Faculty of ScienceStellenbosch University

1

Contents

At A glAnce 2

DePARtMent OF BIOcHeMIStRY 5

DePARtMent OF BOtAnY AnD ZOOlOgY 9

DePARtMent OF cHeMIStRY AnD POlYMeR ScIence 13

DePARtMent OF eARtH ScIenceS 17

DePARtMent OF MAtHeMAtIcAl ScIenceS 21(Mathematics, computer Science, Applied Mathematics)

DePARtMent OF MIcROBIOlOgY 27

DePARtMent OF PHYSIcS 31

DePARtMent OF PHYSIOlOgIcAl ScIenceS 35

32

centRA AnD ReSeARcH cHAIRS

• 14Centraandresearchinstitutes

• 11Researchchairs

ReSeARcH excellence

Since2013,theaccreditedpublicationunitshaveincreasedfrom211.45to275.67

unitsin2018

InteRDIScIPlInARY ReSeARcH InItIAtIveS• StellenboschUniversityWaterInstitute• CentreforBioinformaticsandComputationalBiology• InstituteforBiomedicalEngineering• AfricanMicrobiomeInstitute

• DataScience

cOllABORAtORS AnD PARtneRS • AfricanInstituteforMathematicalSciences• iThembaLABSforAccelerator-basedSciences• SouthAfricanNationalBiodiversityInstitute• CouncilforScientificandIndustrialResearch

690 postgraduate students: •167Honours•259MScand•264full-timePhDstudents

In 2017 we successfully

graduated 158 BscHons,

120 Msc and 49 PhD students

At A glAnCe

StellenboschUniversityisamongthetopuniversitiesinAfricaandtheworld.AsoneofthefourfoundingfacultiesofStellenboschUniversityin1918,theFacultyofSciencemaintainsanethosofresearchexcellenceandremainscommittedtoprovideour

studentswithageneralformativeeducationinthenaturalsciences.

OuR PeOPle

173permanentacademics 119NRF-ratedresearchers 104postdoctoralfellows

OuR StuDentS

2 264 undergraduate students

54

DePARtMent oF BIoCHeMIstRY

WHO ARe We?TheDepartmentofBiochemistrywasestablishedin1974whentheagriculturalbiochemistryresearchgroupintheFacultyofAgriculturejoinedforceswiththebiochemistryresearchgroupintheFacultyofScience.Today,thespiritofenquirytypicalofanewdisciplineisseeninallofthedepartment’swell-establishedlaboratories.

WHAt DO We DO?Wearepositionedattheinterfacebetweenchemistryandbiology,movingfrommolecularstructuresviamacro-molecularactivitytobiologicalfunction.Weundertake,interalia,appliedstudiesinwastewatertreatment,potatovirusspread,contraceptives,drugdiscoveryandmalaria,andfundamentalworkinSystemsBiologyandP450function.ThedepartmentisalsohometotheSouthAfricanresearchchair(SARChI)inMechanisticModellingofHealthandEpidemiology.

ReSeARcH FIelDS

Immunology, Plant Bioinformatics and Molecular SystematicsResearchfocusesontheevolution,anddetection,ofvirusesandbacterialpathogensthatinfectpotatoesandfruittrees.WeuseimmunoassayandPCR-basedtechniquesforthedetectionofviralandbacterialpathogens,whilegenesequencingandmolecularsystematicapproachesareusedtounderstandthenatureoftheevolutionofvirusesandbacteriainfectingpotatoesandfruittreesinSouthAfrica.Muchworkhasalsobeendonetoinvestigatedisease-causingorganismsinostrichesandspecificallyorganismsthathaveanimpactonostrichproductioninSouthAfrica.Forexample,wewereinvolvedinestablishinganELISAandimmunizationschedulesforNewcastleDiseaseVirus,aswellasthedevelopmentofELISAforClostridiumperfringenstoxins,andcurrentlythedevelopmentofDNA-vaccinesagainstmycoplasmas.

Discovery and development of novel antibiotics and biocidesOurresearcheffortsarebroadlyfocusedonincreasingourunderstandingoftheenzymologyofcoenzymeA(CoA)andothermedicinally-relevantlowmolecularweightthiols,andapplyingtheknowledgetobiocatalysisandantibioticdrugdevelopment.OuraimistoidentifynewdrugtargetsinimportanthumanpathogenssuchasStaphylococcusaureus,MycobacteriumtuberculosisandPlasmodiumfalciparumthatexploittheirdependenceontheseessentialcofactors.

Wealsoinvestigateresistancetowards,mechanismofactionandstructure-activityrelationship(SAR)ofantimicrobialpeptidesandmembraneactiveantibiotics,usingbothnaturalandnovelsyntheticcompounds.TheseantimicrobialsaredirectedagainstanumberoftargetssuchasresistantbacterialpathogensinparticularListeriamonocytogenes,fungalplantpathogens,andparasitescausingmalariaandAfrican

76

sleepingsickness.Morespecifically,wefocusonthedevelopmentofantibioticpeptidesproducedbysoilorganismsasnaturalfungicidesandantimicrobialsforapplicationinfoodpreservation,agricultureandthemedicalfield.

SteroidsSteroidhormonesplayavitalroleintheregulationofmetabolism,inflammation,immunefunction,saltandwaterbalance,stressmanagement,andreproductioninallmammals.Whilethesehormonesareessentialtonormalphysiologicalfunction,theyalsocontributetothepathogenesisofanumberofdiseasestates.SteroidresearchiswellestablishedintheDepartment,withsixactiveresearchgroupsinvestigatingvariousissuesinthisfield:

• Studyofadrenalsteroidogenicpathwaysbytheheterologousexpressionofenzymes,togetherwithinvestigationsintothemetabolismofsteroidsinadrenalandpro-statecellmodels.Thesemetabolicpathwaysformthebasisofongoingstudiesintothebiologicalactivitiesofnaturalplantproductsandtheirinfluenceonthehumanendocrinesystem.

• Understandingthefundamentalmechanismsofhowcompoundssuchasprogestinsandbio-identicalhormonesusedinhormonereplacementtheorycontributetothedevelopmentandprogressionofinflammationandbreastcancer.

• Studyoftheeffectsofspecificcompounds,suchasCompoundAandphytoestrogens,orphysiologicalconditionssuchasstress,onsteroidhormonesignaltransductionviacognatereceptors,suchastheglucocorticoidreceptor(GR)andoestrogenreceptor.

• Theroleoftheadrenalsteroidhormone11OHA4incastrationresistantprostatecancer,andtheidentificationofnovelbiomarkersforprostatecancer.Techniquesusedincludemolecularbiology,tissueculture,proteinexpressionandpurification,enzymaticassaysandUPLC-MS/MS.

• Therolethatglucocorticoids,viatheglucocorticoidreceptorandinflammation,haveoninsulinsignaling.

Systems BiologyThreeresearchgroupsinthisfieldinvestigatethecontrolandregulationofcellularprocessesusingtheory,computermodellingandexperimentalapproaches.Morespecifically,researchactivitiesincludethefollowing:

• Developmentofatheoreticalframework,basedoncontrolanalysis,fordescribingmetabolicregulationinanintegrativecellularcontextthatincludesmetabolism,signaltransductionandthegenetichierarchy.Aspectsofthistheoryarestudiedexperimentallyinyeast,bacteria,andthemalariaparasiteusingcontrolledcultivationinbioreactorsandquantitativeanalysiswithHPLC,massspectrometryandNMR.

• MetabolismofhumanpathogenssuchasPlasmodiumfalciparum,Mycobacteriumtuberculosis,andonmodellingdiseasestatessuchasType2diabetesandHIVpathogenesisatawholebodylevel.

• Constructionofunifiedframeworksforanalysesofpharmacologicaleffectsofdrugsanddiseaseresponseinpatientsandpopulations.Thisisaccomplishedbycombiningdetailedmechanisticmathematicalmodelsofmetabolismandsignaltransductionwithstatisticalandphenomenologicalmodelsofdisease,pharmacologyandepidemiology.

• EnzymekineticsforSystemsBiology,LivingCellTheoryandCodeBiology.

epigenomics and BioinformaticsTheanalysisofepigenomicdatarequiressignificantcomputationresources,andresearchquestionsrequirethedevelopmentofnewbioinformaticsmethodsandtools.WorkinthisresearchgroupincludethedevelopmentoftoolsforgenericanalysissuchastheprocessingofChIP-seqdata,anddevelopmentandcodingofnovelprograms,dependentonspecificresearchquestions.

Please contact usProfessor Johann Rohwer,HeadofDepartmentTel:+27(0)218085843|E-mail:jr@sun.ac.zahttp://www.sun.ac.za/english/faculty/science/biochemistry/

98

DePARtMent oF BotAnY AnD ZoologY

WHO ARe We?TheDepartmentsofBotanyandZoologywerefoundedasseparateacademicdepartmentsin1903.TodaytheDepartmentofBotanyandZoology,formedin2005,ishometoavibrantcommunityofmorethan34staffmembers,24postdoctoralfellowsandalargepostgraduatestudentbodyofnearlyahundredfull-timestudents.

WHAt DO We DO?WestrivetoachieveadeepunderstandingoftheuniquesouthernAfricanfloraandfaunaandparticularlyitssocietalvalueinanAfricanandglobalcontext.Weachievethisthroughworld-leadingresearchdirectedatpreservingthediversityofanimalandplantlife.

TheDST/NRFCentreofExcellenceforInvasionBiology(CIB),hostedinthedepartment,coversallaspectsofbiologicalinvasions,alltaxonomicgroupsandallecosystems.Throughitsresearch,theCIBmakesscientificinformationavailabletoassistpolicymakersandmanagerswithrationaldecision-makingoptionsregardinginvasivealienspecies.

ReSeARcH FIelDS

Behavioral ecologyWeresearchanimalcommunication,inparticulartheevolutionofsignals–whetherolfactory,acousticorvisual–ofawiderangeoforganismssuchaswasps,invasiveandnativeants,greatwhitesharksandEuropeanstarlings.Othertopicsincludehoneybeediseases,honeyproductionandparasiteloadsassociatedwithstressinlionsandpenguins.

Biological InteractionsWeresearchtheformandfunctionofplantsandhowtheirecology,evolutionanddiversificationisshapedbyselectiveagents,fromfungiandbacteriatopollinatorsandherbivores,aswellastheabioticenvironment.Thisincludestheecologicalandevolutionaryeffectsofplantsonthemorphologyandcommunitystructureoftheorganismsthatinteractwiththem.Weexaminetheforcesthatdrivevariationinthestructureofcommunities,andhowthosedifferentcommunitiesdrivevariationbetweenpopulations.Theloopisclosedbyidentifyingpatternsandcausesofdiversityinplantsandtheorganismswithwhichtheyinteract.

1110

isknownforitsrichterrestrialandmarinebiodiversity,associatedwithacomplexlandscape.Thisenvironmentlendsitselftotestvarioushypothesisassociatedwithevolutionandspeciation.Bystudyingtheinterplaybetweenlifehistory,biogeographyandecology,weaddresssystematicuncertaintiesatalltaxonomiclevels,usingavarietyofmoleculartechniques.Currentresearchfocusesonparasite-hostcodivergenceatthephylogeographicandspecieslevel;stockassessmentandconservationofmarineresources;comparativephylogeographyofterrestrialvertebrates;andtheevolutionandsystematicsoffree-livingandparasiticarthropods.

Molecular Plant PhysiologyWefocusonthemolecularplantphysiologyofphosphorusnutritionduringplant-microbeinteractions,specificallythephosphorusnutritionoflegumesinsymbiosiswithyeasts,mycorrhizasandnitrogenfixingbacteria.WeintegrateclassicalplantphysiologicalmethodswithmoderntoolssuchasqRT-PCR,micro-arrayanalysis,proteomicsandretro-transposoninsertional-mutantlinesofMedicagotruncatula.

Medicinal Plant BiologyTheexploitationofmedicalplantsislargelyattributedtothewealthofpharmacologicallyrelevantactivechemicalswhichtheseplantsareabletosynthesizethroughsecondarymetabolism.Weapplyabroad-basedbiotechnologicalapproachtofacilitateuseofplantsefficiently,inanon-destructivesustainablemannertogaininsightsintotheregulationofsecondarymetabolism.

vertebrate Functional Biology and Herpetology

WestudythelifehistoriesofsouthernAfricanlizards,andspecificallytheevolutionofviviparityinscincomorphlizards,theevolutionofplacentalnutrienttransferinscincomorphlizards,andtheevolutionofasynchronousbreedinginlizardsoccurringinafire-proneecosystem.

ecophysiologyWehaveabroadinterestinfunctionalaspectsofvertebrates,inparticularamphibiansandreptiles.Weinvestigatephysiologicalresponsestoclimatechangeandchemicalpollutioninaquaticenvironments;thermoregulationinreptilesandhowthepredictedclimatewarmingmayaffectlocal

populations;andthepotentialdisruptionofthereproductiveandthyroidendocrinesystemsbyman-madechemicalsknowntopollutetheaquaticenvironments.

global changeWestudytheriskandimpactsofglobalchangeinoneoftherichestbiodiversityregionsontheplanet.Wewanttounderstandtheunderlyingmechanismsofspeciesresponseandadaptationunderchangingenvironmentalconditions,particularlyhowimportantspecieswillrespondtoanticipatedfuturerisks,includingchangingclimaticconditions.

Marine genomics and conservationWeusegeneticandgenomicapproachesforstudyingvariousaspectsofmarinesystemsinAfricaandsouthernAfrica,withastrongemphasisonusingmoleculartechniquesforconservationandbiodiversityplanning.

Drivers, patterns and impacts of marine invasionsWefocusonunderstandingwhatregulatesthespreadandpatternsofmarineinvasionsandonquantifyingtheimpactsofthesespeciesaroundtheSouthAfricancoast.Thisincludestheintra-regionalspreadofmarinealiens,thecomplexinterplaybetweenenvironmentalregulationandbioticinteractions,andquantificationoftheimpacts.

eastern cape forest faunaForestsmakeuponly0.56%ofSouthAfrica’slandarea,andofthattheEasternCapecontainsanestimated46%.Theseforestsdisplayunusuallyhighbiodiversity,buttodatethefaunaldiversityhasbeenpoorlydocumented.Wecomparethegeneticdiversityofpopulationsofmoremobilespecies,suchasbirdsandbats,tomoresedentaryones,likelandsnailsandshrews.UsingDNAbarcoding,wewanttoestablishadigitizedreferenceencyclopaediaofthetaxaintheseforests.

evolutionary genomicsTheconservationofbiodiversitydependstoalargeextentonexplainingtheevolutionarypatternsandprocessesassociatedwithlivingorganisms.SouthernAfrica

Please contact usProfessor Conrad Matthee,Head:DepartmentofBotanyandZoologyTel:+27_21808-3957|E-mail:cam@sun.ac.zahttp://www.sun.ac.za/english/faculty/science/botany-zoology

13

DePARtMent oF CHeMIstRY AnD PolYMeR sCIenCe

WHO ARe We?TheDepartmentofChemistryandPolymerScienceisoneofthepre-eminentresearchdepartmentsinchemistryinSouthAfrica,andisengagedinawiderangeofresearchareas,includingthelargestresearcheffortinpolymerscienceinSouthAfrica.

WHAt DO We DO?Weusehighlevelresearchinthechemicalsciencestogeneratenewknowledgeandpromoteindependentthinking.Wearehometothreeresearchchairs:theSouthAfricanresearchchairinNano-structuredFunctionalMaterials,theSouthAfricanresearchchairinAdvancedMacromolecularArchitectures,andtheSASOLresearchchairinAnalyticalPolymerScience.

ReSeARcH FIelDS

Analytical chemistryWeusestate-of-the-artinstrumentaltechniquestosolveanalyticalproblemsofacademicandindustrialrelevance.Broadly,thisentailsadvancedchromatographicandmassspectrometricmethodsforthedetailedcharacterizationofcomplexmixtures,withaspecialfocusonSouthAfricannaturalproducts,andadvancedmultinuclearliquidandsolid-stateNuclearMagneticResonancespectroscopyappliedtothestudyoftherecovery,separationandfundamentalchemistryofthePlatinumGroupMetals.

Supramolecular and Material chemistryThisconsortiumofresearchgroupsfocusesonthedesign,synthesisandcharacterisationoffunctionalcrystallinematerials.Theprinciplesofcrystalengineeringareusedtodevelopnovelmaterialswithusefulpropertiessuchastailoredporosity,magnetismandanomalousthermalresponses.ThestructuralcharacteristicsofsuchmaterialsareinvestigatedexperimentallyusingsinglecrystalandpowderX-raydiffraction,andcomputationallyusingquantummechanicalandforcefieldcalculations.Thesetechniquesareemployedtorationalisetherelationshipbetweenmolecularstructureandpacking,andtheobservedphysicalproperties.

Inorganic and Organometallic chemistryResearchisfocusedonthedevelopmentofnovelmetal-containingmaterials,includedamongstwhicharediscretemetalcomplexesaswellasmetalnanoparticles.Thesesystemsareevaluatedinarangeofapplications,whichincludecatalysis,wastewaterremediationaswellasbiologicalapplications,especiallynewmetallodrugsforthetreatmentofcancerandinfectiousdiseases.

1514

chemical BiologyResearchisfocusedontheapplicationofchemistrytothestudyofmoleculareventsthatoccurinbiologicalsystems.Thisinvolvestheuseofchemicaltools(synthesis,analysisetc.)toprobethemechanism,anddevelopdrugsorearlydetectionassaysagainstdiseasessuchasmalaria,cancerandHIV/AIDS.

Organic chemistryWefocusmainlyonthesynthesisofbothnovelandpreviouslyknownorganicmoleculesforapplicationasprobestostudyormodulateenzymeorproteinfunction,asligandsfornewcatalystsandasfunctionalmaterials.Thedevelopmentofnovelapproachestoneworganiccompoundclassesisalsoofimportance,asisthevalorizationoforganicscaffoldsfromnatureandindustry.

Polymer ScienceWearetheonlychemistrydepartmentinSouthAfricawithanin-depthfocusonPolymerScience.Researchareasincludesyntheticpolymerchemistry,analyticalpolymerchemistryandstructurepropertyrelationshipsofpolymersandnano-composites.Morespecifically,wefocuson:

• Designandsynthesisofadvancedmacromolecularstructuresthroughreversibledeactivationradicalpolymerizationincombinationwithvariousotherpolymerizationtechniques;

• Investigationofthestructureproperty-relationshipincomplexpolymermaterialssuchassemi-crystallinepolymers,multiphasecopolymers,nano-structurepolymersandnano-filledpolymercomposites;

Please contact us:Professor Peter Mallon,HeadofDepartmentTel:+27–218082971|E-mail:pemallon@sun.ac.zahttp://www.sun.ac.za/chemistry

• Developmentofmultidimensionalanalyticaltechniquesforcomplexpolymersystems;and

• Investigationoftherelationshipbetweenmolecularmake-upofpolyolefinsandmacroscopicpropertiesofbothcommercialandexperimentalpolyolefins.

Physical chemistryThefocusofthisresearchfieldistheuseanddevelopmentofcomputationaltechniques,supportedbyexperimentalmeasurements,fortheanalysisofstructure-propertyrelationshipsofisolatedmoleculesandcrystallinesystems,andtheapplicationofthisinformationtoelucidatingchemicalandphysicalprocesses.

1716

DePARtMent oF eARtH sCIenCes

WHO ARe We?Foundedin1895,theDepartmentofEarthScienceatStellenboschUniversityhasalongandproudhistorythatcanbetracedbacktothediscoveryofdiamondsin1867andgoldin1886.

WHAt DO We DO?TheDepartmentofEarthScienceisoneoftheleadingtrainingandresearchcentresinSouthAfricaingeneralGeology,ExperimentalPetrology,andGeochemistry.

ReSeARcH FIelDS

Metamorphisms, Magmatism, Igneous and crustal evolutionWehavealonghistoryofpetrologicalresearchandishometotheSouthAfricanresearchchair(SARChi)inPetrology.Wefocusonunderstandinghigh-temperatureprocessesinvolvedincontinentalevolution,specificallytheoriginsofgranitesastheprimaryconstituentsofthecontinents.AnotherresearchinterestisthestudyofLargeIgneousProvinces(LIPs)whichtypicallyformedduringthebreak-upofasupercontinent.Multi-disciplinaryresearcheffortsintoPrecambrianmaficdykesofferawealthofinformationabouthowancientLIPsformed,wereemplaced,relatedtosupercontinentalbreakupandeventuallygotdispersedontheirhostfragments.Supercontinentalreconstructionsprovideanevenlargergroupofgeologistswithamorecompletegeologicalpuzzlepicturetoworkon.

Marine geochemistryThechemicalcyclesintheoceansarecloselyrelatedtoprocessesintheatmosphereandterrestrialecosystems,aswellastobiologicalandanthropogenicactivity.Marinegeochemistrystudiesalltheprocessesthatinfluencethechemistryinthewater,sediments,porewaters,aswellastheabioticandbioticprocessesthattakeplacewithinthesediment.AtStellenboschUniversity,wefocusontheAtlanticsectionoftheSouthernandAntarcticOceanandthewestcoastofsouthernAfrica.

1918

environmental geochemistryIngroundwatersystems,isotopesprovidemeansofunderstandingtheoriginsandmovementofwaterthroughthemeteorologicalcycleandthemechanismsandpathwaysoftransfer.OurworkfocusesongroundwatersystemsintheNaukluftMountains,Namibia,theBuffelsRiverinthenorthernCapeandtheVerlorenvleicatchmentintheWesternCape.

Sedimentology and PaleontologyWeutilizefaciesandarchitecturalanalysiscoupledwithvariousstratigraphicmethodstoaddressquestionsofenvironmentalchangeatvariousscalesanditsaffecttobiologicallifeindeeptime.Wecouplethiswithbasintectonicmodelstobetterunderstandregionalandglobalrelationships.Inthefieldofgeochronologyweutilisechemicaltracerswithinfossilentombingsedimentstoprovideaprobableagedateforthefossilassemblage,andtoelucidatesedimentprovenanceandratesofinfill(e.g.,detritalzircongeochronology;Lu-Hfisotopes).Lastly,weinvestigatetheevolutionanddiversificationofmajorlifeforms(archosaurs)between250-66.5Ma.ThisdynamicperiodinEarth’shistoryincludestheseperationofPangeaintothenorthernLaurasiaandsouthernGondwana,whichresultedintheisolationandsubsequentdiversificationofoncecosmopolitanlifeforms.Hereweutilisecontextualcluespreservedwithinfossilassemblagestoaddressquestionsofbiogeographicalrelationshipandextinctioneventsbetweenmajorcladesataglobalscale.

economic geology and Mineral geochemistryWhilethestatusofpowersupplyinSouthAfricaremainsacriticalissue,thereisstrategicincentivestomorefullyunderstandthegeology,geochemistryandgeometallurgyofrawmaterialssuchascoalanduranium.Researchisfocusedonbandedironformations,suchastheSishendeposit,withparticularemphasisontheirmineralizationandtheimplicationsfortheevolutionoftheearth’satmosphereandearlybiogeochemicalsystematics.Thisresearchcouldleadtofindingsthatarebeneficialtotheindustry’sneeds,whileatthesametimemakingasignificantcontributiontobroaderscientificunderstanding.

Please contact us:Professor Alex Kisters, HeadofDepartmentTel:021-808-3113|E-mail:akisters@sun.ac.zaWeb:http://www.sun.ac.za/english/faculty/science/earthsciences

Structural geology and tectonicsResearchismainlyfield-basedandrevolvesaroundthegeologyofmid-crustal,high-gradeterrainsandassociatedpartialmeltingandgraniteplutonism,and,secondly,thecontrolsofdeformationonhydrothermalfluidflow,withapplicationsineconomicgeologyandlode-goldmineralization.

21

DePARtMent oF MAtHeMAtICAl sCIenCes

WHO ARe WeAppliedMathematics,ComputerScienceandMathematicsformthethreedivisionsoftheDepartmentofMathematicalSciences.Withnearly50full-timeresearchersandalargecohortofpostgraduatestudents,thedepartmentstrivestoenhancetheenrichmentandtransferofknowledgetoempowersocietytoanalyseandsolvecomplexproblems.

WHAt DO We DOMathematicsandcomputationalscienceareutilizedinalmosteverydisciplineofscience,engineering,industryandtechnology.InthefieldofAppliedMathematics,forexample,ourworkfindsapplicationinengineering,medicine,theenvironment,andthedefenceindustry.Applicationsofmachinelearningisfoundacrossabroadspectrumofdisciplines.

TheMathematicsDivisionisalsohometotheSouthAfricanresearchchair(SARChI)inMathematicalandTheoreticalPhysicalBiosciences,aswellastheDST-NRFCentreofExcellenceforEpidemiologicalModellingandAnalysis(SACEMA).TheComputerScienceDivisionhoststheTelkom-SiemensCentreofExcellenceinATMandBroadbandNetworksandtheirApplications.

ReSeARcH FIelDS In MAtHeMAtIcS

Algebraic number theory and Arithmetic Algebraic geometryResearchinterestsareinthefieldsofalgebraicnumbertheory,arithmeticgeometryandintheapplicationoftheabovetopicsinexperimentalnumbertheory,computationalalgebraandalgebraiccodingtheory.Questionsstudiedinvolvethearithmeticandgeometryofcurvesoverp-adicandfinitefields,theirautomorphismgroupsandGaloiscovers,functionfieldarithmeticandDrinfeldmodules.

AlgebraResearchinthisareaincludesnon-commutativealgebras,inparticularvariouskindsofmatrixringsandtheirsubstructuresandalgebraicproperties;commutativealgebrasandgrouptheory;algebrasoffunctionsassociatedwithagivenalgebraicstructure,andnearvectorspaces.

category theory and DualityCategorytheoryisarelativelyrecentunifyingtheoryinmathematics,withapplicationsingeometry,algebra,andlogic,andspecificallyincomputerscience.AnimportantresearchfocusoftheMathematicsDivisionliesincategoricalalgebra,wherealgebraicstructuresthatoccurinvariousbranchesofmathematicsarestudiedfromthepointofviewofcategorytheory.

2322

Functional analysisInvolvingthestudyofnormed,BanachandHilbertspaces,theoperatorsonthemandgeneralizationsoftheseconcepts,thiskeyareaofmathematicsunderpinsmuchoftheresearchandapplicationsinareasofanalysissuchasmeasureandprobabilitytheory,financialmathematics,quantumfieldtheoryintheoreticalphysics,approximationtheoryanddifferentialandintegralequations.

Discrete MathematicsResearchinterestsinthisfieldcovervariousbranchesofdiscretemathematics,includingenumerative,probabilisticandanalyticcombinatorics,graphtheory,discretealgorithmsandtheanalysisofalgorithms.Discretemathematicshasconnectionstovariousotherbranchesofmathematicsaswellasotherfields,suchascomputerscience,chemistryandphysics.

Mathematical and theoretical Physical BiosciencesThisgroupworksontheinterfacebetweenmathematicsandbiology.Thefocusisonthedevelopmentofnovelandapplyingavailablemethodsinmathematics,statisticsandtheoreticalphysicsforunlockingthemechanismsbehindrealisticbiologicalpatterns,especiallypatternsrelatedtotheheterogeneityofspeciesdistributionsandtheirgeneticstructures,thehierarchyofbiologicalnetworksandthesizeofadaptivetraits.

Boolean Functions and lattice theoryResearchisfocusedonspecificlatticestructuresandontheapplicationthereofincombinatoricsandnonlinearsignalprocessing.Otherresearcheffortsinvolveusingthetechniquesoflogicanduniversalalgebratoinvestigatethestructureofcertainclassesoflattices,e.g.varietiesandquasivarieties.

Model theoryModeltheoryisabranchofmathematicallogicwhichinteractswithseveralotherpartsofmathematicsincludingcombinatorics,numbertheory,algebraandgeometry.Researchincludesworkonconnectionsbetweenpuremodeltheoryandcertainideasfromcombinatorics,workono-minimalityandanalyticfunctionsandworkonconnectionsbetweenmodeltheoryandcategorytheory.

Quantum topologyOverthelasttwodecades,theimpactofideasfromquantumfieldtheoryongeometryhasspawnedanewfieldcalledquantumtopology.Thisnewfieldtriestounderstandthephysicist’smostpowerfultool,thepathintegral,andtoutilizetheresultingstructurestocomputenewinvariantsofgeometricobjectssuchasknotsasmanifolds.Thisendeavordrawsonmanypartsofmodernmathematicssuchashighercategorytheory,homotopytheoryandrepresentationtheory.

ReSeARcH FIelDS In APPlIeD MAtHeMAtIcS

computer vision, Pattern Recognition and Machine learningAutomatedrecognitionsystems,reconstructionof3Ddatafromimages,trackingofobjectsinvideosequences,visioninrobotics,imageprocessingandhandwritinganalysis.

Fluid Dynamics and ModellingTransportphenomenainporousmedia;permeability,diffusion,dispersion,theflowofnon-Newtonianfluidsthroughporousmedia,multi-phaseflows,coastalengineering,heattransfer,electricalconductionandpercolation;computationalfluiddynamics.

Numerical Analysis and Scientific ComputingNumericalanalysisisagrowingfieldasindustryislookingfornewwaystonumericallyandaccuratelysolveequationsthatarisefromengineering,fluiddynamics,fluidmechanics,biologicalmathematicsandeconomics.Researchinterestsincludenumericalsolutionofdifferentialequations;matrixcomputations,numericalintegration,computationofspecialfunctionsandintegraltransforms,waveletsandmathematicalsoftware.

graph theory and coding theoryResearchinterestsincludetheprotectionofgraphs,withaspecificinterestindomination,andgamesongraphs.Thedominationproblemfindsapplicationinthefacilitylocationproblemwheretheoptimalpositionsoffacilities,undercertainconstraints,arecalculated.

24

ReSeARcH FIelDS In cOMPuteR ScIence

theory and Applications of Automata and grammarsResearchinterestsincludethetheoryofnondeterministicfiniteautomata,mostlyasitpertainstothedescriptionalcomplexityofformalsystems.Inaddition,thetheoryofautomataandgrammarsisappliedtomanyreal-worldproblems.Specificapplicationareasinclude:

• Layoutoptimizationwithcellularautomata;

• Musicgenerationinthestyleofagivecomposerusingprobabilisticautomata;

• ProbabilisticautomataonparsetreesofEnglishsentencesforautomaticgrammarcorrections;and

• Findingdenial-of-serviceattacksinregularexpressionlibraries.

Software Engineering and Verifi cationSince1990,wehavebeeninvolvedinthedevelopmentofoperatingsystemkernels,protocols,andverificationtools.Weinvestigatethedevelopmentofhighlyreliablesystemsoftwarebyusingacombinationofcomputer-aidedverificationofdesigns,systematictesting,anddefensiveprogrammingtechniques.Ourspecificfocusareasinclude:

• Automatedtestingtechniquestofinddeeperrorsinsoftwareprograms.WespecificallyworkonsymbolicexecutionandfuzzingforJavaprograms;

• FindingconcurrencyissuesinbothCandJavaprogramsusingmodelchecking;and

• Constraintsolvingandmodelcountingforprogramanalysis.

Artifi cial Intelligence, Machine learning, and Data Science

Weconsideralmostanyaspectofthegeneraldecision-makingproblem,includingsequentialdecision-makingunderuncertainty.Majorsub-problemsareplanning,machinelearning,andsearchalgorithms.Ourapproachisgroundedinprobabilitytheoryandgametheoryformanaginguncertaintyandmulti-agentsystems.Ourspecificfocusareasinclude:

Please contact usProf. Ingrid Rewitzky,Head:DepartmentofMathematicalSciencesT:+27021808-3282IE:rewitzky@sun.ac.za

Prof. Stephan Wagner,Head:MathematicsDivisionT:+27021808-3269IE:swagner@sun.ac.za

Prof. Bernd Fischer,Head:ComputerScienceDivisionT:+27021808-4232IE:bfischer@sun.ac.za

Dr. Willie Brink,Head:AppliedMathematicsDivisionT:+27021808-4215IE:wbrink@sun.ac.za

http://mathsci.sun.ac.za/

• Searchandplanningforprobabilisticsystemswithincompleteinformation(forexamplegamessuchasGo);

• UnderstandingnoisepropagationinDeepNeuralNetworks;and

• Theanalysisofdatafromearthobservationsatellitesensorsandradiointerferometers.

2726

DePARtMent oF MICRoBIologY

WHO ARe We?TheDepartmentofMicrobiology’shistoricalrootscanbetracedbackto1918whenplantpathologywasrecognizedasafieldofexpertiseinthethenFacultyofAgriculture.Today,theDepartmenthaseightresearchgroupsworkinginstate-of-the-artlaborato-riesintheJCSmutsbuilding.

WHAt DO We DO?Micro-organismsrepresentmorethan50%oflivebiomassonearthandareomnipresent.Westudyawidevarietyofmicro-organisms,astheyplayaroleinnature,renewableenergy,humanhealthandmodernbiotechnology.

ReSeARcH FIelDS

Biological Processing of Plant MaterialMicrobialenzymesareevaluatedforthehydrolysisoflocalfeedstocksfortheproductionofbio-ethanol.Projectsincludetherecombinantexpressionofdifferentalpha-andgluco-amylasestoidentifythebestcombinationforoptimalhydrolysisofrawstarch;evaluatingtheimpactofdifferentsecretionsignalsontherecombinantexpressionofgluco-amylases;andevaluationoftheexpressionofα-amylasesunderthecontrolofdifferentpromotersintheyeastSaccharomycescerevisiae.

Interactions between yeast and their biological, chemical and physical environment

Ourresearchfocusesontheinteractionsoffungi,includingopportunisticfungalpathogensofmammals,suchasyeastsbelongingtotheCryptococcusneoformans/Cryptococcusgattiispeciescomplex.Symbiosesofplantgrowthpromotingsoilyeastsarealsostudiedwiththegoalofdevelopingbiofertilisersfordifferentcrops,includingwheatandlupin.

lactic Acid BacteriaWefocusontheantimicrobialpeptides(bacteriocins)andprobioticpropertiesoflacticacidbacteria.Regulationofthegenesencodingthesepeptidesandtheeffectofthelatteronpathogensarestudiedinvitroandinvivo.Genomeminingledtothediscovery,andconstruction,ofnovelantimicrobials.Carriermoleculesaredevelopedtoprotect,transferanddirectthesepeptidestositesofinfection.Slowreleasedrugcarriers,con-structedatnano-scalesizes,areinsertedintodressingsandprostheticdevicestofightinfections.Werecentlypatentedthetechnologythatformsthebasisfortheworld’sfirstNanoPocpoint-of-caredevice.Aleadingpharmaceuticalcompanyisfundingitsdevelop-mentintoablue-toothdevice.Backedbymorethan50scientificpapers,theprobioticentiroTMwaslaunchedthreeyearsago.Ayearagowediscoveredanovelantibacterialandantifungalnon-ribosomalantibiotic–clinicaltrialswillcommencein2020.

2928

Microbial ecology and MycologyWeinvestigatethediversityandstructureofmicrobialcommunitiesfromsoil,withaspecialinterestinthesoilmicrobialcommunitiesofthefynbosbiomeandagriculturalsystems.Westudytheeffectofhumanactivitiesonsoilcommunitiesanditsimpactonsoilprocessesandecosystemservices.SomeofthemainmicrobialgroupsincludePenicillium,Trichodermaandtherhizobialbacteria.

Water treatmentWeaimtoprovidecommunitiesinurbaninformalsettlementsandultimatelyruralareaswithasustainablesolutiontowatershortageandavailability,bytheutilizationofrainwater.Mainprojectsarethedesign,constructionandmonitoringofsustainabledomesticrainwaterharvestingsolarpasteurizationanddisinfectiontreatmentsystems;identificationoftheprimarymicrobialandchemicalsourcetrackingmarkersinharvestedrainwaterforthedetectionoffaecalcontamination;applicationofbiologicalcontrolforrainwatertreatment;andbioprospectingfornovelbiosurfactantsandbiosurfactantproducingbacteria.

Fungi Biotechnology for Bioenergy and the BioeconomyThisisanestablishedresearchfieldthatinvestigatesthemicrobiologyandbiochemistryofplantdegradingenzymes.Wefocusontherecombinantproductionoftheseenzymesinbaker’syeast,andinthemouldAsperfillusniger,fortheproductionofbiofuelsandothervaluablechemicals.Mainprojectsincludetheevaluationofnativeyeastsfortheirpotentialforsecondgenerationbioethanolproduction;developmentofCBPyeastforrawstarchandcellulosicconversiontobiofuels;developmentofenzyme-producingfungalcellfactoriesforligninconversiontogreenchemicals;anddevelopmentofacarboxylateplatformforproductionofgreenchemicalsusingrumenmicrobialcultures.

Functional Microbial BioinformaticsWeemployfunctionalbioinformaticsapproachestostudyyeastphysiology.Thisinvolvescomparativemolecularprofilingofyeastgenomesequencesand/ortranscriptome/proteomeprofilestogenerateamolecularportraitofspecificphysiologicalresponsesinyeast.Intheprocess,high-throughputtechnologiessuchaswhole-genomenextgenerationsequencing,RNA-seqandLC-MS/MS-basedproteomicsareemployedtogeneratecomparativegenome-wideQTL/SNP,transcriptomeandproteomedatasetsrespectively.Newinsightsintoyeastphysiologycanbeappliedtodecodethegeneticbasisofyeastphenotypes,reverseengineeringofindustry-specifictailoredyeaststrainsusingatruesystemsbiologicalapproach,thediscoveryofuncharteredpathstoantifungaldrugtargetdiscovery;andnewfunctionpredictionof(un)characterizedyeastgenesandproteins.

Biotechnologies for Water treatmentOurfocusistoimproveefficiencyinbiotechnologysuchaswatertreatment,andtofindsolutionstomicrobially-relatedproblemssuchasbiofouling,infectionandcontamination.Mainprojectsincludeinvestigationofthepersistenceofmicro-pollutantssuchaspharmaceuticals,personalcareproductsandantimicrobials;managementofpathogens;andbiotechnologyforresourcerecovery;waterpurificationandsupplyusingnoveltechnologies;implicationofmicrobialprocessesonlarge-scaleoperations,suchasbiofilmformationandfacilitatedprecipitationinindustrialandagriculturalwaterlines,andthelong-termperformanceofrepositoriesofnuclearwaste;lastly,bacterialpersistenceatsolid-airinterfacesandtheroleofbiofilmsinantibioticresistance.

Please contact usProf. Alf Botha,Head:DepartmentofMicrobiologyT:+27(0)21808-5856|E:abo@sun.ac.zahttp://www.sun.ac.za/english/faculty/science/microbiology/

3130

DePARtMent oF PHYsICs

WHO ARe We?TheDepartmentofPhysics,establishedin1903,isoneoftheoldestphysicsdepartmentsinSouthAfrica.Throughoutitshistory,membersoftheDepartmenthavebeeninvolvedintheestablishmentorcontinuetocontributetonationalresearchinstitutionssuchasiThembaLABS,theNationalLaserCentre,theAfricanLaserCentre,andtheNationalInstituteforTheoreticalPhysics.

WHAt DO We DO?TheDepartmentofPhysicsisanactiveresearchenvironment,withmanyinternationalandnationalcollaborationsinallthefieldslistedbelow.Ourresearchcoversthreebroadthemes:LaserPhysics,NuclearPhysicsandTheoreticalPhysics.Wearealsohometotworesearchchairs,theSouthAfricanResearchChairinPhotonicsandUltrafastLaserScience,andtheCSIR/StellenboschUniversityResearchChairinQuantumOpticsandAtomicPhysics.

ReSeARcH FIelDS

ultrafast laser Science Weinvestigatephoto-inducedreactionsofatomsandmoleculesinmatterwithmicroscopicresolutionintimeandspace.Westudyandmodifymicroscopicdynamicsinorganicandorgano-metallicmolecules,andphoto-inducedmacroscopicphasetransitionsincrystals.

Spectroscopy and laser DiagnosticsWefocusonalasermethodallowinghighlyselectiveionizationofparticularmolecules,atomsorisotopesfromagaseoussample,aimingforapplicationtomedicalradioisotopes.Weprobethechargedynamicsatburiedsilicon-siliconoxideinterfacesrelevanttotheminiaturizationofelectronics.Wehavedevelopedadepthprofilingmethodusingnon-ionizingradiation.

laser DevelopmentWedevelopcustomfibrelasersforscientificprojects.

trapped Ion Quantum controlAtomictrapshavebecomeanimportanttoolforstudyingphysicsinthequantumregime.Theyare,forexample,oneofthepotentialtechnologiesforquantumcomputers.Exploitationofthequantumregimepromisesahostofadvancesinphysics,includingquantuminformationandcommunication,quantumsimulation,quantummetrologyandquantumcoherentcontrol.

3332

Biophotonics and ImagingTheimagingresearchfocussesonlasersourcedevelopmentandcontrolforbiophotonicsimagingapplications.Theserangefromsecond-andthirdharmonicimaging,CoherentAntistokesRamanSpectro-microscopy(CARS-microscopy)andtwo-photonfluorescencemicroscopy.Developmentofwidefieldsinglemoleculemicroscopy,Ramanimaging,opticaltweezers,andremotesensingformpartofthisinitiative.

Additive Manufacturing, x-Ray Imaging and BiomimicryOurresearchinvolvesadditivemanufacturing,especiallylaserpowderbedfusionofmetals(3Dmetalprinting),improvingtheprocessesandadvancingdesignusingscaffoldstructures(lattices)andtopologyoptimization.Thispromisesnewlight-weightmaterialdesigns.HighresolutionX-rayimagingallowsbiomimeticdesign.AdvancesinX-raytomographyapplicationsarealsocovered.

Solitons in Field theoryConfigurationswithlocalisedenergy-densities(solitons)emergeinalmostanynon-linearfieldtheory.Solitonshaveparticlepropertiesandcanbeusedtostudybaryonpropertiesthat(sofar)evadedirectcomputationfromquantumchromodynamics,thefundamentaltheorydescribingthestrongnuclearforce.Also,solitonsinducecorrectionstoenergiesonthequantumlevel.Wecomputethesecorrectionsinfieldtheorieslikethestandardmodelofparticlephysics.Weaskwhethertheseenergycorrectionscanstabilisesolitonsthatwouldbeunstableclassically.

Quantum Phase transitions and exceptional PointsExceptionalpointsaresingularitiesofspectrumandeigenstateswhentheyarecontinuedintothecomplexplaneof,forinstance,astrengthparameter.Theirproximitytotherealaxisplaysacrucialroleinquantumphasetransitionsaswellasinquantumchaos.

Multiparticle correlations and Bayesian PhysicsBayesiananalysisisinvestigatedinitsfoundations,andwealsodevelopapplicationsofBayesiantoolstovariousproblems.Theoreticalandexperimentalaspectsofmultiparticlecorrelationsinelementaryparticlephysicsandheavyioncollisionsarestudied.

condensed Matter PhysicsWestudythephysicsofcondensedmatterwithafocusoninteractingquantumsystemsandclosedquantumsystemsoutofequilibrium.Wedevelopapplicationsofmethodssuchascontinuousunitarytransformationsandalgebraictechniqueswithinthissetting.

Soft condensed Matter and Biological PhysicsWestudyequilibriumanddynamicalpropertiesofpolymers,whentheyformnetworks,areconfined,ordrivenbymolecularmachines.Theoreticalandcomputationalinsightsareappliedtogels,cytoskeleton,andothercellular-levelprocessesorstructures,includingcells’activemachineries.

nuclear PhysicsResearchinthisfieldrangesfromthedevelopmentofnewdetectorsfornuclearphysicsexperiments,theoreticaldevelopments,andthroughtothestudyofradiationintheenvironment.ManyoftheactivitiesarecentredaroundthefacilitiesatiThembaLABS.

Please contact usProf. Kristian Müller-NedebockT:+27-21-808-3386|E:kkmn@sun.ac.zaorphysoffice@sun.ac.zahttp://www.sun.ac.za/english/faculty/science/physics

3534

DePARtMent oF PHYsIologICAl sCIenCes

WHO ARe We?TheDepartmentofPhysiologicalSciences,establishedin1922,strivestobeaworld-classoperationthatconcentratesonexcellenceandinnovationinteachingandresearchtoenhancehumandevelopment,welfareandhealth.

WHAt DO We DO?WeundertakeinvestigativeresearchtobetterunderstandthehealthchallengesfacingSouthAfricaandaimtodeliverstudentswhowillcontributetothiseffort.Therationaleistogainadeeperunderstandingoftheunderlyingmechanismsthatdrivetheonsetofpathophysiologicstates,withtheultimateaimofdesigningnoveltherapeuticordiseasepreventativeinterventions.Inthisregardweemployintegrativemodelstoinvestigateresearchquestionsofnationalimportance,usingcutting-edgetechnologiessuchasadvancedtissueculture,fluorescentmicroscopy,electronmicroscopy,flowcytometry,CRISPRandmuscleexosometechnology.

ReSeARcH FIelDS

cancer researchWhileanthracyclinessuchasdoxorubicinhasproventobeoneofthemostsuccessfulapproachestocancertreatment,itinducesvarioussideeffectssuchasnausea,vomiting,hematopoieticsuppressionandcumulative,dose-dependentcardiactoxicity.Cancercellsarealsobecomingincreasinglyresistanttochemotherapy-inducedcelldeath.Weexplorenewavenuesofchemotherapyandadjuvanttreatmentsthatwouldfavortheuseoflowerconcentrationswithlessside-effectstonormalhealthycells,whilemaintainingsatisfactorylevelsofcancercelldeath.

cardio-oncology researchWeinvestigatethesideeffectsofchemotherapy,particularlydoxorubicin,ontheheart.Cardiotoxicity,definedasarangeofadverseeffectsontheheart’sfunctioninducedbytherapeuticmolecules,isnowconsideredoneofthemostimportantconsequencesofchemotherapy,leadingtoanincreaseinmorbidityandmortalityofcancersurvivors.

Multidisciplinary Stress BiologyOurmainresearchinterestisinthemaladaptationofthebody’scontrolsystems(endo-crine,immuneandnervous)inthecontextofchronicstress,whichresultsinamyriadofmodernchronicdiseases,suchasTypeIIdiabetes,themetabolicsyndrome,inflammatoryandneurodegenerativediseases.Aspecificstrengthisourcapacityforinterdisciplinaryresearch,incorporatinggenetics,biochemistry,psychology,phytomedicine,pharmacology,exercisescienceandmanymorethroughcollaborationsnationallyandinternationally.

3736

Amajorfocusisthestudyofinflammationandoxidativestress-relatedacceleratedageing,whichisahallmarkofmanychronicdiseaseswithaninflammatorycomponent,suchasTypeIIdiabetes,cardiovasculardisease,anxietydisorders,cancerandauto-immunediseasessuchasrheumatoidarthritis.Ouraimistouncoverstrategieswithwhichtopreventacceleratedageingandtransitionofmaladaptationintochronicdisease.

cardio-metabolic researchFutureprojectionsindicatethatType2diabetesandheartdiseaseswillbethemajorcauseofdeathindevelopingcountrieswithinthenextfewdecades.Ourresearcheffortsarefocusedontacklingthisprobleminordertobetterunderstanditsoriginandprogression,andtothendriveinnovationtoultimatelyensureimprovedhumanhealthandwell-being.

Muscle Physiology researchOurresearchfocusesonstemcellbiologyandregenerativemedicine.UndertheauspicesoftheSouthAfricanresearchchair(SARChi)inIntegrativeSkeletalMusclePhysiology,BiologyandBiotechnology,weacquiredtheseconddevicefornanoparticletrackinginSouthAfrica.Wearenowabletoassessvesiclesinthenanoparticlesizerangethatarereleasedbyhumansafterexercise–thesevesiclesarecalledexosomesandaddanotherlevelofcomplexityinthestudyofintercellularcommunicationandadaptationbroughtaboutviamodulationoftheextracellularmilieu.Asabiologicalentity,theexosomesarepotentiallyimportantforwholebodyadaptation,butuntilnowthefieldofexercisesciencewasunawareoftheirexistence.

neuro researchOurresearchcombinescellbiology,cellphysiology,microscopyandbiochemistryapproachestodissectandinvestigatetherelationshipandroleofproteindegradationthroughmacroautophagyandcelldeathsusceptibilityinneurodegenerationandgliomas.Thefinebalanceofproteostasiscontrol,proteinaggregationandproteotoxicityisthemainfocuspoint,duetoitsroleintheonsetandprogressionofdiseasessuchas

neurodegenerativediseasesandcancer.Inthisregard,wefocusonmacroautophagy,chaper-onemediatedautophagy,cellularmetabolism,mitochondrialmorphologyandfunction,tubulinandtransportsystems,thecytoskeletonandATPconsumption.

Metabolic Physiology and HealthAccordingtotheWorldHealthOrganiza-tion(WHO)non-communicablediseases(NCDs)kill41millionpeopleannually,withmorethan85%ofthesedeathsoccurringinlow-andmiddle-incomecountries.InSouthAfrica,NCDsaccountforalmost40%oftotaldeaths.Weworkinafarmworkerscommu-nityinaperi-urbansettingtoinvestigateandunderstandhowobesitycontributestowardsthedevelopmentofNCDsandinflammatorymetabolicdiseasessuchasdiabetes,andhyper-tensionandcardiovasculardiseases.

clinical Haemorheology and coagulation researchManydiseasesareaccompaniedbychronicinflammation,buttheoriginofthisinflamma-tionremainsmostlyunclear.Hallmarksofinflammationarebothachronichypercoagu-labilityandupregulatedinflammatorymarkerprofile,accompaniedbyachangedbloodrheology.Inflammationisthereforesynonymouswithapathophysiologicalhaemato-logicalandcoagulationsystem.Ourresearchhasledtoabetterunderstandingofthecoagulationsystemduringinflammationandhowrheologyisaffected.Wehaveprovidedextensiveevidencethatinflammationinchronicconditionsiscausedbythepresenceofbacterialwallcomponentsthatactaspotentinflammagens,withoriginsfrombacteriaenteringviagutdysbiosesandinthepresenceoflowimmunity.ThisknowledgehasgreatimplicationsforthetreatmentofahostofinflammatoryconditionswhichincludeTypeIIdiabetes,cancer,AlzheimerandParkinson’sdisease,andothersystemicinflammatoryconditions.Weusethisknowledgetodevelopearlydetectionmodalitiessuchasnano-biosensors,andstudynovelcirculatingbiomarkermoleculestobothidentifyandtrackinflammatoryconditions.

Please contact usProf. Resia Pretorius, Head:DepartmentofPhysiologicalSciencesT:+27(012)808-3143|E:resiap@sun.ac.zahttp://www0.sun.ac.za/physiologicalsci/eng/index.php

Prof. Louise WarnichDean: Faculty of Science

A.I. Perold Building, Merriman AvenueStellenbosch University

T: +27 021 808-3072  I  E: lw@sun.ac.zahttp://www.sun.ac.za/english/faculty/science/