Browsing Philosophiae Doctor - PhD (Biotechnology) by Title
Now showing items 58-77 of 98
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Metagenomic approaches to gene discovery
(University of the Western Cape, 2006)The classical approach to gene discovery has been to culture micro-organisms demonstrating a specific enzyme activity and then to recover the gene of interest through shotgun cloning. The realization that these standard ... -
Microbial diversity and gene mining in Antarctic Dry Valley mineral soils
(University of the Western Cape, 2006)Soil communities are regarded as among the most complex and diverse assemblages of microorganisms with estimated bacterial numbers in the order of 109-1 cells.g. Studies on extreme soils however, have reported lower cell ... -
Microbial ecology of hot and cold desert edaphic communities
(University of the Western Cape, 2012)This thesis presents significant advances into the microbial ecology of hypolithic communities in two hyperarid deserts. Deserts account for one fifth of the Earths total surface area. These zones differ substantially in ... -
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 ... -
Mining a Chinese hyperthermophilic metagenome
(University of the Western Cape, 2007)Metagenomic sequencing of environmental samples provide direct access to genomic information of organisms within the respective environments. This sequence information represents a significant resource for the identification ... -
Mitigation of salinity stress using exogenously applied molybdenum in sorghum bicolor
(University of the Western Cape, 2022)The agricultural sector is the main producer of food throughout the world. However, the constant changes in environmental conditions, such as extreme weather, droughts, and salinity have impacted this sector negatively ... -
Modulation of soybean and maize antioxidant activities by Caffeic acid and nitric oxide under salt stress
(University of the Western Cape, 2012)This study explores the roles of exogenously applied nitric oxide, exogenously applied caffeic acid and salt stress on the ontioxidant system in cereal (exemplified by maize) and legume (using soybean as an example) plants ... -
Modulation of soybean and maize antioxidant activities by caffeic acid and nitric oxide under salt stress
(University of Western Cape, 2012) -
Molecular analysis of red colouration in 'Bon Rouge' pear (Pyrus communis L.)
(University of the Western Cape, 2018)The 'Bon Rouge' pear cultivar was developed from a bud mutation on a 'Bon Chretien' pear tree. The latter is characterised by green fruit skin and leaves, while 'Bon Rouge' is characterised by red leaves and red fruit skin ... -
Molecular Characterisation of the Brassinosteroid, Phytosulfokine and cGMP-dependent Responses in Arabidopsis thaliana
(University of the Western Cape, 2010)In this thesis, we have firstly cloned and expressed the domains that harbours the putative catalytic GC domain in these receptor molecules and demonstrate that these molecules can convert GTP to cGMP in vitro. Secondly, ... -
The molecular characterization of trichoplusia ni single nucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus: a study on early regulatory features
(University of the Western Cape, 2003)With the development of biological insecticides, many research efforts have been made in baculoviruses to investigate fundamental molecular aspects of these viruses, such as the function and regulation of genes, genome ... -
Molecular detection and characterisation of RNA viruses of honeybees
(University of the Western Cape, 2009)Propagation methods for honeybee viruses have not changed since these viruses were discovered. There are no suitable cell lines or cell culture techniques available for honeybee viruses. Honeybee viruses have to be manually ... -
Molecular detection and characterisation of RNA viruses of honeybees
(University of the Western Cape, 2009)Honeybees have evolved through the centuries to inhabit most parts of the world except for the extreme Polar Regions. These insects have also been susceptible to pathogens and disease which has always been part of the ... -
Molecular detection and genetic manipulation of the Black Queen Cell Virus
(University of the Western Cape, 2002)The South African isolate of the Black Queen-Cell Virus (BQCV), a honeybee virus, was previously found to have an 8550 nucleotide genome excluding the poly(A) tail. Its genome contained two ORFs, a 5'-proximal ORF encoding ... -
Molecular detection and study of Campylobacter and related microorganisms
(University of the Western Cape, 2010)Species of Campylobacter, Arcobacter and Helicobacter have been associated with various diseases in humans and animals; and chickens have been identified as a reservoir of these microorganisms. Two published techniques and ... -
A molecular investigation of the prevalence of suspected periodontopathogens and their association with preterm birth
(University of the Western Cape, 2010)More than 20 million infants in the world (15.5 % of all births) are born with low birth weight. Ninety-five % of them are in developing countries. Oral colonization of Gramnegative anaerobes has been implicated as a risk ... -
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 ... -
Pharmacogenomics of solute carrier transporter genes in the Xhosa population
(University of the Western Cape, 2014)Solute carrier transporters belonging to the major facilitator family of membrane transporter are increasingly being recognized as a possible mechanism to explain inter-individual variation in drug efficacy and response. ... -
Plant natriuretic peptides - elucidation of the mechanisms of action
(University of the Western Cape, 2009)Several lines of cellular and physiological evidence have suggested the presence of a novel class of systemically mobile plant molecules that are recognized by antibodies generated against vertebrate atrial natriuretic ... -
Population structure and demographics in Nigerian populations utilizing Y-chromosome markers
(University of the Western Cape, 2014)Nigeria is peopled by ethnically and linguistically diverse populations of which little were known until the last few millennial. The absence of major natural geographical barrier increases the possibility of the populations ...