Department of Biotechnology: Recent submissions
Now showing items 161-180 of 362
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Exogenous caffeic acid alters molecular responses in Salvia hispanica L.
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)Salt stress is one of the most important abiotic stresses, resulting in the accumulation of ROS, which amount to great agricultural losses by influencing plant yield and in turn threaten sustainable agriculture and food ... -
Effects of exogenous myristic acid on growth and germination of Brassica napus L. under zirconium toxicity
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)Lipids when exogenously applied are known to cause various changes in ROS levels produced within plants. They can either be beneficial to the plant when not stimulating the overproduction of ROS thus resulting in improved ... -
The inhibition of nitric oxide biosynthesis alters anti-oxidant capacity in soybean
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)Nitric oxide is a signalling gaseous molecule endogenously synthesized from various enzymatic and non-enzymatic sources in plants. It is known to play a crucial role in the regulation of plant physiological processes ... -
Engineering Parageobacillus thermoglucosidans as a robust platform for bioethanol production
(University of the Western Cape, 2018)Parageobacillus thermoglucosidans is a promising “platform” organism to use in the production ofa range of useful metabolites with demonstrated ability to produce ethanol, isobutanol and polylactic acid for bio-degradable ... -
Effect of Fusarium oxysporum on the physiological and molecular responses of cowpea plants
(The University of the Western Cape, 2017)Cowpea is a tropical, drought-tolerant legume crop that is indigenous to Africa. The crop is of nutritional importance to both animals and humans as part of their diet. Stress to crop plants is defined as any factor that ... -
Polyethylene glycol (PEG) induced water stress alters the physiological and molecular responses of chia plants
(The University of the Western Cape, 2017)Water deficit is known to be one of the most detrimental environmental factors to affect crop production and growth in South Africa. This factor has become more apparent with increasing cases of drought in the country. -
3,3' Diindolylmethane mediated signalling and its role in Brassica napus L. responses to vanadium
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)Anthropogenic activities such as mineral mining, improper watering practices, and the use of heavy metal contaminated fertilizers have caused an influx of heavy metals into arable lands. These heavy metals may have a ... -
Developing a quantum dot nanotracker for endophytic bacteria translocation in plants
(University of the Western Cape, 2017)Endophytes are bacteria that have been shown in previous studies to promote plant growth without eliciting any sign of infection or plant disease, as well as promote bio-fortification and has thus gained much attention ... -
Comparative analysis of 3, 3'- diindolylmethane and indole-3-carbinol respective treatments in Brassica napus L.
(University of the Western Cape, 2017)Lately, there has been serious contamination of soils and ground water caused by mineral mining and environmental pollution leading to heavy metal accumulation within soils and over time rendering the soil infertile. The ... -
Structural Analysis of Induced Mutagenesis Protein B from Mycobacterium tuberculosis Jeremy
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)Knowing the three-dimensional structure of a protein may be useful in understanding its function. In this study, induced mutagenesis protein B (ImuB) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis was analyzed using molecular biology and ... -
Characterization of the role of a cycloartenol synthase gene (ZMCAS494) in Zea mays responses to drought stress
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)Plant Sterols are an important part of the membrane and their role is to control cell membrane fluidity and permeability. Several studies have indicated that plants that are mutant for genes that play a role in the sterol ... -
Identification of novel miRNAs as diagnostic molecules for detection of breast cancer using in silico approaches
(University of the Western cape, 2017)Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women worldwide, and is the second most common cancer in the world, responsible for more than 500 000 deaths annually. Estimates are that 1 in 8 women will develop BC in their ... -
Development of a novel high throughput method for identifying phage-host pairs in an extreme environment
(University of the Western Cape, 2017)There are approximately 10³¹ bacteriophages in the biosphere, outnumbering bacteria 10:1, hence, the dynamic and specific nature of phage-host interactions exerts significant influence on microbial communities. Bacteriophages ... -
A forensic analysis of genetic variation in the Botswana population
(University of the Western cape, 2016)This thesis has been placed under a long term embargo. Forensic and population genetic parameters were investigated in the Botswana population using autosomal and Y-chromosome short tandem repeat markers. AmpFlSTR Profiler ... -
In-silico optimization and molecular validation of putative anti-HIV antimicrobial peptides for therapeutic purpose
(University of the Western cape, 2016)AIDS is considered a pandemic causing millions of deaths worldwide and a cure for this disease is still not available. Failure to implement early treatments due to the poor diagnostic methods and ineffective therapeutic ... -
A comparative proteomic analysis of two contrasting Salvia hispanica L. genotypes under salinity stress
(University of the Western cape, 2016)Salvia hispanica L. is an annual pseudocereal food crop, locally known as chia that has the ability to grow in water stress environments. The importance of chia dates back to the pre-columbian era where it was consumed as ... -
Functional analysis of miRNA regulated genes in prostate cancer as potential diagnostic molecules
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)Prostate Cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in males in the Western world. It is a common biological disease originating from the reproductive system of the male namely, the prostate gland, usually in older ... -
Development of genotyping systems for pharmacogenomics profiling
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)Genetic variability in genes encoding drug metabolizing enzymes, transporters and targets are known to be the main factors of inter-individual differences in therapeutic outcome. Genetic factors are estimated to be responsible ... -
Genomic diversity and functional analysis of the solute carrier genes within indigenous African and Cape Admixed populations
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)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. ... -
Development of a high throughput cell-free metagenomic screening platform
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)The estimated 5 × 10³⁰ prokaryotic cells inhabiting our planet sequester some 350–550 Petagrams (1 Pg = 1015 g) of carbon, 85–130 Pg of nitrogen, and 9–14 Pg of phosphorous, making them the largest reservoir of those ...