UP Research Matters

This Women’s Month, we celebrate Dr Loandi Richter Mouton and Prof Lise Korsten, whose research is illuminating the environmental dimensions of antimicrobial resistance and providing the knowledge we need to protect both people and the planet.

Read more in the article ‘Unveiling the silent threat’ in issue 13 of UP’s ‘ReSearch' magazine:https://ow.ly/HC2T50ZzMsT

Meet UP’s Prof Suryakanthie Chetty, whose research explores how science and technology are connected to power. Her research shows how scientific knowledge can enhance government power and control the flow of information.

Read more in the article ‘When war drives innovation and inequality’ in issue 14 of UP’s ‘ReSearch’ magazine: https://ow.ly/4nsV50Zwhl7

UP researcher Dr Bharti Arora is a wildlife endocrinologist whose research focuses on optimising and standardising blubber hormone extraction protocols to improve the accuracy, reproducibility and comparability of endocrine assessments across laboratories. Her work aims to establish a gold-standard protocol that is safer, more efficient and widely applicable.

Read more in the article ‘Sentinels of our changing seas’ in issue 13 of UP’s ReSearch magazine. https://ow.ly/4Vak50ZxEeM

This Women’s Month we celebrate Julia Mamabolo whose research explores collaboration among students to succeed. In the age of online learning, this research emphasises the social dimensions of digital education where support structures lead to academic success.

Read more in the article ‘No one studies alone’ in issue 14 of UP’s ReSearch magazine: https://ow.ly/bAuF50Zwj21

Could the future of wound care be 3D-printed?

Meet Dr Hafiza Parkar, a UP pharmacologist developing personalised collagen structures that could help the body repair chronic and complex wounds.

Her research could offer new possibilities for people living with burns, ulcers and wounds that struggle to heal. This Women’s Month, we celebrate the women behind research that could change lives. Read more: https://www.nature.com/articles/d44148-026-00205-w

UP researchers Dr Senate Mafike and Prof Tendani Mawela emphasise the importance of enabling blockchain networks to communicate effectively with one another and existing legacy systems. Achieving interoperability is essential yet has been difficult to accomplish. As organisations adopt blockchain strategically, they aim to improve processes, enhance customer experiences and gain a competitive edge. This research encourages broader adoption while unlocking the technology’s full potential.

Read more in the article ‘Linking the digital chain’ in issue 11 of UP’s ReSearch magazine. https://indd.adobe.com/view/089a2738-443d-47b4-8c00-f3e562cb5117

EYE ON BRAIN HEALTH: Brain tumours and hydrocephalus are closely tied to the flow of brain fluid. UP researchers are tracking how it moves – through the eye, doing away with the need to insert monitors into the brain. “By using advanced, non-invasive eye imaging, researchers can detect signs of altered fluid flow and pressure,” says Prof Llewellyn Padayachy. Read more: https://ow.ly/tfB650ZukQS

What makes a hippopotamus bite so dangerous? Beyond its powerful bite force and enormous teeth, a hippo’s mouth can harbour a hidden threat: bacteria. A groundbreaking University of Pretoria study identified 41 different bacterial species in the hippopotamus mouth, offering important new insight into the infection risks linked to hippo bite wounds. Take a closer look at the remarkable, and potentially deadly, facts behind one of the world’s most formidable mammals.

Read more on UP Research Matters: https://ow.ly/Cgar50ZtNM8

UP researcher Yvonne Reilly is advancing new ways to safeguard biodiversity and ensure a sustainable future. Her focus is on how conservation management frameworks supports internal auditors in assessing environmental responsibility and accountability. By strengthening oversight, she helps protect the promises made to nature and future generations.

Read more in the article ‘Balancing nature’s chequebook’ in issue 1 of UP’s ReSearch magazine. https://indd.adobe.com/view/546b52a9-9c8c-401f-bec7-837445f4614a

NATIONAL SCIENCE MONTH: Research into edible insects as sustainable sources of protein could be the answer to food and nutrition security. Prof Abdullahi Ahmed Yusuf, Humboldt Ambassador Scientist in South Africa, explains that UP researchers in the Department of Zoology and Entomology are developing cost-effective practices and legislation in order to ensure the sustainable use of insects.
Read more in the article ‘Insects à la Carte’ in issue 10 of UP’s ‘ReSearch’ magazine:

https://ow.ly/QLk550ZsY3E