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13 March 2020 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Leonie Bolleurs
Team from the UFS Microbiology department
From the Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry, were from the left, front: Dr Mariana Erasmus, Prof Martie Smit, Samantha McCarlie; back: Dr Carmien Tolmie; Samantha McCarlie, Prof Dirk Opperman, and Prof Robert Bragg. They believe publishing in high-impact factor journals reflects the quality of research delivered by the department.

Researchers in the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology at the University of the Free State (UFS) published their work in four impact factor eleven journals in 2019/2020, and a fifth was accepted for publication in a journal with impact factor twelve in 2020. 

Two articles were published in Nature Communications, one in Drug Resistance Updates and one in Natural Product Reports. A fifth article is already available as an accepted article at Angewandte Chemie. Researchers in the department work on very diverse topics, as reflected in the titles of these articles: ‘A chemo-enzymatic oxidation cascade to activate C–H bonds with in situ generated H2O2’; ‘Native roles of Baeyer–Villiger monooxygenases in the microbial metabolism of natural compounds’; ‘The genome of a subterrestrial nematode reveals adaptations to heat’; ‘Molecular basis of bacterial disinfectant resistance’; and ‘CYP505E3 – a novel self‐sufficient ω‐7 in‐chain hydroxylase’.

Publishing in journals with a high impact factor is quite an achievement. Publishing in a journal with an impact factor of 3 is considered good and in most fields of study, publishing in journals with an impact factor of 10 or more is regarded as excellent. Impact factors are used to measure the importance of a journal by counting the number of times articles were cited in a certain time period. 

According to Prof Martie Smit, Head of the department, this is a reflection of the quality of research delivered by the department. “It is difficult and takes a lot of time and resources to publish in such high-impact journals.”

Contributing to their success in the department, is the work of their collaborators as well as the quality international postdoctoral researchers the department manages to attract with their emphasis on quality research.

Another highlight in the publication of these articles was that members of the department were corresponding authors of four of the five articles – meaning that the research was conducted in and driven from their laboratories, with UFS researchers taking primary responsibility for the preparation of the manuscripts and communicating with the editors of the journals.

Impacting society

Besides publishing in journals with high impact factors, these researchers are also making a difference to society. Prof Robert Bragg contributed to the study focusing on quality disinfectants. 

We are all aware of the danger of developing resistance to antibiotics. According to Prof Bragg, it is estimated that by 2050, 25 million people could be dying from antibiotic resistance-related bacterial infections per year. He says one of the best options to control diseases – not only bacterial diseases, but also viral diseases such as the Covid-19 outbreak – is good biosecurity and the use of good-quality disinfectants.

Researchers working on this study are trying to understand the development of resistance in bacteria to disinfectants. “This research group is currently investigating the ways in which bacteria become resistant to different high-quality disinfectants. The aim of this work is to discover new methods of resistance and then try to prevent bacteria from becoming resistant to commonly used disinfectants. One of the first aspects that needs investigation is to understand the methods of transfer of genetic information between bacteria. This work formed the basis of the review article written with master’s student Samantha McCarlie on transfer of genes that could code for disinfectant resistance in bacteria,” says Prof Bragg.

Studies about a nematode species discovered 1,3 km deep in a gold mine in Welkom and its ability to survive in extreme environments, made headlines about nine years ago. More extensive research has been performed on deep-space exploration of nematodes surviving extreme environments and were published in Nature Communications. Dr Mariana Erasmus, Assistant Director in the department and Technology Innovation Agency/UFS Saense Platform manager, says the study published in 2019 reveals these nematodes’ adaptation to heat and heat tolerance in an unusual ecosystem isolated from the surface biosphere. More studies on this can help humans learn how to adapt to a warming climate. 

TIA is an agency of the Department of Science and Innovation.

Three of the articles are from the Biocatalysis and Structural Biology group of Prof Dirk Opperman, Prof Martie Smit, and Dr Carmien Tolmie. Biocatalysis is a form of green chemistry that aims to produce chemicals in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner. The research of the group focuses on using enzymes (proteins performing specialised chemical reactions) to insert an oxygen atom at a specific position in a starting material. Such reactions are difficult to perform using purely organic chemistry. 

The end products are value-added compounds of interest to, among others, the flavour and fragrance industry, which place a high premium on natural products. The work on the novel in‐chain hydroxylase was also patented internationally, because it can be used for the synthesis of a valuable flavour compound.
 
More to come

Besides the commitment of the team in Microbiology, it took multiple institutions, dedicated postdoctoral students, as well as time and money to publish this number of articles in high-impact journals in just over a year. With its 100-plus researchers varying from student researchers to NRF-rated scientists, everyone in the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology strives to produce high-quality research. 

And they promise, there is more to come. Watch this space …

News Archive

Another opportunity to take part in Success Week
2010-07-08

Student Development and Success (SDS) at the University of the Free State (UFS) is focused on helping students succeed as lifelong learners. To accomplish this, SDS has designed Success Week to provide students with the necessary skills and information to help them succeed in their studies.

The success of the first-semester orientation programme has led to the decision of hosting a Get.Success@UFS 2010: Reloaded programme from 19 to 29 July 2010.

Students who previously attended the programme thoroughly enjoyed the programme and learnt a lot from it. It also became clear that they needed more support. The aim of the Reloaded programme is to enhance students’ thinking processes regarding their personal as well as career development. It is open to all students. The focus of the presentations will not only be on helping students to make a success of their studies but also to provide those students who are completing their studies with useful knowledge and skills to plan for their career pathways.

The Get.Success@UFS 2010: Reloaded programme starts on Monday 19 July with a launch where Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, will address students and motivate them once again for the second half of the 2010 academic year. Thereafter the UFS staff will compete against the SRC in the 5-on-a-side soccer tournament that will take place at Pellies Park. Members of Bloemfontein Celtic will also be present. Students can spend the day participating in the mini soccer tournament or just come and support their teams.
This is an excellent opportunity for students to make new friends and spend the day relaxing before the start of the second academic term. There will be prizes for the winning teams as well as for the best war cry and the most spirited team and fan base. There will also be funky give-aways for the spectators.

For the rest of the week there will be three interactive sessions which students can attend to help equip themselves with the necessary skills to succeed in their studies and future endeavours. The sessions include: Game Plan for Success, How to Build your Fortune, CV Writing, and Job Hunting.
Blackboard training will be hosted during the two weeks to show students how to effectively use this medium in their studies. There will be two opportunities for students to visit and be taken on a tour through the library to learn about the services offered.

All information and detailed programmes are available at www.ufs.ac.za/getsuccessufs .


Media Release
Issued by: Mangaliso Radebe
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2828
Cell: 078 460 3320
E-mail: radebemt@ufs.ac.za  
8 July 2010
 

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