University of the Western Cape

Surfactants are amphipathic molecules with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties that partition preferentially at the interface between fluid phases such as oil/water or air/water interfaces. Such characteristics confer excellent detergency, emulsifying, foaming, and dispersing traits, which makes surfactants some of the most versatile process chemicals. Synthetic surfactants, however, are increasingly considered an environmental risk mainly because of their toxic nature and their difficulty in being degraded in the environment. Biosurfactants, which are biodegradable and generally considered environmentally friendly, have increasingly gathered a lot of interest as potential alternatives. 

The Institute for Microbial Biotechnology and Metagenomics (IMBM) at the University of the Western Cape is developing a portfolio of biosurfactants (microbially produced surface-active compounds) for use in various industrial processes as well as in the food, biomedical and pharmaceutical industries.

The collection and preservation of biological material for further DNA and RNA analysis are critical to many biomedical fields, from medical diagnostics to forensics and biodiversity conservation.

The Forensic DNA lab at the University of the Western Cape has developed a novel, proprietary DNA storage buffer to store samples at ambient temperatures. The research team has successfully stored human saliva samples at ambient temperatures for several years, and they have shown little to no degradation of the DNA extracted from these samples. They have also shown that one can successfully store human blood in this buffer, at ambient temperatures, for a considerable amount of time. DNA extracted from the stored blood, and the human saliva samples were of good quality and quantity and suitable for various downstream molecular assays. Being able to safely store valuable DNA samples, without concerns of sample degradation, at ambient temperatures is very important, especially in developing country contexts where resources are constrained, and access to cold-chain storage is limited.

In addition to the above mentioned, the team has developed a novel saliva collection device which aims to simplify saliva collection. The collected saliva is then to be stored in the proprietary buffer mentioned above.

The risk of occupational exposure to aerosolised bio-contaminants (potentially pathogenic viruses, bacteria and yeasts) in dentistry and the dental office environment has been highlighted in the literature for many years. Removal of these aerosols would decrease oral healthcare workers' risk of healthcare-associated infections. Moreover, in light of the current global situation with COVID-19, it has become even more apparent that there is an even greater need for a device that is able to reduce the spread of aerosols.

The Dental Aerosol Suction Device (DASD) was invented by a dentist and a periodontal specialist. The specific design of the DASD aims to harness the dental chair's high-volume suction capacity to reduce the risk of aerosol (potentially contaminated with pathogenic micro-organisms) exposure to the dental working environment. The key features include ease of use to reduce the spread of aerosols generated during procedures utilising routinely used instruments/equipment such as ultrasonic scalers and fast handpieces. Additionally, this device is more cost-effective than other similar products currently in the international market.

The skin represents the first physical barrier to protect our bodies from harmful toxins, pathogens and dangerous environmental factors and plays an important role in social and visual experiences. South Africans have used traditional herbal medicinal products to increase immunity in immunocompromised individuals. Such plants have multifunction medicinal claims including treatment of various skin problems.

A combination of three medicinal plant extracts (including indigenous plants extracts), has been formulated to treat the effects of sun exposure and various skin conditions including premature ageing and pigmentation in  African ethnic populations.  The formulated cream has been tested in a small clinical trial and demonstrated even skin tone and reduced appearance of wrinkles after continued use.

Due to the nature of the medicinal plants used, the formulation can promote skin immunity in immune-compromised individuals.  Further clinical trials are required to validate increased skin immunity claims.

The cost of building materials contributes significantly to overall construction costs, with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) being one of the main components.  The production of OPC is not environmentally friendly. It is energy-intensive, uses natural resources such as limestone, and produces high carbon emissions.

Fly ash, is a waste by-product from the coal-fired electricity generating stations. Power stations need to dispose of the fly ash safely and in an environmentally friendly manner, making the need to utilise fly ash important.  The treatment of acid mine drainage and the manufacture of high silica zeolites can be done through the beneficiation of fly ash.  Another use for this by-product is in the manufacture of geopolymers. 

We have developed prototypes to manufacture geopolymer-based bricks, roof tiles, and poles/pipes.  These prototypes are based on unique formulations using fly ash as low-cost input material for building materials with varying compressive strength.

Fly ash, is a waste by-product from the coal-fired electricity generating stations. Power stations need to dispose of the fly ash in a safe and environmentally friendly manner, making the need to utilize fly ash important. The production of zeolites is one way to beneficiate the fly ash waste where the extracted silica from coal fly ash is the feedstock needed to synthesis different zeolites. Formulations have been developed for the following zeolites; ZSM-5, Beta, MCM, Zeolite A, Mordenite and Sodalite.  Our unique formulations are based on using low-cost raw materials, lower energy inputs and shorter production times that could result in significant cost savings at a commercial production scale.

Zeolites find applications as catalysts in hydrocarbon processing, gas separation and in biodiesel production. They are also used as adsorbents and in ion‐exchange processes. Zeolites are also used in slow-release fertilisers.

The Natural Biostimulant developed at the University of the Western Cape is a proudly South African, cost-effective, safe, natural and organic botanical fertiliser with promising commercial applications in the agriculture sector. Derived from an indigenous plant extract, the product contains a combination of several flavonoids that display antimicrobial properties as well as can increase the polyphenolic and sugar content of plants, thereby improving overall plant health and yield.

Based on research done at the University of the Western Cape, spraying the product on crops increased the total soluble solids (TSS) content in fruits and vegetables, thereby increasing the sugar content of the plant and the quality of the harvest. As such, it has been registered as a Group 3 Fertiliser under Act 36 of 1947, and its biostimulant activity is patented in a number of territories.

This natural biostimulant is also able to increase the polyphenolic content of plants, increasing the health benefits of the plant, as well as the plant’s natural defence system against pathogens. When used in combination with fungicidal/bactericidal compounds (pesticides), the product has been shown to reverse the resistance of crop pathogens to pesticides. Using less commercial pesticides results in less environmental contamination.

The commercial value of our patented and registered biostimulant is thus driven by its special characteristics as a natural chemical-free bio-fertiliser for the agrochemical market.

Contact us if interested in testing the product in a crop trial.

Almost 1 million South African Deaf people use South African Sign Language (SASL) as their primary means of communication as often they cannot speak, read nor read lips in any of the eleven official spoken/textual languages. This multi-ethnic group comprises Deaf South Africans who are largely excluded from communication with the rest of the hearing majority. Due to their inability to communicate in the official languages, the provision of government services and information, including healthcare, offered in the official languages is not accessible to the Deaf Community.

SignSupport is a mobile app that unlocks pre-recorded SASL videos stored on a phone to bridge information and communication gaps between Deaf and hearing people in their preferred language. SignSupport facilitates interaction with non-Deaf users in limited communication scenarios, including SignSupport for pharmacy and international computer driver license (ICDL) training. The prototype, now refined and adapted to a WhatsApp interface, has also been developed for Diabetes self-management for the Deaf Community. When the pre-recorded information or the limited interaction is not sufficient, a video call with a remote SASL interpreter can be set up to deliver further assistance.   Although the user of the technology is the Deaf Community, the Department of Health or private medical companies may find the technology particularly useful to relay self-care regimens and can be adapted accordingly.

Baobab LIMS is an African-led innovation that was developed as part of the B3Africa consortium. It is an affordable sample and laboratory management tool for biobanking that has been implemented in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), which previously (due in part to financial constraints), were rarely able to implement a LIMS. Baobab LIMS is a Laboratory Information Management System for biorepositories of specimens and was developed using SOPs and workflows of a functional human biobank. The software system is an open-source tool with the code being freely available to users.  The users of the system would include biobanks, academic laboratories, and industry partners with a small budget allowance for LIMS software and equipment manufacturers and suppliers.

The system is continuously being updated with additional features and fixes and can be customised to individual needs. Employing a laboratory information management system not only increases laboratory efficiency and effectiveness but is a major contributing factor to enhanced laboratory management, quality control and GLP (good laboratory practice).

South Africa harbours the highest number of rape incidents in the world, and sexual assault and rape cases in the entire SADC region are estimated at a minimum of 55 000 cases per year. Crime scene investigations utilise DNA technology on a regular basis. In cases of rape or sexual abuse, male-specific DNA can be targeted for forensic identification or exclusion of suspects. However, current test kits were not designed taking into account the genetic diversity of African males, and perform poorly in this continent. For this reason, the University of the Western Cape has designed a new male-specific DNA identification kit tailored for Africa.

The technology encompasses a Y-STR (Y-chromosome short tandem repeat) forensic kit offering higher discriminatory power, which is faster and more cost-effective than leading commercial products for processing sexual assault DNA evidence. This prototype designed on male-specific STRs (short-tandem repeats) DNA provides two main functions: (1) The resolution of sexual offences utilising DNA evidence originating under various scenarios of assault and (2) kinship analysis (paternal lineage).

Implementing a highly discriminatory and rapid Y-STR profiling system is crucial for improving conviction rates, exoneration of innocent men accused of rape, and alleviation of the backlog of casework in South Africa and neighbouring countries.

In 2018 the successful completion of the alpha prototype of a male Y-Chromosome forensics detection kit (the UniQ-Typer) took place. Together with the kit, a database of collected DNA profiles from African populations was generated. During the next phase of development, the beta version of the kit will be tested in forensics facilities from the African Continent. All data collected during the beta phase trial will be added to the database, further improving the product’s discriminatory performance. This data will also improve the ability of the product to discriminate complex samples, consisting of multiple profiles as the improved statistical power of the database will allow the deconvolution of these profiles.

Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies offer zero emissions and are a clean alternative to fossil fuels. HySA Systems, at the University of the Western Cape, have made improvements in the performance, reliability and cost competitiveness of fuel cell components and systems. These have been demonstrated in a number of pilot projects. Products for commercialisation include membrane electrode assemblies, fuel cell stacks, fuel cell systems, solid-state hydrogen storage and compression, and palladium membranes.

Connecting Communities

Zenzeleni is a solar-powered, community-owned Wifi telecommunications network solution providing affordable communications to remote rural areas. Through the use of wireless mesh networking, users are able to make free internal voice-over IP calls, while the cost of breakout mobile calls and data is greatly reduced. The network consists of scattered nodes powered through easy-to-install, modular solar systems. Communities can charge mobile devices and provide lighting from these nodes.