Visit to the Institute of Microbiology and Genetics in Germany

From 18 August to 24 September 2010, two postgraduate students, Abhita Jugdave (PhD) and Amelie Dukunde (MSc), accompanied by Professors Derek Litthauer, Esta van Heerden, and Koos Albertyn, visited the Institut für Mikrobiologie und Genetik at the Georg-August Universität, Göttingen as part of a research exchange.

Research involved 16S rRNA gene library construction from metagenomic DNA extracted from deep-mine fissure water and subsequent phylogenetic analysis, using ARB software. A third postgraduate student, Suzanne Litthauer (MSc), also visited the institution from 8 September to 31 October. She was involved in the isolation of genomic and metagenomic DNA from deep-mine biofilm and fissure water, as well as the subsequent construction of libraries to be used for sequence-based and functional screening for enzymes. The skills and knowledge gained by these students are invaluable and provide the group with expert tools to conduct high-quality research in metagenomics and related fields.

Cook-off Day

From time to time, it is necessary to relax from the hard work. On 22 July we had a cook-off day. Everybody had to make his or her own signature dish and bring it to the office. Everybody had a taste of each dish. It was lots of fun, and everybody learned more about other traditions and tastes.

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Conference in Australia

Prof Derek Litthauer attended the OZBIO2010 – the 12th International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Conference in Melbourne, Australia, from 26 September to 1 October where he presented a poster on phage metagenomics and attended a science education workshop.

2010 year-end function

Novel Enzymes Conference in the UK

In April 2010, Prof Esta van Heerden and Dr Dirk Opperman attended the Novel Enzymes 2010 Conference in Exeter, United Kingdom. The conference focused on the discovery and uses of novel enzymes for industrial applications. Prof Van Heerden presented a talk on metagenomic strategies and the novel deep subsurface biomes for the discovery of new enzymes. They were also among thousands of travellers concerned about volcanic ash from the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland damaging aircraft engines, which resulted in them being detained in the UK longer than planned.

Professors travel the world

From 1 September till 8 September, everybody started travelling to different parts of the world.

Professors Derek Litthauer, Esta van Heerden, and Koos Albertyn joined their Spanish collaborator, Prof Jose Berenguer from Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, in a visit to the world-renowned microbial taxonomist, Prof Antonio Ventosa, and his co-worker, Dr Christina Sanchez-Porro, to establish a basis for taxonomic description tool development in order to classify the new microbial discoveries from the deep subsurface. Following this visit, Prof Van Heerden met with Dr Elsabe Botes in Rimini, Italy, where they attended the 14th International Biotechnology Symposium on Biotechnology for the Sustainability of Human Society. At this conference, they presented their research on bioremediation.

2010 Soccer World Cup

In July, we saw the start of the Soccer World Cup. Everybody joined in the spirit of the World Cup. The building was dressed with flags and other items. Every Friday, vuvuzelas was heard all over campus. On kick-off day, everybody dressed up in funny soccer clothing to keep the 'spirit' and show our support.

Suzanne's visit to Germany

Suzanne Litthauer left on 8 September 2010 for a visit of approximately 7 weeks to the Institut für Mikrobiologie und Genetik at the Georg-August University in Göttingen, Germany, as part of an exchange programme between the institute and our research group.

The purpose of the visit was to obtain knowledge and skills pertaining to metagenome research from an institute famed for its expertise in the field. Extensive experience was gained in numerous methods for the optimisation of successful isolation of high-quality, high-purity metagenomic DNA from biofilm and filtered fissure water sampled in the South African deep-mine environment. In addition, methods employed in the construction of small-insert metagenome libraries from isolated metagenome DNA were also learnt. The research visit not only provided her with skills that will prove invaluable to the group, but served as an opportunity to meet experts, students, and friends in the field. It was an enriching experience that left lasting impressions on her approach to research and life as a whole.

2010 Visitors

We hosted two new visitors. Daniel Mandoza Vega from Spain joined the group in February, while Malay Strivastava from India came aboard from the UK in May. Both left later in the year for better opportunities.

Walter Müller talks at Symposium in the USA

Walter Müller, a PhD student, was invited to give a talk at the 10th International Symposium on P450 Biodiversity and Biotechnology. The symposium was held from 3 to 7 October in Woods Hole, Massachusetts (USA) and was conducted under the auspices of the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the American Chemical Society (ACS). He was the only delegate from the African continent invited to give a presentation at this international symposium. He also visited the research laboratory of Prof Shiladitya DasSarma at the University of Maryland’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology to perform micro-array experiments at the Johns Hopkins Institute in Baltimore. He also visited New York and Washington DC during his visit to the USA.