Innovations

Many of the commonly used food preservatives and microbial agents are synthetic compounds. In recent years, there has been an increased interest in avoiding or eliminating the use of synthetic compounds and in developing and promoting the use of natural materials for use as antimicrobial agents

A novel bioreactor system that uses membranes to create a compartmentalised system where two or more species can be co-cultured without mixing of species, while ensuring rapid exchange of metabolites and proteins between compartments and shared medium composition. The system operates continuously

The CSIR has established a bioconversion platform that focuses on alternative pathways for chemical production. The platform is geared towards local production and replacing imports of bio-based platform chemicals, including lactic acid. This shift will have a direct impact on the bioeconomy. The

Academic staff rating index (AR Index) is an interactive platform for supervision management. It is designed to enhance the student-supervisor relationship while also providing a rating index for supervisors. AR index aims to improve transparency and quality of academic student supervision by

KaziHealth is a health promotion programme consisting of a behaviour change model that targets health behaviours, as well as perceived levels of stress and mental health outcomes. This includes a health risk assessment, an online short learning programme and the KaziHealth mobile app. These tools

Prosopis Glandulosa commonly referred to as Honey Mesquite, has been discovered to strengthen skeletal muscle and boost healing of contused skeletal muscle. The plant is easy and cheap to cultivate. Harvesting of the plant will not deplete any natural resources. Tests on rat models scientifically

Toxi Trail™ is an educational board game developed at Stellenbosch University to strengthen toxicology knowledge and clinical reasoning among healthcare professionals. Building on earlier game-based learning tools, the design incorporates realistic toxicology scenarios, variable difficulty levels

This technology introduces a new class of zwitterionic polymers designed to gently break apart lipid bilayers and form stable lipid nanodiscs. These nanodiscs can capture and isolate membrane proteins in an environment that closely mimics their natural state. At the core of the invention is a

The Department of Chemical Engineering at Stellenbosch University has developed a novel solvent-based process for extracting cannabinoids directly from plant-wax waste streams generated during industrial processing. The method uses a simple but effective combination of two immiscible solvents, one

ImmerseCell is a virtual reality experience (VLE) to teach undergraduate and postgraduate students about key cellular structures with an interactive, narrated, guided experience (Figure 1, Figure 2). The team utilised real-world microscopy data of various key cellular structures in the mammalian

This technology makes it possible to grow tiny, three-dimensional (3D) pieces of human heart tissue, called cardiac spheroids. It models the functions of a real heart and recreates key features of cardiometabolic disease such as insulin resistance and high fat levels. What makes this technology a

Researchers at Stellenbosch University have developed a proprietary buffer that enables a high-temperature (50°C) IVT process, solving a key industry challenge. Unlike standard buffers that suffer a ~40% yield loss at high temperature, this formulation maintains ~93% RNA yield with standard enzyme