??????????????????????Department of Microbiology??
- The South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) research chair in Biofuels and other clean Alternative fuels;
- The ERWAT Research Chair in Wastewater Management; and
- T?he Rand Water Chair in Public Health.?
FIELDS OF RESEARCH?
?Bacterial research
This broad field include projects on the molecular biology of bacteria and their plasmids; lactic acid bacteria, their taxonomy, their use in fermented foods, the bacteriocins that they produce and their industrial, veterinary and medical applications.
??Fungal and yeast research
We investigate the diversity and heterologous expression of enzymes used for the degradation of plant material in filamentous fungi and yeasts, with a broader focus on the application of enzymes in biorefineries and food processes. Other projects focus on enzyme discovery and engineering and improved gene expression in fungi and yeasts. There is considerable overlap in studying the activity of plant degradation enzymes, application of other industrially important enzymes, yeast physiology and genetics.
??Environmental research
F?ocuses on microbial communities of fynbos soil, with emphasis on selected genera such as
Cryptococcus, Mucor, Fusarium and Penicillium. Water-related research focusses on the monitoring and optimisation of domestic rainwater harvesting tanks, profiling of waterborne pathogens for antibiotic and metal resistance, water treatment and sanitation, as well as water resource management and utilization. The latter extends to environmental science, specifically to assess the various demands (e.g. for food production, energy) on natural resources.???
POSTGRADUATE QUALIFICATIONS?
HONOURS DEGREES? MASTER'S DEGREES? ?DOCTORAL? DEGREESProgramme Offering?
Honours Programmes? Master's Programmes Doctoral ProgrammesDepartments
Biochemistry? Botany & Zoology Chemistry & Polymer Science? Earth Sciences? Mathematical Sciences Microbiology? Physics Physiological Sciences?Centres
Centre for Bioinformatics and Computatio?nal Biology