Department of Biotechnology: Recent submissions
Now showing items 181-200 of 362
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The assessment of the bactericidal effect of green synthesized silver nanoparticles against a panel of infectious microorganisms
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)The emergence of multiple drug resistant microorganisms poses a major threat to human life. These microorganisms have made the currently used antibiotics ineffective and therefore continue to thrive. Therefore, there is a ... -
Screening bacterial symbionts of marine invertebrates for ribosomally synthesized natural products
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)Pharmaceutical research and development strategies rely on the constant discovery of novel natural products as potential drugs. Recent studies have shown that the microorganisms associated with sponges are the true producers ... -
Actinobacterial diversity of the Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes
(University of the Western Cape, 2011)The class Actinobacteria consists of a heterogeneous group of filamentous, Gram-positive bacteria that colonise most terrestrial and aquatic environments. The industrial and biotechnological importance of the secondary ... -
Characterisation of a lignocellulosic degrading bacillus strain isolated from thermophilic compost
(University of the Western Cape, 2011)The negative environmental impact of fossil fuels and growing concerns about petroleum supplies has driven the search for alternative, renewable transportation fuels. An 'ideal' fuel replacement would be a biofuel produced ... -
In vitro investigation of putative interactions between the RING finger domain of Retinoblastoma Binding Protein 6 (RBBP6) and various substrates
(University of the Western Cape, 2015)Retinoblastoma Binding Protein 6 (RBBP6) is a RING finger-containing protein which plays a critical role in the 3'-end processing of mRNA transcripts. It is a constituent of the human pre-mRNA processing complex but also ... -
Diversity of Frankia associated with Morella species of the Cape floristic region of Southern Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)Frankia is one of two partners in the globally distributed N2-fixing actinorhizal symbiosis between this filamentous soil-dwelling actinomycete and almost 300 species of host plants from eight diverse angiosperm families. ... -
Characterization of the role of Zea mays burp domain-containing genes in maize drought responses
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)Global climate change has resulted in altered rainfall patterns, causing annual losses in maize crop yield due to water deficit stress. Therefore, it is important to produce maize cultivars which are more drought-tolerant. ... -
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 ... -
Increasing ethanol tolerance through the heterologous expression of the geobacillus thermoglucosiadius heat-shock proteins (GroEL/GroES) in an escherichia coli host
(University of the Western Cape, 2012)Due to economic and environmental concerns associated with use of fossil fuels, humanity is seeking alternative fuels. Ethanol is one of the alternative fuels produced commercially. Current ethanol production technologies ... -
Bioprospecting for bioactive polysaccharides from marine algae endemic to South Africa
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)Fucoidan is a marine-derived sulphated polysaccharide with bioactive properties ideal for the food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The polysaccharide consists largely of L-fucose, has a highly heterogeneous structure ... -
Characterization of the role of single domain soybean cystatins in regulating drought responses in soybean
(University of the Western Cape, 2015)This study investigated the effects that drought stress imposed on the growth and development of soybean plants. Soybeans were initially observed at the whole-plant level in order to identify the physical changes that had ... -
Proteome signature of breast cancer cells treated with fucoidan
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)Breast cancer is responsible for a large portion of cancer-related deaths. Worldwide, incidence is increasing. Routinely-used treatments for breast cancer are invasive and are associated with a range of side-effects which ... -
Characterisation of N-terminal fragments of Retinoblastoma Binding Protein 6 for structural analysis
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)Retinoblastoma Binding Protein 6 (RBBP6) is a 200 kDa RING finger-containing protein that plays a role in 3'-end poly-adenylation of mRNA transcripts as well as acting as an E3 ubiquitin ligase against a number of proteins ... -
Comparative analysis of molecular and physiological responses of two canola genotypes to drought stress
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)Food security has always been one of the priority concerns in Africa, and it is mostly threatened by drought stress due to climate change. Drought-induced stress is one of the serious limiting factors of plant production, ... -
Genome assembly of next-generation sequencing data for the Oryx bacillus : species of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex
(University of the Western Cape, 2011)Next generation sequencing (NGS) technology platforms have accelerated ability to produce completed genome assemblies. Recently, collaborators at Tygerberg Medical School outsourced the sequencing of Oryx bacillus, a ... -
Microbial diversity of the Namib Desert salt pans
(University of the Western Cape, 2015)Salt pans are a characteristic feature of many dry deserts. The microbial communities inhabiting salt pans are thought to be particularly complex and are generally dominated by halophilic microorganisms. Although saline ... -
Structural and functional studies of XvPrx2, a type II peroxiredoxin protein from the resurrection plant xerophyta viscosa
(University of the Western Cape, 2012)XvPrx2 is a 1-Cys-containing member of the Prx5 subfamily of peroxiredoxins isolated from the resurrection plant Xerophyta viscosa. It is reported to be up-regulated during periods of desiccation and to protect nucleic ... -
Screening for fluorescent and chromoproteins from South African sea anemones
(University of the Western Cape, 2012)Sea anemones (Order Actinaria) are a diverse order from the Class Anthozoa. They are found in all marine habitats at all depths and their symbiotic relationships play an important role in energy transfers especially in the ... -
Manipulating biotic and abiotic factors to enhance the remediation of agri-industrial wastewater in pilot-scale constructed wetlands
(University of the Western Cape, 2012)As a consequence of various cellar activities the wine industry produces copious volumes of potentially hazardous wastewater each year. South Africa is one of the top ten wine-producing countries, making the successful ... -
Y-STR profiling of four South African populations using the University of the Western Cape 10 locus set
(University of the Western Cape, 2015)In this study the 10 Y-specific loci of the University of the Western Cape (DYS710, DYS518 385a/b, DYS644, DYS612, DYS626, DYS504, DYS447, DYS447, and DYS481) were analysed in 492 individuals from South African population ...