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06 August 2021 | Story André Damons | Photo Charl Devenish
Sherry-Allan Jacobs is an operational logistic officer at the South African Doping Control Laboratory (SADoCoL) and believes making an impact in helping to prevent drug misuse in sports is one of the most interesting aspects about the field of Anti-Doping Science.
The South African Doping Control Laboratory (SADoCoL), the only World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited laboratory in Africa and which is located at the University of the Free State (UFS), mostly consist of women – each with an important role they play in keeping this unit in formation.

For one of these women, Sherry-Allan Jacobs, an operational logistic officer, making an impact in helping to prevent drug misuse in sports is one of the most interesting aspects about the field of Anti-Doping Science. 

If you apply you mind to it anything is possible 

Jacobs, whose daily responsibilities includes receipt and opening of sample shipments and entering sample information into database, preparation of analytical batches, believes the possibilities for women in science are endless. If you apply your mind to it anything is possible, says Jacobs who is also handles queries to/from clients and reporting of results to clients.

Like every work environment, this job comes with its own challenges – especially since the Olympic Games are currently taking place in Japan and SADoCoL has a role to play in testing athletes samples from Africa.

“I think in every work environment, there are challenges which can be resolved by staying calm and just do the work to the best of my ability. The Olympic Games are a wonderful opportunity for athletes to showcase their talent and also bringing work to countries and generating business. For us as a unit, we stay positive and move forward with the work,” says Jacobs. 

The country still has a long way to go

By doing her utmost to be a better version of herself for the people around her in her personal and work life, Jacobs believe, she adds value as a woman to her community and scientist. 

With August being women’s month, Jacobs says the country has a long way to go. “Gender-based violence (GBV) is still a big issue in the country. Another issue (we are battling currently) is the COVID-19 pandemic as women's lives are at risk for the mere fact that most frontline workers are women.” 

According to Jacobs these challenges can be addressed by punishing the perpetrators who commits these heinous crimes of GBV while the law does its utmost best to protect women against this crime. To protect frontline workers, says Jacobs, each person should do their part in the fight against the virus. 
 

News Archive

Breeding of unique game requires a balance between conservation and sustainable use
2014-05-20

 

Game bred for qualities such as unconventional hair colour or horn quality, may on the long term have unexpected consequences for biodiversity and game farming.

This is according to the inaugural lecture of Prof Paul Grobler from the Department of Genetics at the University of the Free State (UFS).

Prof Grobler feels that the consequences of selective breeding should be examined carefully, as there is currently much speculation on the subject without sound scientific information to back it.

“At the moment, colour variation invokes much interest among game farmers and breeders. Unusual colour variants are already available in different game species. These unusual animals usually fetch much higher prices at auctions compared to prices for the ‘normal’ individuals of the species.”

Examples of these unusual variants are springbuck being bred in white, black or copper colours, the black-backed or ‘saddleback’ impala, and the gold-coloured and royal wildebeest.

A black-backed impala was recently sold for R5,7 million.

“Based on genetic theory, good reason exists why these practices need to be monitored, but one should also take care not to make the assumption that selective breeding will inevitably lead to problems,” warns Prof Grobler.

Grobler says that negative characteristics in a species can sometimes unwittingly be expressed during the selection process for a unique colour. “It is seen, for example, in purebred dogs where the breeding of a new race sometimes brings underlying genetic deviations in the species to the front.” He also believes that some of these animals may not be able to adapt to changing environmental conditions.

“However, one should also look at the positive side: because of the good demand for game, including unusual variants, there is much more game in South Africa today than in many decades. Balance should be found between the aims of conservation and the sustainable utilisation of game.”

Research at the UFS’s Department of Genetics is now trying to establish the genetic effects of intensive game breeding and predict the impact on biodiversity.

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