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18 March 2021 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Elfrieda Lotter
From the Centre for Microscopy are, from the left: Edward Lee, Prof Koos Terblans, Hanlie Grobler, and Nonkululeko Phili-Mgobhozi.
In its quest to inspire excellence, the University of the Free State (UFS) is in the process of installing state-of-the-art microscopy instruments that will differentiate them as leaders in materials research.

This project to the value of R65 million will not only promote research in, among others, the fields of Chemistry, Physics, Microbiology, Geology, Plant Sciences, Zoology, and Cardiothoracic Surgery, but it will also increase the number of research articles published. 

Prof Koos Terblans, Head of the Department of Physics and Director of the Centre for Microscopy at the UFS, indicates that the university recently purchased a high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and a focused ion beam secondary electron microscope. 

“The installation of the equipment that was delivered on 1 March 2021 will take approximately three to six months,” he says. 

Research at another level

The biggest instrument, the HRTEM, allows for direct imaging of the atomic structure of samples. This powerful tool will allow researchers to study the properties of materials on an atomic scale. It will, for instance, be used to study nanoparticles, semiconductors, metals, and biological material.

The instrument will also be used to optimise heat treatment of materials, as it can heat the sample up to 1000 °C while recording live images of the sample. “With this apparatus, the UFS is the only institution in South Africa that can perform this function,” says Prof Terblans. 

He says to install the apparatus, they had to dig a hole of 2 m deep in a special room where the machine was to stand. The machine was then mounted on a solid concrete block (4 m x 3 m x 2 m) in order to minimise vibration. The instrument also acquired a special air conditioner that minimises the movement of air in the room. 

The focused ion-beam secondary electron microscope that was purchased, is used together with the HRTEM, explains Prof Terblans. It is used to cut out samples on a microscopic level to place inside the HRTEM. 

Having access to both the HRTEM and the ion-beam secondary electron microscope places the UFS at another level with its research, says Prof Terblans. 

At the forefront of microscopy 

The third machine acquired, the SEM – which is an electron microscope – allows researchers to produce images of a sample by scanning the surface of the sample with a focused beam of electrons. Prof Terblans says this machine will be used to serve researchers in the biology field with high-resolution SEM photos. 

The UFS Centre for Microscopy can, besides UFS researchers, be accessed by researchers from the Central University of Technology, the national museum, and other research facilities. 

With this injection of state-of-the-art equipment, the UFS is now more than ever at the forefront of research in South Africa. 

Prof Koos Terblans (left) with Prof Jannie Swarts. Prof Swarts is from the Department of Chemistry and manager of the expensive equipment fund of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. They stand in front of the new HRTEM.
Prof Koos Terblans (left) with Prof Jannie Swarts. Prof Swarts is from the Department of Chemistry and manager of the expensive equipment fund of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. They stand in front of the new HRTEM.
The high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and a focused ion-beam secondary electron microscope.
The high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and a focused ion-beam secondary electron microscope.

News Archive

Fight against Ebola virus requires more research
2014-10-22

 

Dr Abdon Atangana
Photo: Ifa Tshishonge
Dr Abdon Atangana, a postdoctoral researcher in the Institute for Groundwater Studies at the University of the Free State (UFS), wrote an article related to the Ebola virus: Modelling the Ebola haemorrhagic fever with the beta-derivative: Deathly infection disease in West African countries.

“The filoviruses belong to a virus family named filoviridae. This virus can cause unembellished haemorrhagic fever in humans and nonhuman monkeys. In literature, only two members of this virus family have been mentioned, namely the Marburg virus and the Ebola virus. However, so far only five species of the Ebola virus have been identified, including:  Ivory Coast, Sudan, Zaire, Reston and Bundibugyo.

“Among these families, the Ebola virus is the only member of the Zaire Ebola virus species and also the most dangerous, being responsible for the largest number of outbreaks.

“Ebola is an unusual, but fatal virus that causes bleeding inside and outside the body. As the virus spreads through the body, it damages the immune system and organs. Ultimately, it causes the blood-clotting levels in cells to drop. This leads to severe, uncontrollable bleeding.

Since all physical problems can be modelled via mathematical equation, Dr Atangana aimed in his research (the paper was published in BioMed Research International with impact factor 2.701) to analyse the spread of this deadly disease using mathematical equations. We shall propose a model underpinning the spread of this disease in a given Sub-Saharan African country,” he said.

The mathematical equations are used to predict the future behaviour of the disease, especially the spread of the disease among the targeted population. These mathematical equations are called differential equation and are only using the concept of rate of change over time.

However, there is several definitions for derivative, and the choice of the derivative used for such a model is very important, because the more accurate the model, the better results will be obtained.  The classical derivative describes the change of rate, but it is an approximation of the real velocity of the object under study. The beta derivative is the modification of the classical derivative that takes into account the time scale and also has a new parameter that can be considered as the fractional order.  

“I have used the beta derivative to model the spread of the fatal disease called Ebola, which has killed many people in the West African countries, including Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, since December 2013,” he said.

The constructed mathematical equations were called Atangana’s Beta Ebola System of Equations (ABESE). “We did the investigation of the stable endemic points and presented the Eigen-Values using the Jacobian method. The homotopy decomposition method was used to solve the resulted system of equations. The convergence of the method was presented and some numerical simulations were done for different values of beta.

“The simulations showed that our model is more realistic for all betas less than 0.5.  The model revealed that, if there were no recovery precaution for a given population in a West African country, the entire population of that country would all die in a very short period of time, even if the total number of the infected population is very small.  In simple terms, the prediction revealed a fast spread of the virus among the targeted population. These results can be used to educate and inform people about the rapid spread of the deadly disease,” he said.

The spread of Ebola among people only occurs through direct contact with the blood or body fluids of a person after symptoms have developed. Body fluid that may contain the Ebola virus includes saliva, mucus, vomit, faeces, sweat, tears, breast milk, urine and semen. Entry points include the nose, mouth, eyes, open wounds, cuts and abrasions. Note should be taken that contact with objects contaminated by the virus, particularly needles and syringes, may also transmit the infection.

“Based on the predictions in this paper, we are calling on more research regarding this disease; in particular, we are calling on researchers to pay attention to finding an efficient cure or more effective prevention, to reduce the risk of contamination,” Dr Atangana said.


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