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07 July 2025 | Story Martinette Brits | Photo Charl Devenish
NAS Conference
Leaders in science and innovation at the NAS Research Conference 2025. From the left: Prof Samuel Adelabu (Vice-Dean: Research and Postgraduate Studies in NAS), Prof Vasu Reddy (Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation), Prof Bonang Mohale (Chancellor), Prof Paul Oberholster (Dean of NAS), Dr Alba du Toit (Research Chair: Innovative Agro-Processing for Climate-Smart Food Systems), and Prof Daryl Codron (Department of Zoology and Entomology).

The inaugural Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (NAS) Research Conference at the University of the Free State (UFS) signalled a decisive shift in how science is being imagined and practised at the institution. The two-day gathering, which took place on 1 and 2 July 2025, not only showcased research excellence, but also marked the official launch of two flagship initiatives: the Green Futures Hub and the Complex Systems Hub. Both are designed to enable transdisciplinary research that connects across fields, responds to global and local challenges, and contributes to the university’s Vision 130 strategy.

The conference theme, Integrating science for societal impact and a sustainable future, framed the programme, which featured presentations by researchers, postgraduate students, and postdoctoral fellows across all NAS disciplines. Opening the event, Prof Paul Oberholster, Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, said: “This is more than a research gathering. It’s a signal – a step forward in our faculty’s approach to science, innovation, and impact.”

He emphasised that in a world marked by climate instability, digital disruption, and growing inequality, science must step forward not only to understand the world, but also to help shape it. “Our goal is to create research pathways that are sustainable, collaborative, and responsive to both local and global needs,” he said. The Green Futures Hub and the Complex Systems Hub are practical, future-facing platforms that make that vision real – connecting researchers, government, industry, and communities, he explained.

 

A catalyst for agricultural and environmental transformation

Prof Wayne Truter, Executive Manager of the Green Futures Hub, introduced the initiative as a catalyst for bringing applied science and sustainability together. He asked how innovation can translate into practical solutions that serve society and the environment. “We often focus so deeply on our disciplines that we forget to ask how our work creates social and economic impact,” he said.

The Green Futures Hub is a virtual platform and flagship of agricultural and environmental stewardship and sustainable development. It fosters partnerships that unleash value through nature-based solutions, land rehabilitation, climate risk finance, water resource management, bio-energy innovations, and more – by connecting researchers with industry, government, and international stakeholders. It also supports initiatives that enhance food and water security, investigate the coexistence of mining and agriculture, and address the carbon and nitrogen economy. The hub serves as a space for funding, knowledge transfer, and community transformation.

Prof Truter noted that complex societal challenges – from sustainable agriculture to the energy transition – cannot be solved by isolated disciplines. “Research must be applied in ways that industry and communities can understand and value,” he said. “If we want businesses to believe in science, we must speak their language and show relevance. The Green Futures Hub exists to bridge that gap.”

 

Science that responds to complexity

Prof Oberholster explained that the faculty’s second major initiative – the Complex Systems Hub – is designed to equip researchers to solve pressing problems in a digitally interconnected age. By bringing together data science, AI, advanced modelling, and interdisciplinary design, the hub strengthens the university’s ability to respond to global challenges.

“These are not abstract concepts,” he said. “They are practical responses to the question: how can we do science that matters?”

Dr Jacques Maritz, Head of the Unit for Engineering Sciences, who presented the launch, emphasised that complexity is not a threat to science – it is a source of innovation. “Scalability, unpredictability, nonlinearity, and emergence – these aren’t just buzzwords. They define the future of research.”

The Complex Systems Hub is a digital platform that enables agile, multidisciplinary teams to develop integrated responses to major issues such as climate change, pandemics, and space science. It connects NAS entities such as the Green Futures Hub, the One Health Centre of Excellence, and Advanced Materials Research to foster collaboration and innovation.

Dr Maritz explained that the hub bridges academic research and real-world application by creating spaces where diverse fields intersect. “If we want research to move from lab scale to real-world solutions, we need diverse teams working together – no single field can do this alone.”

Current projects include eco-friendly materials for sustainable construction, scientific water management using algae, and genomic surveillance for public health – all united by one goal: to turn complexity into opportunity and data into direction.

 

Bringing research closer to impact

Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation, officially opened the conference and praised the faculty for its foresight and leadership. “This conference is not only about exchanging ideas,” he said, “but about igniting conversations that matter.” Science, he noted, is not a luxury of the privileged, but “the lifeblood of progress,” and its success must be measured not only in citations but in consequences.

He reminded delegates that global challenges such as climate change, food insecurity, and biodiversity loss are no longer distant threats, but urgent realities. “Science must respond – not with silence, but with solutions and deeper questions.”

Referencing the university’s Vision 130 strategy, Prof Reddy said the goal is not just to be research-intensive, but to reimagine the role of science in society. “The world doesn’t necessarily need more data,” he said. “It needs more direction. If our research does not touch lives, it is not reaching far enough.”

He described the conference as a space to “plant ideas, cross-pollinate disciplines, and harvest innovation,” and applauded the launch of the two new research hubs as engines of hope and practical impact. Addressing postgraduate students and early-career researchers directly, he encouraged them to be curious, collaborative, and courageous: “You are not simply here to follow footsteps. You are here to forge new paths.”

 

Building a future grounded in our own narratives

Prof Bonang Mohale, the Chancellor, reminded delegates that science cannot be separated from history, context, or social justice. Quoting Emeritus Professor J Edward Chamberlin, he asked: “If this is your land, where are your stories?” He challenged researchers to ensure that science is not only excellent but also rooted in African realities and driven by the desire to transform society.

“Those nations that make English compulsory but agriculture optional are destined to produce a citizenry that speaks fluently – but on an empty stomach,” he said. “We must do science that describes, defines, and shapes this country in our own image.”

 

A faculty on the move

Over the two-day programme, students and researchers presented cutting-edge work aligned with the faculty’s wide range of disciplines and the university’s strategic research goals. The conference replaced the Flash Fact competition as NAS’s flagship research platform.

In closing, Prof Oberholster invited delegates to make the most of the opportunity to engage across disciplines. “Let’s ensure that the science we do here continues to transform lives – locally, nationally, and globally.”

News Archive

UFS receives R13,7 Million for Research into Prehistoric Organisms
2007-03-27

Some of the guests attending the launch of the research contract are: Dr Siyabulela Ntutela (Deputy Director: Biotechnology at the Department of Science and Technology), Dr Godfrey Netswera (Manager of Thuthuka and the Support Programme at the National Research Foundation (NRF)), Dr Esta van Heerden (Platform Manager and lecturer at the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology at the UFS), Mr Butana Mboniswa (Chief Executive Officer of BioPAD), and Mr Vuyisele Phehani (Portfolio Manager for BioPAD).
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

The University of the Free State (UFS) has been awarded a massive R13,7 million contract to conduct research into prehistoric micro-organisms which live under extreme conditions, for example in mineshafts.

This is one of the biggest research contracts awarded to the UFS in recent years.

The biotechnology research contract was awarded to the UFS by BioPAD, a South African biotechnology company that brokers partnerships between researchers, entrepreneurs, business, government and other stakeholders to promote innovation and create sustainable biotechnology businesses.

The project is endorsed by the Department of Science and Technology and the National Research Foundation (NRF), which contributes to the bursaries of the 17 postgraduate students on the programme.

The contract involves the establishment of a Platform for Metagenomics -  a technique which allows researchers to extract the DNA from microbes in their natural environment and investigate it in a laboratory. 

“Through this platform we will be able to understand deepmine microbial populations
and their potential application in the search for life in outer space.  It is most likely
that, if life were to be found on other planets in our solar system, it would probably
resemble that which existed millions of years ago on earth.  Apart from all this, these
organisms have unique properties one can exploit in biotechnological application for
South Africa and its community,” said Dr Esta van Heerden, platform manager and
lecturer at the UFS Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology.
She is assisted by her collegues, Prof. Derek Litthauer and Dr Lizelle Piater.

“The platform aims to tap into the unique genetic material in South African mines
which will lead to the discovery of new genes and their products.  These new and unique products will find application in the medical field (anti-cancer, anti-bacterial en anti-viral cures), the industrial sector (nanotechnology, commercial washing agents and the food industry), environmental sector (pollution management, demolition of harmful metals and other toxic waste),” said Dr Van Heerden.

According to Dr Van Heerden, the Metagenomics Platforms stems from the Life in
Extreme Environments (LExEN) programme which was started in 1994 by Princeton
University in the United States of America (USA) in South African mines with grants
from among others the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and
the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the USA.  Other international collaborators
on the project include Geosynec Consultants Inc. (USA), Oak Ridge National
Laboratory (USA), the University of Tennessee (USA) and in South Africa the
Universities of the Witwatersrand, North West and Limpopo and companies like BHP
Billiton, MINTEK and mining companies like Harmony, Gold Fields and AngloGold
Ashanti.

The research field laboratory of the Metagenomics Platform, which was situated in
Glen Harvey, was moved to the Main Campus of the UFS in Bloemfontein.  “In this
way the university has become the central hub for all research programmes.  We are
also the liaison between the LExEN programme and the various mining companies
involved,” said Dr Van Heerden.  The new laboratory was introduced during the
launch of the research contract.

“Our decision to commit BioPAD to this project stems from the company’s commitment to advance human capacity development to strengthen South Africa’s research infrastructure.  It is also part of our aim to create and protect intellectual property,” said Mr Butana Mboniswa, Chief Executive Officer of BioPAD.

Talking on behalf of the UFS senior management, Prof. Teuns Verschoor, Vice-Rector
of Academic Operations, said that the university shares the excitement to be part of
the exploration of unknown forms of life, the discovery of new genes and
their products and in applying newly gained knowledge to better understand our
universe.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison 
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl@ufs.ac.za
27 March 2007

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