Magister Scientiae - MSc (Biotechnology): Recent submissions
Now showing items 181-200 of 264
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SSR-based genetic mapping of QTLs determining chilling requirements for time of initial vegetative budbreak in domesticated apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.) cultivar ‘Anna’ x ‘Austin’
(University of the Western Cape, 2012)The Rosaceae family contains major temperate crops such as the domesticated apple(Malus x domestica Borkh.), peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch) and European pear (Pyrus communis L.). However, despite its evident economic ... -
Identification of biomarkers associated with cervical cancer: a combined in silico and molecular approach
(University of the Western Cape, 2014)Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality among black women in South Africa. It is estimated that this disease kills approximately 8 women in South Africa every day. Cervical cancer is caused by the human ... -
Development of a reporter system for the analysis of xylophilus ampelinus type III secreted effectors
(University of the Western Cape, 2014)Xylophilus ampelinus, the causal agent of bacterial blight and canker of grapevines, has long been a threat to the table grape industry in the Western Cape, leading to severe economic losses due to the reduced productivity ... -
Bacteriophage diversity in haloalkaline environments
(University of the Western Cape, 2013)There are limited reports on virus population in haloalkaline environments; therefore the aim of this study was to investigate the genetic diversity and biology of bacteriophage communities in these environments. Bacteria ... -
Structural analysis of induced mutagenesis A’ protein from mycobacterium tuberculosis and of a thermophillic GH9 cellulase
(University of the Western Cape, 2014)The three-dimensional structures of proteins are important in understanding their function and interaction with ligands and other proteins. In this work, the structures of two proteins, ImuA’ from mycobacterium tuberculosis ... -
A biochemical and proteomic analysis of sugargraze sorghum under hyperosmotic stress
(University of the Western Cape, 2015)Sugargraze is a moderately drought tolerant sweet sorghum hybrid which is ideal for grazing, winter stand over and pit silage. A major advantage that Sugargraze has over other forages is its very high sugar content which ... -
Evaluating the specancer cell targeting peptides for applications in cancer diagnostics
(University of the Western Cape, 2013)Cancer is a disease most often associated with poor prognosis. During the development of the disease, cells acquire genetic mutations which result in changes in bio-molecules (DNA and protein), thus altering normal ... -
Identification of endophytic bacterial communities associated with South African crops: sorghum bicolor (L. Moench), pennisetum glaucum and arachis villosulicarpa
(University of the Western Cape, 2014)In this study, the diversity of endophytic bacteria associated with food crops, sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench), pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) and groundnut (Arachis villosulicarpa) is investigated using ... -
Functional characterisation of a thermophilic cellulase from a Malawian metagenomic library
(2013)Biofuels are currently recognised as the most viable source of energy to replace depleting fossil fuel reserves, with bioethanol the most popular alternative alcohol fuel. Producing bioethanol from agricultural waste ... -
Actinobacterial and archaeal diversity in lake Magadi, Kenya
(University of the Western Cape, 2013)Microorganisms of the class Actinobacteria and domain Archaea are interesting from a biotechnological perspective owing to their metabolic attributes as producers of secondary metabolites and resilience under harsh ... -
Impact of vanadium stress on physiological and biochemical characteristics in heavy metal susceptible and tolerant Brassicaceae
(University of the Western Cape, 2013)There is an influx in heavy metals into soils and ground water due to activities such as increased mineral mining, improper watering and the use of heavy metal contaminated fertilizers. These heavy metals are able to ... -
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 ... -
Deciphering a potential cytoprotective role of novel heat shock responsive proteins using a proteomic approach
(University of the Western Cape, 2011)Myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack, is a condition where the blood supply to the heart tissue is cut off, starving the tissue from oxygen and nutrient supply, with consequent lethal damage to the heart ... -
Investigating the functional interaction of transcription regulator CarD of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with Ribonucleic Acid Polymerase
(University of the Western Cape, 2014)Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). TB mainly affects lungs of patients but other parts of the body can also be affected. It kills approximately 2 million people annually. ... -
A microbiological and molecular study of campylobacter and related species isolated from ostriches (Struthio camelus)
(University of the Western Cape, 2014)Campylobacter and related Epsilonproteobacteria (Arcobacter and Helicobacter) are currently viewed as emerging pathogens and are able to cause gastroenteritis, bacteraemia, the Guillain-Barré syndrome, reactive arthritis ... -
Development of nanotechnology-based therapeutic approaches to treat HIV
(University of the Western Cape, 2012)The rapidly expanding field of nanotechnology has been the focus of many biologists with regard to drug delivery. The ability of nanoparticles to enter cellular compartments makes it possible to explore specific treatment ... -
Eukaryotic diversity of miers valley hypoliths
(University of the Western Cape, 2012)The extreme conditions of Antarctic desert soils render this environment selective towards a diverse range of psychrotrophic microbial communities. Cracks and fissures in translucent quartz rocks permit an adequate amount ... -
Development of microsatellite (SSR) marker multiplexes for future construction of a genetic linkage map for pear (Pyrus communis L.)
(University of the Western Cape, 2012)Recent advances in the field of plant genetics and application of molecular technologies has lead to greater understanding of various crop genomes and their organization.The applications of these techniques include molecular ... -
Characterisation of a DNA ligase from an Antarctic metagenomic library
(University of the Western Cape, 2011)A metagenomic gene library prepared from soil found beneath a mummified seal carcass in the Miers Valley, Antarctica, suggests an environment rich in uncharacterised biodiversity including enzymes with possible application ... -
Laccases from actinomycetes for lignocellulose degradation
(University of the Western Cape, 2012)The purpose of this study shows that lignocellulose has a complex structure composed mainly of lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose. Several enzymes are needed for the degradation of lignocellulose into simple sugars. ...