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31 December 2019
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Story Dr Cindé Greyling
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Photo Anja Aucamp
KovsieInnovation at the UFS supports innovative research outputs in various ways – one of which is to protect the intellectual property and to register patents where viable. This is in line with KovsieInnovation’s broader aim to create third-stream income for the university. Patent registration is a complex process and the UFS is proud to have the needed expertise to properly facilitate such an endeavour.
The SAENSE Platform
South Africa is a water-scarce country, with many water hungry industries (such as agriculture and mining). “Industrial processes often contaminate water with heavy metals, harmful chemicals, radioactive waste, and even organic sludge,” Dr Mariana Erasmus, SAENSE Platform Manager, explains.
Hence, water remediation is vital for both the ecosystem and industries. One of the key functions of the SAENSE Platform is to offer water-remedial solutions for the (bio)remediation of nitrates, heavy metals, and salts, among others. The platform’s activities and services are supported by undergraduate and postgraduate students and researchers, using Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) funding. TIA is a national public entity that serves as key institutional intervention to bridge the innovation chasm between research and development.
From waste to water
Through the joint effort of two mining companies and the UFS/TIA SAENSE Research Platform, a new treatment for mine drainage (MD) has been developed. This patented B-DAS (Barium – Dispersed Alkaline Substrate) technology effectively treats the major contaminants found in acid, alkaline, or neutral mining wastewater. The aim of the B-DAS system is to provide a passive water-treatment solution with minimum waste production; it can also be a potential pre-treatment for reverse osmosis (RO) to lower the requirements of the membranes and therefore potentially reduce the RO cost.
The success of the patent is that it turns unusable water into water that is fit for agricultural purposes at a reduced cost and increased efficiency.
Fulbright Scholarship awarded to Kovsie Academic
2010-07-14
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Mrs Ronette Lategan |
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Mrs Ronette Lategan, Ph.D. student and Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State, has been awarded the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to work on her Ph.D. in the United States of America. Mrs Lategan is one of only 22 South Africans awarded the scholarship to study in the United States for the 2010-2011 academic year. She will be based at the Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences Department of Florida State University and conduct her research from August 2010 to August 2011. She will join the research group of Prof. Jasminka ilich-Ernst. Through participating in the research group, Mrs Lategan aims to complete her Ph.D. in the field of Nutrigenomics, focusing on hypertension.
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