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UFS scientists part of international COVID-19 study published in peer-reviewed scientific journal

31 July 2020 | Story Andre Damons | Photo Supplied

Burt and Grobler_web read more — Prof Felicity Burt and Prof Paul Grobler from the UFS.

Three scientists from the University of the Free State (UFS), together with authors from other institutions, are part of an international COVID-19 study published in an international peer-reviewed scientific journal recently.

Prof Paul Grobler, Academic Head of Department: Genetics; Prof Felicity Burt, researcher from the Division of Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences and the NHLS, and SARChI (South African Research Chairs Initiative) Research Chair in vector-borne and zoonotic diseases; as well as Prof Trudy Turner from the University of Wisconsin-Milwauwkee, but also an affiliated professor in the Department of Genetics at the UFS, are co-authors of the paper that appeared in Plos One. The study is titled: ACE2 and TMPRSS2 variation in savanna monkeys (Chlorocebus spp.): Potential risk for zoonotic/anthroponotic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and a potential model for functional studies.

The paper follows an initiative of Prof Chris Schmitt at Boston University with researchers affiliated to the University of California, Los Angeles, Rutgers University, the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, the University of Antwerp, the Wake Forest School of Medicine, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The team used the opportunity presented by previously sequenced genomes to screen for variation in the genes associated with susceptibility to infection with SARS-CoV-2.

Concerns about animal welfare and conservation issues

Prof Grobler, who has been studying vervet monkeys from a conservation perspective for two decades, says considering the impact of COVID-19 on the country, he feels that any aspect that might potentially help to understand the progression and transmission of the disease, as well as unexpected risks – however small – should be investigated.

“Since wildlife management is my field, I am of course also concerned about the potential animal welfare and conservation issues involved. It should, however, be emphasised that while SARS-CoV-2 infection in vervet monkeys has now been shown to be genetically possible, there is no proof of it actually happening in the wild yet.”

“I am sure that much work on COVID-19 and vervets will follow internationally, but this is the first study to describe variation at the genes linked to susceptibility,” says Prof Grobler.

Because of his previous work with vervet monkeys in South Africa and further afield, Prof Grobler was invited by Prof Schmitt to contribute to the manuscript.

“I made some suggestions from a conservation perspective, based on my interpretations and also recent international work that have shown that many primate species may be at risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection and are potentially vulnerable to COVID-19. I also felt that some aspects of the paper would be greatly improved with input from a South African expert in zoonotic disease to add to the genetic and conservation perspectives, and I therefore requested that Prof Burt also be approached.”

Potential for non-human primates infection

Prof Burt, whose research interests and expertise include the investigation of viruses of zoonotic origin, and/or those transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks that impact human and/or animal well-being – using a One Health approach – says the study was a collaborative effort between scientists with expertise in a wide range of disciplines, including biological anthropology, genetics, primatology, molecular biology, and virology.

“The concept of One Health encourages collaboration between multiple disciplines, promoting the concept that the interaction between humans, animals, and the environment has an impact on the health of people, animals, plants, and the environment. The outcome is an exciting study that incorporates knowledge from each discipline to investigate the potential susceptibility of non-human primate populations to SARS-CoV-2.”

“The research suggests that there is potential for novel SARS-CoV-2 to infect non-human primates, and that surveillance of non-human primates living in close proximity to human populations is not only warranted, but is actually important for defining risk to both humans and animals,” says Prof Burt.

According to her, the majority of recently emerged viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, were zoonotic in origin. The close proximity of humans and wild non-human primates provides potential for cross-species transmission of pathogens; for some endangered species, this could have devastating effects. Similarly, identifying if non-human primates have the potential to act as intermediate hosts for pathogens with significant public health implications, would be important for understanding zoonotic transmission.

“Novel viruses are continually emerging, and we need to be prepared. A multidisciplinary approach to understanding interactions at the wildlife-human interface will be essential for the prevention of future outbreaks.”

News Archive

A new dawn for student governance

2011-09-02

Our SRC presidents: Richard Chemaly (Bloemfontein Campus) and Bongani Ncgaca (Qwaqwa Campus)
Photo: Hannes Pieterse

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The successful and peaceful completion of the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Student Representative (SRC) elections 2011 herals a new dawn for student governance with the announcement of the results today (1 September 2011).

The SRC elections at the Qwaqwa Campus were completed on 25 August 2011, while the elections at our Bloemfontein Campus took place on 29 and 30 August 2011.

“A new dawn heralds a new day when Richard Chemaly, the son of Lebanese immigrants becomes President of an SRC, as elected by students from all racial backgrounds and from across the student body at large. A new day has arrived when candidates could have won voter support across racial lines; a new day is here when all SRC members are now recognised leaders on the basis of academic accountability,” the Dean of Student Affairs, Mr Rudi Buys, says.

A new dawn has arrived; firstly, insofar as student elections for the choice of student leaders at the UFS now proceed according to a non-racial and a non-party political basis.

Not only did the SRC elections at both the Bloemfontein and Qwaqwa Campuses achieve its required quorum, with 31% (4 729 votes) and 50% (2 112 votes) voter turnout, respectively, but the SRC elected by students at the Bloemfontein Campus is 55% black and 45% white, and 60% female and 40% male. The numbers of votes gained by successful candidates also indicate that voters from all racial backgrounds have voted for their candidates of choice.

Secondly, a new dawn has arrived insofar as student governance occupied by only some student groups claiming to speak on behalf of all students has made way for direct voting for candidates by the broad student body and the threefold increase of student governance structures on campus.

Not only did all students at our Bloemfontein and Qwaqwa Campuses (a total of 15 173 and 4 257, respectively) have the opportunity to participate in voting directly, but nine additional Student Councils were established at our Bloemfontein Campus that each holds an ex officio seat on the SRC and allows for student governance in all the major student sectors of the student body, such as for postgraduate students, international students and all categories of student associations.

The various councils now established include the Student Academic Affairs Council, the Student Associations Council, the Postgraduate Student Council, the International Student Council, the Student Media Council, the Residences Student Council, the Commuter Student Council and the Rag Community Service Fundraising and Service Councils. In addition, all faculties also introduced student representative structures at departmental and faculty level in 2011 to ensure student participation in faculty management and governance.

The SRC members at the Bloemfontein Campus are:

Elective portfolios:
President: Mr Richard Chemaly
Vice-President: Mr Lefata David Maklein
Secretary: Ms Matshepo Ramokgadi
Treasurer: Mr Werner Pretorius
Arts & Culture: Ms Alta Grobelaar
Accessibility & Student Support: Mr William Clayton
First-generation Students: Ms Petre du Plessis
Media, Marketing & Liaison: Ms Biejanka Calitz
Sport: Mr Bonolo Thebe
Student Development & Environmental Affairs: Ms Busisiwe Madikizela
Transformation: Ms Qaqamba Mhlauli

Ex officio portfolios:
Dialogue & Ex officio: Associations Student Council: Mr Anesu Ruswa
Academic Affairs & Ex officio: Academic Affairs Student Council: Mr Jean Vermaas
Residence Affairs & Ex officio: Campus Residences Student Council: Ms Mpho Mokaleng
City student Affairs & Ex officio: Commuter Student Council: Ms Annemieke Plekker
Postgraduate Affairs & Ex officio: Postgraduate Student Council: Ms Glancina Mokone
International Affairs & Ex officio: International Student Council: Mr Pitso Ramokoatsi
Student Media Affairs & Ex officio: Student Media Council: Ms Nicole Heyns
RAG Community Service & Ex officio: RAG Fundraising Council: Ms Iselma Parker
RAG Community Service & Ex officio: RAG Community Service Council: Ms Motheo Pooe

In the Qwaqwa elections, SASCO achieved 36,84% of the vote, with SADESMO, PASMA and NASMO each achieving 29,73% and 18,56% and 12,74%, respectively .

Mr Bongani Ncgaca was elected as the President of the SRC at our Qwaqwa Campus, while the names of the SRC members at the campus will be announced on 7 September 2011.

The Central SRC will be established on 8 September 2011 by a joint sitting of the two SRCs.

The successful completion of the SRC elections at the Bloemfontein Campus follows a yearlong review process of student governance by a Broad Student Transformation Forum (BSTF) that consists of 59 delegations from student organisations and residences. The BSTF adopted independent candidacy for elective portfolios and additional student councils to provide ex officio seats on the SRC as the template for student governance, following the consideration of a series of benchmarking reports on student governance nationally and internationally.

The UFS Council adopted the new SRC Constitution, as drafted and submitted by the BSTF, on 3 June 2011.

Media Release
1 September 2011
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: news@ufs.ac.za

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