western Cape, 2021)The disposal of brine effluent from inland wastewater desalination plants is a growing global problem with adverse economic and environmental implications because of the substantial cost associated with its disposal and ... -
Screening of plant-mediated nanoparticles for antifungal activity
(University of the Western Cape, 2020)Nanotechnology is spreading rapidly across the world as an extremely powerful technology. Nanoscience and nanotechnology are innovative scientific advancements that have been introduced only in this century. Nanotechnology ... -
The role of p-coumaric acid on physiological and biochemical response of chia seedling under salt stress
(University of the Western Cape, 2020)The role of phenolic acids in mitigating salt stress tolerance have been well documented. However, there are contradicting reports on the effect of exogenously applied phenolic acids on the growth and development of various ... -
Development of a COMT PCR multiplex to investigate resilience, anxiety and childhood trauma in a South African population
(University of the Western Cape, 2020)Anxiety, resilience and childhood trauma can be categorized as functional behavioural categories, with a wealth of research behind each. The research approach adopted for each, in most cases, is either from a genetic or ... -
Investigation of protein-protein interactions involving retinoblastoma binding protein 6 using immunoprecipitation and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
(University of Western Cape, 2019)Retinoblastoma Binding Protein 6 (RBBP6) is a 200 KDa multi-domain protein that has been shown to play a role in mRNA processing, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. RBBP6 interacts with tumour suppressor proteins such as ...