Innovations

Background Various cancers, including gynecological cancers, are becoming resistant or insensitive to platinum-based chemotherapy and consequently higher dosages are required to be effective. Unfortunately, most of these chemotherapeutic drugs cause undesirable systemic effects such as cardiac or

The North-West University (NWU) has developed and patented a method for producing hydrogen via hydrolysis, using an activated aluminium compound. Technology Benefits: Aluminum also can be recycled after the hydrogen production process. Hydrogen can be produced under high pressure. By-products are

This technology utilises a microchannel reactor for the decomposition of ammonia, comprising two chambers: one for exothermic combustion of ammonia to generate heat. A second chamber of the reactor with a second catalyst receives a second stream of ammonia to provide endothermic decomposition of the

This technology relates to the transdermal treatment of diabetes. In particular, to a formulation for the transdermal delivery of the photoactive antidiabetic agent diosgenin that is encapsulated and protected by an oil-in-water nanoemulsion matrix for the treatment of type 11 diabetes Mellitus

The innovation is the rational combination of ezetimibe and curcumin for the treatment of colon cancer- which means one can apply a cancer therapeutic, orally. This would have significant value to the African population and solve key issues like the packaging and distribution of chemotherapeutic

Background Immortalized cell lines have been used extensively in cancer biology and as a model system to test the efficacy of vaccines, but their use is becoming increasingly limited because of extensive genetic and phenotypic variations compared to those expressed in cancer patients. Similarly

Omega Caro-E Xtra combines Omega-3 fatty acids with 11 different carotenoids and five different forms of vitamin E, all derived from Palm oil and manufactured by a patented process in Malaysia. It also contains 50% of the daily requirement for vitamin D. The concept was created and developed in

The North-West University (NWU) has pioneered the novel use of Europium-Tellurium-Oxide (ETO) in the production of clean energy. ETO is a light-chargeable catalyst material that exhibits sustained and enhanced activity after light excitation has ended. Its unique characteristics present an

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

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

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)

The invention entails an energy-generating system that makes use of polyethylene plastics that would otherwise result in environmental pollution to produce synthesis gas (syngas). Unlike conventional gasification systems that rely on oxygen, this system ensures that the gasification of polyethylene