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UFS emerging researchers receive first ‘Science Oscars’ nominations

09 May 2024 | Story André Damons | Photo Supplied

Science Oscars Winners 2024 — From top-left to right: Drs Claudia Ntsapi, Mpho Mafa, Angélique Lewies, Yolandi Schoeman, and Bimo Nkhata are dedicated to innovative solutions spanning from addressing brain aging to enhancing food security, developing xenograft scaffolds for regenerative medicine, transforming degraded terrains into vibrant landscapes, and protecting precious water resources. Prof Sandy-Lynn Steenhuisen's research team investigates the dynamics of mountain ecosystems in terms of pollination, seed dispersal and other aspects of plant reproductive ecology and vegetation community, largely assessing the impacts of climate change and invasive alien plants on these systems.

A neuropsychologist, a biochemist, a cell biologist, and an ecological engineer from the University of the Free State (UFS) have all received their first nomination in this year’s NSTF-South32 Awards. The four researchers have been nominated in the TW Kambule-NSTF Award: Emerging Researcher category.

These emerging researchers are part of a group of nine UFS researchers nominated for the ‘Science Oscars of South Africa’. Two other researchers; Prof Sandy-Lynn Steenhuisen, Associate Professor and Subject Head: Department of Plant Sciences and the Afromontane Research Unit (ARU), and Dr Bimo Abraham Nkhata, Senior Lecturer at the UFS Centre for Environmental Management (CEM), have also been nominated in the categories Green Economy and NSTF-Water Research Commission (WRC) respectively.

Preserving human brain health with age

Dr Claudia Ntsapi, who is passionate about exploring innovative solutions to address the gradual decline in normal brain function associated with aging, says the research that led to her nomination focuses on preserving human brain health to delay or prevent age-related conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease.

The nomination, she says, reaffirms the growing impact of their research efforts and reinforces her commitment to contributing toward enhancing the quality of life for individuals affected by age-related neurodegenerative diseases and their families.

“Leveraging advanced cell-based models that mimic human cellular environments, my research investigates the potential benefits of medicinal plants as supplementary treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. By utilising cutting-edge techniques, such as the innovative CelVivo ClinoStar 2 System, we strive to gain insights into the safety and efficacy of underexplored medicinal plants in preserving cognitive function and slowing disease progression.

“By exploring the untapped potential of bioactive compounds found in medicinal plants and nutraceuticals, our research group aims to contribute to the identification of novel therapeutic targets and the discovery of new avenues for intervention to improve the quality of life for individuals affected by age-related brain conditions,” Dr Ntsapi explains.

Improving food security, and renewable resources for circular economy

A humbled and excited Dr Mpho Mafa says his nomination is based on the impact and quality of research his group (carbohydrates and enzymology Laboratory: CHEM-Lab) produced since 2020.

“My research group uses biochemical, enzymological, and biotechnological techniques to study the physiological and biochemical functions of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) and carbohydrate metabolism during wheat interaction with rust disease-causing fungi or wheat infestation by a virulent Russian wheat aphid (RWA) biotype,” he said.

“The findings from these studies allow us to identify the key genes, enzymes, metabolites and biochemical processes used by wheat plants to reduce the effects of rust fungi or RWA damage, leading to improved plant health and yield. Thus, my research group uses innovative biochemistry/biotechnology approaches to protect the second-most important grain crop in South Africa against rust diseases and aphid attack.”

In addition, Dr Mafa uses the CAZymes in the field of lignocellulosic biorefinery to produce value-added products (VAPs), such as fermentable carbohydrates used in the production of second-generation biofuel for the circular economy.

“I want to thank the NRF-Thuthuka for funding the lignocellulosic biorefinery project which aims to improve the conversion rate of lignocellulose to VAPs through enzymatic catalysis processes.” Dr Mafa says.

Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine

According to Dr Angélique Lewies, this achievement was truly a team effort from her dedicated colleagues at the Robert WM Frater Cardiovascular Research Centre. She says the nomination validates her team’s hard work and dedication, and recognises their efforts to advance the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

“Our team has developed xenograft tissue scaffolds from non-human sources with a reduced potential to induce immune responses in human recipients, which are common causes of calcification, degradation, and failure of surgical scaffolds. We pioneered a processing technique that promotes cell infiltration, remodelling, and regeneration of the tissue. These xenografts are versatile, showing promise for use in various surgical disciplines, including cardiac and plastic surgery,” Dr Lewies says.

Induced pluripotent stem cells created from recipient skin cells, she explains, can be combined with the processed tissue, creating custom tissue products for improved patient-specific outcomes. Their research has successfully developed a method for processing bovine pericardium that not only mitigates calcification but also preserves mechanical properties and enhances host cell infiltration, significantly increasing the longevity of the tissue when used clinically.

Environmental and sustainability challenges

“This nomination is both an honour and an affirmation of the importance of ecological engineering in addressing today’s environmental challenges,” says Dr Yolandi Schoeman.

“It represents a recognition of the value and impact of integrating natural processes with engineering principles to create sustainable and resilient ecosystems whilst addressing some of our most pressing sustainability challenges,” Dr Schoeman says.

Her work primarily revolves around ecological engineering — a field that combines natural processes with engineering principles to address environmental and sustainability challenges. “I lead projects that transform degraded terrains into vibrant, functioning landscapes through bio-intelligent design, essentially converting ecological liabilities into assets. These systems are in many cases designed from microscopic level into mega supercell systems. We've developed over 20 conservation blueprints that integrate these principles at a landscape level, also preparing them for biodiversity financing.”

By founding and institutionalising the Ecological Engineering Institute of Africa (EEIA), the EEIA aims to spread this innovative approach, emphasising the importance of both scientific rigour and ecological viability continent-wide in Africa. The goal is to create sustainable, economically sound, and ecologically robust solutions that not only regenerate but enhance environmental health and resilience for the benefit of ecosystems and communities.

Addressing water challenges in South Africa

Dr Bimo Nkhata sees his nomination as a personal milestone and as a reflection of the importance of the work he is doing to address water challenges in South Africa. The nomination also reinforces his commitment to the cause, and inspires him to strive for even greater achievements in the future, he says.

“My research and work on sustainable water management is of utmost importance for South Africa because the country faces significant water quality challenges due to pollution from various sources, including agriculture, industry, and urbanisation. Sustainable water management practices ensure the availability of sufficient and clean water for various sectors, supporting economic growth, job creation, and poverty alleviation.

“My research and initiatives contribute to protecting and preserving the country’s precious water resources, ensuring they remain clean and safe for both human consumption and ecosystem health,” explains Dr Nkhata.

Ensuring a sustainable future for the earth

For Prof Steenhuisen, this nomination is a humbling experience which will go a long way to highlighting her research group’s research.

“This nomination was certainly not earned alone; I have a fantastic collaborative support team being recognised for all the late nights and monumental efforts of the team is a huge privilege and honour. It will hopefully attract funders and interest to further support our project needs,” she says.

According to her, their research team, dubbed the QPAIR lab for Qwaqwa Plant-Animal Interactions Research lab, investigates the dynamics of mountain ecosystems in terms of pollination, seed dispersal and other aspects of plant reproductive ecology and vegetation community, largely assessing the impacts of climate change and invasive alien plants on these systems.

Prof Steenhuisen says everyone should be working towards ensuring a sustainable future for the earth in terms of conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services that can lead to food security, resilient ecosystems and healthy human livelihoods. Climate change, the loss of biodiversity due to land degradation and the spread of invasive alien species threaten these services and especially sensitive systems such as those found in our mountains.

• The awards ceremony will take place on 11 July 2024.

News Archive

Position statement: Recent reporting in newspapers

2014-10-03

Statement by the Institutional Forum of the University of the Free State

You may have read reports in two Afrikaans newspapers, regarding recent events at the University of the Free State (UFS). Sadly, those reports are inaccurate, one-sided, exaggerated and based not on facts, but on rumour, gossip and unusually personal attacks on members of the university management.

Anyone who spends 10 minutes on our Bloemfontein Campus would wonder what the so-called ‘crisis’ is about.

We are left with no choice other than to consider legal action, as well as the intervention of the South African Press Ombudsman, among other steps, to protect the good name of the institution and the reputation of its staff. No journalist has the right to launch personal and damaging attacks on a university and its personnel, whatever his or her motives, without being fair and factual. In this respect, the newspapers have a case to answer.

But here are the facts in relation to the reports:

No staff member, whether junior or senior, is ever suspended without hard evidence in hand. Such actions are rare, and when done, are preceded by careful reviews of our Human Resource Policies, labour legislation and both internal and external legal advice. Then, and only then, is a suspension affected. A suspension, moreover, does not mean you are guilty and is a precautionary action to allow for the disciplinary investigation and process to be conducted, especially where there is a serious case to answer.
At no stage was the Registrar instructed to leave the university; this is patently false and yet reported as fact. We specifically responded to the media that the Registrar does outstanding work for the university and that it is our intention for him to remain as our Registrar through the end of his contract in 2016.
The Rector does not make decisions by himself. Senior persons, from the position of Dean, upwards, are appointed by statutory and other senior committees of the university and finally approved by Council. No rector can override the decision of a senior committee, and this has not happened at the UFS even in cases where the Rector serves as Chair of that committee. The impression of heavy-handed management at the top insults all our committee structures, including the Institutional Forum – the widest and most inclusive of stakeholder bodies at a university – which reports directly to Council on fairness and compliance of selection processes.
In the case of senior appointments, Council makes the final decision. Council fully supports the actions taken on senior appointments, including a recent senior suspension. The fact that one Council member resigns just before the end of his term, whatever the real reason for this action, does not deter from the fact that the full Council in its last sitting approved the major staffing decisions brought before it. The image therefore that the two newspapers try to create of great turmoil and distress at the university, is completely unfounded.

Even if we wanted to, the university obviously cannot provide details about staffing decisions, especially disciplinary actions in process, since the rights of individuals should be protected in terms of the Human Resource Policies and procedures of the UFS. But that does not give any newspaper the right to speculate or state as fact that which is based on rumour or gossip, or to slander senior personnel of the university. For these reasons, we have been forced to seek legal remedy and correction as a matter of urgency.

Make no mistake, underlying much of the criticism of the university has been a distress about transformation at the UFS; in particular, the perception is created that white colleagues are losing their jobs. The evidence points in the opposite direction. Our progress with equity has been slow and we lag far behind most of the former white universities; that is a fact. More than 90% of our professors are white; most of our senior appointments at professorial level and as heads of department are still overwhelmingly white. Reasonable South Africans would agree that our transformation still has a long way to go and only the mean-spirited would contend otherwise. But based on the two Afrikaans newspaper reports, an impression is left of the aggressive rooting out of white colleagues.

In the past few years the academic standard of the university has significantly improved. We now have the highest academic pass rates in years, in part because we raised the academic standards for admission four years ago. We now have the highest rate of research publications, and among the highest national publication rate of scholarly books, in the history of the UFS. We have one of the most stable financial situations of any university in South Africa, with a strong balance sheet and growing financial reserves way beyond what we had before. We now attract top professors from around the country and other parts of the world, and we have the highest number of rated researchers, through the National Research Foundation, than ever before. And after the constant turmoil of a number of years ago, we now have one of the most stable campuses in South Africa. Those are the facts.

The UFS is also regarded around the world as a university that has become a model of transformation and reconciliation in the student body. The elections of our Student Representative Council are only the most visible example of how far we have come in our leadership diversity. Not a week goes by in which other universities, nationally and abroad, do not come to Kovsies to consult with us on how they can learn from us and deepen their own transformations, especially among students.

Rather than focus on what more than one senior journalist, in reference to the article in Rapport of 21 September 2014, rightly called ‘a hatchet job’ on persons and the university, here are the objective findings of a recent survey of UFS stakeholders: 92% endorse our values; 77% agree with our transformation; 78% believe we are inclusive; and 78% applaud our overall reputation index. Those are very different numbers from a few years ago when the institution was in crisis.

This is our commitment to all our stakeholders: we will continue our model of inclusive transformation which provides opportunities for study and for employment for all South Africans, including international students and colleagues. We remain committed to our parallel-medium instruction in which Afrikaans remains a language of instruction; we are in fact the only medical school in the country that offers dual education and training in both Afrikaans and English for our students - not only English. We provide bursaries and overseas study opportunities to all our students, irrespective of race. And our ‘future professors’ programme is richly diverse as we seek the academic stars of the future.

We are not perfect as a university management or community. Where we make mistakes, we acknowledge them and try to do better the next time round. But we remain steadfast in our goal of making the UFS a top world university in its academic ambitions and its human commitments.

END

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