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UFS delegation visits BUAN to strengthen ties in research and education

05 November 2024 | Story Jacky Tshokwe | Photo Supplied

BUAN Delegates — Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN) delegates that recently visited the University of the Free State to solidify a collaboration.

During an inspiring journey, a delegation from the University of the Free State (UFS) recently visited the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN) with an ambitious goal: to solidify a collaboration that was sparked during the visit of BUAN’s Vice-Chancellor to the UFS and subsequent discussions in Namibia. The atmosphere was one of shared purpose and excitement as the UFS representatives, led by the Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, the Vice-Dean: Agriculture, and the Vice-Dean: Postgraduate and Research, embarked on this significant academic endeavour.

This visit was not just a formal gesture, it was a step towards tangible, mutual benefits for students and staff of both institutions. The discussions between the UFS and the BUAN leadership, which centred around possibilities for student and staff exchanges and shared access to specialised equipment, pointed to the potential of creating a dynamic bridge between South African and Botswana academia. This partnership envisions collaborative supervision of postgraduate students, creating opportunities for intellectual growth that transcends borders. The two universities also explored joint funding applications and research avenues, with particular interest in BUAN’s innovative Meat Institute and AgroVolts solar panel project. Seeing the BUAN’s progress in renewable energy left the UFS team particularly impressed, reflecting the possibilities for sustainable development and resource-sharing that a partnership could yield.

During the discussions, the UFS delegation had a pivotal meeting with the BUAN’s Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic and Research, Prof Samodimo Ngwako, who had previously visited the UFS. His familiarity with the UFS’ resources and vision made him an invaluable advocate for bridging the two institutions, highlighting how their strengths could complement each other. Prof Ngwako’s insights helped BUAN staff visualise the meaningful exchange of expertise and resources that could benefit both student bodies and contribute to third-stream income generation.

With the way forward clear, both the UFS and BUAN teams agreed on ‘quick steps’ to launch the collaboration – the swift signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), followed by the first exchange of students and staff, and the launch of co-supervised research projects. While specific timelines and milestones are to be confirmed post-MoU, both teams are keen on joint funding applications, especially in areas relevant to agricultural and natural resources both within Africa and beyond. This partnership, once formalised, is expected to solidify both universities as leading research hubs in agriculture and natural resources, advancing each institution’s standing on the continent.

Reflecting on the visit, the UFS delegation felt a deep sense of optimism. The collaboration between the UFS and the BUAN aligns seamlessly with the UFS’ broader vision for strengthening ties with African universities, showcasing a forward-thinking approach to partnerships. As the journey towards meaningful collaboration progresses, the shared enthusiasm witnessed at the BUAN serves as a hopeful reminder that academia – when united by common goals – can drive impactful change for students, faculty, and communities on both sides of the border.

News Archive

UFS study on cell development in top international science journal

2008-09-16

A study from the University of the Free State (UFS) on how the change in the packaging of DNA with cell development influenced the expression of genes, will be published in this week’s early edition of the prestigious international, peer-reviewed science journal, the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA (PNAS).

The PNAS journal has an impact factor of 10, which means that studies published in the journal are, on average, referred to by ten other scientific studies in a two year period. The South African Journal of Science, by comparison, has an impact factor of 0.7.

The UFS study, funded by the Wellcome Trust and the National Research Foundation (NRF), looked at how the change in the packaging of DNA with cell development influenced the expression of genes. It is very relevant to research on stem cells, an area of medicine that studies the possible use of undifferentiated cells to replace damaged tissue.

Prof. Hugh Patterton, of the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology at the UFS, who led the study, said: "We are extremely proud of this study. It was conceived in South Africa, it was performed in South Africa, the data were analysed in South Africa, and it was published from South Africa."

When a gene is expressed, the information encoded in the gene is used to manufacture a specific protein. In eukaryotes, which include humans, there is approximately 1m of DNA, containing the genes, in every cell. This length of DNA has to fit into a cell nucleus with a diameter of only about 10 micrometer. In order to fit the DNA into such a small volume, eukaryotic cells wrap their DNA onto successive protein balls, termed nucleosomes. Strings of nucleosomes, resembling a bead of pearls, is folded into a helix to form a chromatin fiber. The study from the UFS investigated how the binding of a specific protein, termed a linker histone, that binds to the length of DNA between nucleosomes, influenced the formation of the chromatin fiber and also the activity of genes.

"We found that the linker histone bound to chromatin in yeast, which we use as a model eukaryote, under conditions where virtually all the genes in the organism were inactive. It was widely believed that the binding of the linker histone caused the inactivation of genes. We studied the relationship between the amount of linker histone bound in the vicinity of each gene and the expression of that gene for all the genes in yeast, using genomic techniques. We made the surprising discovery that even through the linker histone preferentially bound to genes under conditions where the genes were shut off, this inactivation of genes was not caused by the binding of the linker histone and folding of the chromatin,” said Prof. Patterton.

He said: “Instead our data strongly suggested that the observed anti-correlation was due to the movement of enzymes along the DNA molecule, involved in processing the information in genes for the eventual manufacture of proteins. This movement of enzymes displaced the linker histones from the DNA. This finding now requires a rethink on aspects of how packaging of DNA influences gene activity."

Prof. Patterton said that his research group, using the Facility for Genomics and Proteomics as well as the Bioinformatics Node at the UFS, was currently busy with follow-up studies to understand how other proteins in nucleosomes affected the activities of genes, as well as with projects to understand how chemicals found in red wine and in green tea extended lifespan. "We are certainly having a marvelous time trying to understand the fundamental mechanisms of life, and the UFS is an exciting place to be if one was interested in studying life at the level of molecules," he said.

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za
18 September 2008

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