ResearchSpace
ResearchSpace is the institutional repository of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, unlocking knowledge, empowering impact, and preserving UKZN's research legacy.
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Recent Submissions
Type I, II, and III interferon responses in the female genital tract.
(2024) Ngubane, Slindile Brilliant Lyzeth.; Sivro, Aida.
Abstract available in PDF.
Inflammation and cellular immune phenotypes in TB/HIV co-infection.
(2023) Maseko, Thando Glory.; Sivro, Aida.; Archary, Derseree.
Abstract available in PDF.
Anti-HIV and Immunomodulatory properties of the fractionated crude extracts isolated from Alternaria alternate.
(2024) Kubheka, Mbali Xolile.; Mkhwanazi, Nompumelelo Prudence.; Ndlovu, Sizwe Innocent.
Abstract available in PDF.
Microbial community study of brine evaporation ponds: identification and analysis of the total organic carbon problem.
(2021) Rambaran , Vrishthi.; Nemukula, Aluwani.; Joslin, Paul Anthony.; Naidoo, Yougasphree.
Salt is an important compound as it is used by humans for everyday life. Salt production can occur from two processes: the use of seawater which is evaporated leaving the salt behind or the use of brine which is obtained from underground sources and undergoes the same process of evaporation as the seawater. The focus for this research will be on the microorganism population in salt produced from underground brine sources such as the source used by Botswana Ash (Pty) Ltd (Botash) which is the salt works that provided the samples for this research paper. The most important microorganism found in salt evaporation ponds is the green algae Dunaliella salina (D. salina) as discovered by previous studies. The main focus of this study was the identification of the microorganisms that are found within the salt evaporation ponds and the effect that the dominant D. salina population will have on the salt production process and also whether the dominant D. salina species can be used for production of important by-products to generate another source of income. The population genetics study on the samples from the various evaporation ponds at Botash has revealed the presence of many different microorganisms such as the bacterium Salinabacter, and the green algae Dunaliella salina which was revealed to be the dominant species. Other species such as archaea were also discovered within the salt evaporation ponds at Botash. The green algae D. salina was focused upon due to its dominance within the higher salinity ponds where it serves as the primary producer. The growth rate of the dominant D. salina species was observed in different conditions such as saline concentrations and different nitrogen sources. The results found that D. salina grows best at 3M salinity with NO3 or Urea as the nitrogen source. A study of the growth of D. salina when environmental factors were controlled showed that D. salina prefers high temperatures and high saline conditions for growth. D. salina also produces high value products such as beta carotene and Extra Polysaccharides (EPS). The production of these compounds are linked to the environmental conditions as it was found that beta carotene production is optimized when the cells are placed under stress during nitrogen starvation. EPS production occurs under all environmental conditions. The results from this research paper show that if the microbial community is controlled and optimized useful by-products can be produced, whilst minimal harm is done to the quality of salt produced.
Identification of Macrourus species (Teleostei: Gadiformes) found near Prince Edward Islands in the Southern Ocean using molecular and morphological analyse.
(2021) Shadamorgan, Vineshree.; Miya , Tshoanelo Portia.
The genus Macrourus belongs to the family Macrouridae that consist mainly of deep-sea fish. Macrourus contains five species that have a polar distribution, with one species, M. berglax, found in the Atlantic Ocean, and the other four species, M. carinatus, M. holotrachys, M. whitsoni and M. caml, found in the Southern Ocean. The species found in the Southern Ocean are morphologically similar to each other and have overlapping distributional patterns, as a result there have been instances of misidentifications within this genus. Based on morphological characteristics, previous studies have grouped the Southern Ocean Macrourus species into two pairs, viz M. carinatus and M. holotrachys, and M. whitsoni and M. caml. Despite overlapping occurrence elsewhere, morphological studies conducted in the Prince Edward Islands (PEIs) located in the Southern Ocean, have identified only one Macrourus species, M. carinatus. Since there are known cases of species misidentification using morphological identification and distribution overlap within this genus, there is a need for a molecular study that will complement the morphological data. There are no published molecular studies that reviewed species identification in these islands. This study aimed to identify Macrourus specimens found near the PEIs using molecular and morphological analyses. This assessment was done by sequencing the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene, and by measuring and counting morphometric and meristic characters. The BLAST search which had a sequence similarity of 99 – 100%, showed that there are two species represented in this dataset which were identified as M. carinatus and M. holotrachys. This observation was supported by both the phylogenetic and haplotype network trees, which formed two distinct clades. On the other hand, the morphological data did not separate the two species, supporting previous studies that discovered high levels of morphological similarity between M. carinatus and M. holotrachys, which ultimately led to their grouping and/or misidentification. It can therefore be concluded that there are at least two Macrourus species inhabiting waters around PEIs, which are morphologically similar.