Browsing Magister Scientiae - MSc (Biotechnology) by Title
Now showing items 11-30 of 263
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The antimicrobial activity of zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesized with plant extracts against Staphylococcus aureus
(University of the Western Cape, 2019)Nanoparticles using a green synthesis production method is of increasing interest for biomedical applications. Zinc oxide is currently used in medicinal and cosmetic formulations, and zinc oxide nanoparticles have potential ... -
Antimicrobial, anticancer and catalytic activities of green synthesized Avocado seed extract-gold nanoparticles
(University of the Western Cape, 2019)Nature through billions of years of trial and error has produced an immeasurable amount of natural systems like plants, birds and animals. The intelligence of nature is hidden in these natural systems and researchers are ... -
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 ... -
An assessment of the dietary intake of pregnant women in the West Coast / Winelands region, Western Cape Province: relation to low birth weight
(University of the Western Cape, 2008)This secondary analysis aimed to develop dietary scores to assess the dietary intake of pregnant women in the West Coast/ Winelands region and determine the association with LBW. Further to determine the association between ... -
Association between antioxidant activities and drought responses of two contrasting sugar beet genotypes
(University of the Western Cape, 2017)Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L), which belongs to the Amaranthaceae family is a biennial crop widely used as a source of domestic sugar in the European countries, United States, China and Japan. However, in South Africa, sugar ... -
AtNOGC1 protein bioelectrode for the determination of stress signalling molecules - Nitric Oxide (NO), Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Calcium ion (Ca2+)
(University of the Western Cape, 2018)It has been estimated that the world population will reach about 10 billion by the year 2050 and in order to accommodate the increased demand of food, the world agricultural production needs to rise by 70 % in the year ... -
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 ... -
Barley anther culture: determining the optimal pre-treatment for green plant regeneration
(2013)Doubled Haploid (DH) Technology is an important tool for plant breeding and biotechnological applications as it accelerates the breeding cycle of plants by shortening the time required to attain homozygosity. Anther culture ... -
Bioactivity and genome guided isolation of a novel antimicrobial protein from Thalassomonas viridans
(University of the Western Cape, 2019)The continued emergence of bacterial resistance to the antibiotics currently employed to treat several diseases has added to the urgency to discover and develop novel antibiotics. It is well established that natural products ... -
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 ... -
Biochemical characterisation of an alpha-amylase with pullulan hydrolase type III characteristics derived from a hot spring metagenomics library
(University of the Western Cape, 2024)The field of metagenomics has provided biotechnological researchers with new enzymes and insight into previously unknown enzyme families with potential for novel modes of action and being able to function under extreme ... -
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 ... -
Biocontrol potential of fungal endophytes against Fusarium proliferatum in maize
(University of the Western Cape, 2022)Fusarium proliferatum is a fungal pathogen that is the cause of numerous diseases in various crops of fruit and vegetables. About 25% of the maize crops harvested annually are affected by mycotoxins produced by F. ... -
Biodiscovery of Novel Bioactivities from the South African Marine Environment
(University of the Western Cape, 2016)There is currently a global health crisis taking place, which is the increasing occurrence of drug-resistant pathogens within clinical microorganisms. Drugresistant pathogens are increasingly becoming more difficult to ... -
Biogenic synthesis of gold nanoparticles using red and green pear fruit extracts
(University of the Western Cape, 2019)There has been a growing interest in the design of biocompatible and environmentally affable nanoparticles (NPs) among scientists to develop novel and safe biomaterials for use in various biomedical applications. This can ... -
Biological and enzymatic activity of actinobacteria associated with aloe ferox
(University of the Western Cape, 2023)Antimicrobial resistance is a global crisis that has been on the rise for decades, threatening the health and safety of many nations. This highlights the need to discover novel antimicrobial compounds to combat already ... -
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 ... -
Biosurfactant screening through metagenomic and culture-based approaches
(University of the Western Cape, 2022)The biosurfactant market is still predominantly represented by the three main products: surfactin, sophorolipids, and rhamnolipids, mainly as a result of the high cost and low yield associated with biosurfactant production. ... -
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 ... -
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 ...