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08 May 2024
Photo SUPPLIED
The Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Prof Paul Oberholster, has the pleasure of inviting you to the inaugural lecture of Prof Dirk Opperman.
Date: 21 May 2024
Time: 17:30
Venue: Equitas
Click here to RSVP before Wednesday, 15 May 2024. Alternatively, contact Christelle van Rooyen on +27 51 401 9190.
About Prof Dirk Opperman
Prof Dirk Opperman obtained his PhD in Biochemistry at the University of the Free State in 2008. This was followed by postdoctoral research on directed evolution with Prof Manfred T Reetz at the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research (Germany). In 2010, he was appointed in the Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry. He subsequently established structural biology at the UFS, and his current research focus lies at the interface of evolutionary and structure-function relationships of biocatalysts, and their application in green chemistry. He is an NRF B-rated researcher with co-authored papers in Science, Nature Communications, and Angewandte Chemie.
His research has been funded by both local and international organisations, ranging from industries such as SASOL to the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF, UK). He has a long-standing collaboration with researchers at the Delft University of Technology (TUDelft, the Netherlands) and is currently part of a European Research Area Network Cofund (ERA-NET Cofund) partnership on Food Systems and Climate (FOSC) that develops biocatalysts for upcycling waste.
Kovsie’s short film in top 10 at Jozi Film Festival
2017-08-15
The public can now vote for Dieter du Plessis’
short film, The Ascension, in the Don’t Stop Wondering
competition at the Jozi Film Festival. Photo: Supplied
An outdoor running adventure, a passion for filmmaking and a scenic environment is what made Dieter du Plessis create the adrenaline-driven short film The Ascension.
Dieter, a second year BSc Quantity Surveying student, made the film, which is in the top 10 of the Don’t Stop Wondering competition at the Jozi Film Festival, in partnership with Discovery Networks Africa. “I always had a passion for filmmaking and when a friend informed me about the competition, I just had to enter,” Dieter said.
The Ascension follows trail runner, Simeon du Toit, across a mountainous landscape leaping and running over rugged terrain. Simeon also provides the voice-over that explains the essentials of mountain climbing. Simeon is a keen climber and was the perfect casting choice as he is familiar with the area. “The competition wants to embrace the African spirit, so I wanted to shoot outside to truly capture the African landscapes.”
The Ascension first aired on the Discovery Channel on DStv channel 121 on 1 August 2017. It will air again on 17 and 23 August 2017 at 13:35 and 20:00 respectively. The competition closes on 30 August 2017.
To vote for The Ascension, go to the Discovery Africa website.