Innovations

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

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

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

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 invention relates to the design of a robust membrane for desalination using membrane distillation (MD). Although MD technology has advanced over the years, its industrial application for the treatment of brackish water and seawater is still lagging. This invention exhibits advantages over the

The invention relates to a membrane technology developed using polymeric material to recover crude oil found in water due to spillages. Although several techniques have been employed for the removal of crude oil from water bodies, these techniques are either focused on dissolving the spilled oil

A method and apparatus for treating a fluid utilising nanoscience. The impurities in the fluid are trapped by the charged nanoparticles. The fluid is contained in a reactor that includes a moving magnetic system. When the reactor is in use, the moving magnetic system excites the charged

Academic staff rating index (AR Index) is an interactive platform for supervision management. It is designed to enhance the student-supervisor relationship while also providing a rating index for supervisors. AR index aims to improve transparency and quality of academic student supervision by

The technology relates to an upright tubular fixed-bed reactor body comprising of a heat-dissipating pipe, which extends from the reactor tube wall, to ensure that heat is effectively transferred in highly exothermic reactors such as Fischer-Tropsch, which are prone to heat build-up. The heat pipe

The invention relates to the use of maghemite nanoparticles at pH < 5 to remove sulphate, manganese, copper, nickel, cobalt and zinc metal ions from acid mine drainage (AMD). In a conventional way of AMD treatment, these pollutants are only removed at higher pH and requires costly alkaline chemicals

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is an aquatic weed which has one of the highest growth rates of all plants in the world. This fast-growing plant causes numerous problems in water bodies. These problems are related to navigation, recreation, irrigation and hydropower generation. The complete

Whartels™ is a maths board game designed for pre-primary and primary school learners and is aimed at improving children's maths achievement by focusing on cognitive aspects (maths concepts, metacognition and information processing) and neuropsychological facets (executive functioning, self