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UFS celebrates excellence through its research hubs
The university considers its research chairs and the possibility of future chairs as an integral and strategic initiative to increase its national and international standing through excellent academic and research leadership.

The University of the Free State (UFS) is proud of its research leaders. As of 2018 the UFS has 156 NRF-rated researchers and five Sarchi Research Chairs. These chairs are designed to attract and retain excellence in research and innovation at South African public universities.

Getting the better of vector borne and zoonotic viruses

Prof Felicity Burt leads the Vector Borne and Zoonotic Virus Research Group in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Virology at the UFS. She was awarded a Research Chair to, among others, investigate medically significant vector-borne and zoonotic viruses currently circulating - mainly viruses transmitted by mosquitos and ticks, and viruses transmitted from animals to humans. 

“Years ago, no one knew what Ebola was. One outbreak later, backed by many media reports, and it is almost a household name. The same goes for the recent Zika virus outbreak in South America,” she explains the public’s interest and fears. To prevent the spread of vector-borne viruses to new areas, surveillance and awareness is important. Here in Bloemfontein, Prof Burt and her team are establishing surveillance programmes.

Why research on fungal infections?

“Many diseases no longer pose a threat to humans and life expectancy is prolonged. However, this has also caused an increase in various opportunistic infections, and most of all, fungal infections,” says Prof Carlien Pohl-Albertyn, who is heading the Research Chair for Pathogenic Yeasts in the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology. And the rise in resistance to antifungal treatments requires research into pathobiology, including new drug and treatment options. 

Activities of the Research Chair in Pathogenic Yeasts builds on existing research strengths and will contribute towards understanding pathobiology of medically significant pathogenic yeasts belonging to the genera Candida and Cryptococcus. 

Understanding higher education for more equality and justice

Prof Melanie Walker, from the Centre for Research on Higher Education and Development (CRHED) does research on higher education, inequalities and social justice, and how, or if, universities foster the human capabilities and aspirations of students. Does higher education make a difference to the lives of students, their families and communities? 

Prof Walker says the Research Chair on Higher Education and Human Development looks at issues of access, participation and transitions into work, as well as gender, race and social class. They use both quantitative and qualitative methods and includes a strand of participatory research projects with students. Ultimately, the research must contribute to debates, policy and practices in higher education, and a scholarly knowledge base.

Reduced emissions make for a better world

Prof Hendrik Swart chairs the research project that looks into low-energy lighting, using phosphor materials for light emitting diodes (LEDs). The Research Chair on Solid State Luminescent and Advanced Materials is situated at the Department of Physics

The research mainly focuses on better light emission of phosphor powers in LEDs.  According to Prof Swart, the long-term benefit of the research will result in more environmentally friendly devices which use less energy, are brighter and give a wider viewing field. Over the next five years they will develop and produce devices that emit better light using the substances already developed. “We need to make small devices to see if they are better than those we already have,” he says. 

Solutions to food insecurity
 

The Department of Plant Sciences’s research project dives into disease resistance and quality in field crops. Heading this Research Chair is Prof Maryke Labuschagne who focuses on crop quality breeding and disease resistance in field crops. 

Her, and her students’ research focuses on the genetic improvement of food security crops in Africa, including such staples as maize and cassava. “These crops are genetically improved for yield, drought tolerance, disease, and insect resistance, as well nutritional value,” she says. Her disease resistance research will focus on crop protein quantity and quality as well as iron, zinc, and beta-carotene biofortification of staple crops such as wheat, maize and cassava. The disease resistance-breeding project will be a continuation of the internationally acclaimed wheat rust research. 

The university considers the research chairs and the possibility of future chairs as an integral and strategic initiative to increase its national and international standing through excellent academic and research leadership. 

Microbiology from University of the Free State on Vimeo.

News Archive

#Women'sMonth: Long hours in wind and cold weather help to reconstruct Marion Island’s glacial history
2017-08-10

 Description: Liezel Rudolph  Tags: Liezel Rudolph, Process Geomorphology, Marion Island, periglacial geomorphology, Department of Geography  

Liezel Rudolph, lecturer for second-year students in Process
Geomorphology at the University of the Free State (UFS).
Photo: RA Dwight

Liezel Rudolph, a lecturer for second-year students in Process Geomorphology, aims to reconstruct the glacial history of Marion Island through cosmogenic nuclide dating techniques. She is interested in periglacial geomorphology, a study of how the earth’s surface could be formed by ice actions (freezing and thawing of ice).

Liezel is a lecturer in the Department of Geography at the university and is researching landscape development specifically in cold environments such as Antarctica, the Sub-Antarctic islands, and high mountain areas. “My involvement with periglacial geomorphology is largely due to academic giants who have carved a pathway for South Africans,” says Liezel.

Liezel visited Marion Island for the first time during her honours year in 2011, when she investigated the impact of seals on soil conditions and vegetation. Three years later, she visited Antarctica to study rock glaciers.

The challenge of the job
A workday in Antarctica is challenging. “Our time in the field is very limited, so you have to work every possible hour when the weather is not life-threatening: from collecting soil samples, to measuring soil temperature and downloading data, we measure polygons and test the hardness of rocks. The only way to get the amount of work done, is to work long hours in wind and rain with a positive and competent team! We take turns with chores: the person carrying the notebook is usually the coldest, while the rest of us are stretching acrobatically over rocks to get every nook and cranny measured and documented.”

A typical workday
Liezel describes a typical workday: “Your day starts with a stiff breakfast (bacon and eggs and a bowl of oats) and great coffee! After that comes the twenty-minute dressing session: first a tight-fitting under-layer, a middle layer – sweater and T-shirt, and then the outer windbreaker (or a quilt jacket on an extra cold day). Then you start applying sunscreen to every bit of open face area. Beanie on, sunglasses, two pairs of socks, two pairs of gloves. The few kilograms of equipment, one vacuum flask containing an energy drink, one vacuum flask containing drinking water (it would freeze in a regular bottle), and a chocolate bar and piece of biltong for lunch. After this, we drive (on snowmobiles) or fly (in helicopter) to our study area for about eight hours of digging, measuring, downloading, testing and chopping. Back at the base and after a long and tiresome undressing session, we move to the lab with all our data to make sure that it is downloaded safely and captured onto a database. Afterwards, depending on the day of the week, we enjoy a good meal. If you are lucky, such a typical day will coincide with your shower day. We can only shower every second day due to the energy-intensive water production (we have to melt snow) and the sewage system (all the water has to be purified before it could be returned to the environment). Then you grab your eye shield (since the sun is not sinking during summer) and take a nap before the sun continues to shine into the next day.”

Theoretical knowledge broadened 
“Going into the field (whether island or mountains) provides me with an opportunity to test geomorphic theories. Without experience in the field, my knowledge will only be limited to book knowledge. With practical experience, I hope to broaden my knowledge so that I could train my students from experience rather than from a textbook,” says Liezel.

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