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Researchers from the University of the Free State (UFS) and the Central University of Technology (CUT) have recently learned that their research projects will be funded, with one research project even getting double the amount of funding requested. 

The research project of Dr Doors Fonternel, an MMed student working under Dr Edwin Turton in the Department of Anaesthesiology at the UFS, and Prof Ihar Yadroitsau (Igor Yadroitsev), Research Chair in Medical Product Development through Additive Manufacturing and the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology at CUT, titled 3D Printed laryngoscope for endotracheal intubation, received R400 000 in funding. The project only requested half the amount, but in granting the funding, the evaluation committee was of the opinion that due to the relevance of the research and the long-term sustainability of the project, funding should be adjusted to R400 000.  

Another research project receiving R400 000 in funding, is a project by Dr Alice Brink, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry at the UFS, and Dr Tshepiso J Makhafola, Assistant Dean: Research, Innovation and Engagement and Senior Lecturer: Clinical Technology in the Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences at CUT. The committee supported the novelty of the project and the contribution towards both applicants’ participation in the Future Professors’ Programme.
These projects are part of nine collaboration projects between researchers from the UFS and CUT that were approved for funding between 2019 and 2020. The funding ranges from R50 000 to R400 000. 

Using 3D printer technology 

Dr Fonternel says getting more funding than expected gives them the motivation to push through the obstacles presented by a project like this. 

“It is innovative and uncharted, so it helps to know that others also believe in the possibilities. Apart from the design, testing, and validation that this project aims to achieve, we are looking to broaden the scope into materials and sterilisation. We are also looking at acquiring equipment to enable the UFS to be able to design and manufacture devices of similar need and purpose,” says Dr Fonternel.

According to Dr Fonternel, who designed, developed, and then prototyped the video laryngoscope with the help of the Product Development and Testing Station (PDTS) at CUT, he hopes that with this new research, the validated technology of video laryngoscopy could be provided to a much larger medical community.

Prof Yadroitsau’s role is the overall project management, mechanical testing, project analysis, and possible additional fundraising.

“This can be beneficial to rural hospitals and centres with limited funds and equipment and can make a difference in the quality of care we provide to our patients. It has the potential to improve the safety of patients and healthcare workers in our current COVID-19 battle by bringing First World technology to the front line.” 

Valuable contribution to cancer research

Drs Brink and Makhafola will be collaborating on the development and testing of organometallic complexes, primarily model pharmaceuticals that can carry a radioactive metal centre. Their collaboration will develop model lead compounds and then test their biological activity, particularly for anticancer and antimicrobial activities, including toxicological profiling to determine if it is a viable option for future cancer treatment. 

“Drug development has significant challenges, particularly for academic institutions that do not have access to the focused and integrated specialty networks as developed by Big Pharma such as Roche, Novartis, Bayer, etc.  The research and development pathway of a new pharmaceutical agent that becomes commercially available, takes on average 12 years and costs approximately £1,15 bn.”

“For every single drug that receives approval, an estimated 10 000 compounds have been considered as viable options but have failed for one reason or another. Our research collaboration focuses on addressing these two main challenges that hinder academia from successfully entering the drug market.  We hope to identify potential lead compounds with novel mechanisms of action for the development of cancer therapeutics,” says Dr Brink.

This collaborative team hopes to promote and make a valuable contribution to cancer research, specifically towards the discovery of new effective cancer treatments/drugs. 

New ways of imaging patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Dr Evbuomwan Osayande, a nuclear medicine specialist at the UFS/Universitas Academic Hospital, says his research will compare the efficacy of EC-DG (ethylenedicysteine-deoxyglucose) imaging with ultrasound imaging in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. At this stage, the research is still in the protocol phase. A protocol has been submitted to the Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee of the UFS for approval. The project received R350 000. 

“If this imaging modality proves to be highly accurate and can detect disease activity, including low disease activity, much earlier than other investigational tools, it might become a routine imaging modality in the management of patients with rheumatoid arthritis,” says Dr Osayande, the principal investigator in this research.

If we can detect low disease activity with the EC-DG imaging, says Dr Osayande, it will ensure that the rheumatologists will continue patient treatment and thus prevent them from having complications, such as bone erosions and joint destruction. “It is an exciting project and we are all looking forward to the outcome.”

Embracing 4IR

The research project of Dr Thuthukile Jita, Senior Lecturer in the UFS School of Education Studies, and Dr Carlie Luzaan Schlebusch from CUT, investigates the possibilities and affordances of training student teachers to embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution, specifically by learning to teach Science in schools using mobile devices and mobile apps. The project received R50 000 in funding.

“The study is perfectly timed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in large-scale disruption of schooling as we know it.  The call for teachers and learners and the education system generally to embrace technology and use information and communication technology (ICT) to continue and restore teaching and learning in some way, has been overwhelming.” 

“Consequently, there has been an almost overnight surge in the use of mobile devices for teaching and learning in schools. Sadly, the pandemic has further exposed the digital-divide reality that not all schools, teachers, and/or learners are able to engage effectively with the technology.” 

“Therefore, this study will assist in repositioning teacher preparation to use mobile devices and applications that are relevant for the topics covered in the national Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) document, starting with the subject Natural Sciences for the senior phase, which include Grades 7 to 9,” says Dr Jita, who is the principal investigator of the project and who is also responsible for the conceptualisation and overall direction of the project milestones.

Research projects that have also received funding, include: 

• IoT-based early diagnostics of mobility challenges in the elderly by Elisha Markus (CUT) and Paul Kogeda (UFS). 
• Impact of urban development on environmental sustainability: Case study of Mangaung Metropolitan municipality by Dr SA Oke (CUT) and Dr Olusola Ololade (UFS).
• Promoting inclusive pedagogies through transformative learning modalities in multicultural educational settings by Dr June Palmer (CUT) and Dr Rantsie Kgothule (UFS).
• Optimisation of imaging protocols for maxillofacial reconstructive prosthesis design and modelling by Prof Deon de Beer (CUT) and Dr Jacques Janse van Rensburg (UFS).
• LET-MI-C project (Lumbar ErecTor spinae block spread using MRI and CT) by Dr Je’nine Horn-Lodewyk (CUT) and Prof Gillian Lamacraft (UFS).  

News Archive

Inaugural lecture: Prof Robert Bragg, Dept. of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology
2006-05-17



Attending the inaugural lecture were in front from the left Prof Robert Bragg (lecturer at the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology) and Frederick Fourie (Rector and Vice-Chancellor).  At the back from the left were Prof James du Preez (Departmental Chairperson:  Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology) and Prof Herman van Schalkwyk (Dean: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences). Photo: Stephen Collett
 

A summary of an inaugural lecture delivered by Prof Robert Bragg at the University of the Free State:

CONTROL OF INFECTIOUS AVIAN DISEASES – LESSONS FOR MAN?

Prof Robert R Bragg
Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology
University of the Free State

“Many of the lessons learnt in disease control in poultry will have application on human medicine,” said Prof Robert Bragg, lecturer at the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology during his inaugural lecture.

Prof Bragg said the development of vaccines remains the main stay of disease control in humans as well as in avian species.  Disease control can not rely on vaccination alone and other disease-control options must be examined.  

“With the increasing problems of antibiotic resistance, the use of disinfection and bio security are becoming more important,” he said.

“Avian influenza (AI) is an example of a disease which can spread from birds to humans.  Hopefully this virus will not develop human to human transmission,” said Prof Bragg.

According to Prof Bragg, South Africa is not on the migration route of water birds, which are the main transmitters of AI.  “This makes South Africa one of the countries less likely to get the disease,” he said.

If the AI virus does develop human to human transmission, it could make the 1918 flu pandemic pale into insignificance.  During the 1918 flu pandemic, the virus had a mortality rate of only 3%, yet more than 50 million people died.

Although the AI virus has not developed human-to-human transmission, all human cases have been related to direct contact with infected birds. The mortality rate in humans who have contracted this virus is 67%.

“Apart from the obvious fears for the human population, this virus is a very serious poultry pathogen and can cause 100% mortality in poultry populations.  Poultry meat and egg production is the staple protein source in most countries around the world. The virus is currently devastating the poultry industry world-wide,” said Prof Bragg.

Prof Bragg’s research activities on avian diseases started off with the investigation of diseases in poultry.  “The average life cycle of a broiler chicken is 42 days.  After this short time, they are slaughtered.  As a result of the short generation time in poultry, one can observe changes in microbial populations as a result of the use of vaccines, antibiotics and disinfectants,” said Prof Bragg.   

“Much of my research effort has been directed towards the control of infectious coryza in layers, which is caused by the bacterium Avibacterium paragallinarum.  This disease is a type of sinusitis in the layer chickens and can cause a drop in egg product of up to 40%,” said Prof Bragg.

The vaccines used around the world in an attempt to control this disease are all inactivated vaccines. One of the most important points is the selection of the correct strains of the bacterium to use in the vaccine.

Prof Bragg established that in South Africa, there are four different serovars of the bacterium and one of these, the serovar C-3 strain, was believed to be unique to Southern Africa. He also recently discovered this serovar for the first time in Israel, thus indicating that this serovar might have a wider distribution than originally believed.

Vaccines used in this country did not contain this serovar.  Prof Bragg established that the long term use of vaccines not containing the local South African strain resulted in a shift in the population distribution of the pathogen.

Prof Bragg’s research activities also include disease control in parrots and pigeons.   “One of the main research projects in my group is on the disease in parrots caused by the circovirus Beak and Feather Disease virus. This virus causes serious problems in the parrot breeding industry in this country. This virus is also threatening the highly endangered and endemic Cape Parrot,” said Prof Bragg.

Prof Bragg’s research group is currently working on the development of a DNA vaccine which will assist in the control of the disease, not only in the parrot breeding industry, but also to help the highly endangered Cape Parrot in its battle for survival.

“Not all of our research efforts are directed towards infectious coryza or the Beak and Feather Disease virus.  One of my Masters students is currently investigating the cell receptors involved in the binding of Newcastle Disease virus to cancerous cells and normal cells of humans. This work will also eventually lead to a possible treatment of cancer in humans and will assist with the development of a recombinant vaccine for Newcastle disease virus,” said Prof Bragg.

We are also currently investigating an “unknown” virus which causes disease problems in poultry in the Western Cape,” said Prof Bragg.
 
“Although disinfection has been extensively used in the poultry industry, it has only been done at the pre-placement stage. In other words, disinfectants are used before the birds are placed into the house. Once the birds are placed, all use of disinfectants stops,” said Prof Bragg.

“Disinfection and bio security can be seen as the ‘Cinderella’ of disease control in poultry.  This is also true for human medicine. One just has to look at the high numbers of people who die from hospital-acquired infections to realise that disinfection is not a concept which is really clear in human health care,” said Prof Bragg.

Much research has been done in the control of diseases through vaccination and through the use of antibiotics. “These pillars of disease control are, however, starting to crumble and more effort is needed on disinfection and bio security,” said Prof Bragg.

Prof Bragg has been working in close co-operation with a chemical manufacturing company in Stellenbosch to develop a unique disinfectant which his highly effective yet not toxic to the birds.

As a result of this unique product, he has developed the continual disinfection program for use in poultry. In this program the disinfectant is used throughout the production cycle of the birds. It is also used to ensure that there is excellent pre-placement disinfection.

“The program is extensively used for the control of infectious diseases in the parrot-breeding industry in South Africa and the product has been registered in 15 countries around the world with registration in the USA in the final process,” said Prof Bragg.

“Although the problem of plasmid mediated resistance to disinfectants is starting to rear its ugly head, this has allowed for the opening of a new research field which my group will hopefully exploit in the near future,” he said.

 

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