Innovations

Baobab LIMS is an African-led innovation that was developed as part of the B3Africa consortium. It is an affordable sample and laboratory management tool for biobanking that has been implemented in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), which previously (due in part to financial constraints)

South Africa harbours the highest number of rape incidents in the world, and sexual assault and rape cases in the entire SADC region are estimated at a minimum of 55 000 cases per year. Crime scene investigations utilise DNA technology on a regular basis. In cases of rape or sexual abuse, male

The collection and preservation of biological material for further DNA and RNA analysis are critical to many biomedical fields, from medical diagnostics to forensics and biodiversity conservation. The Forensic DNA lab at the University of the Western Cape has developed a novel, proprietary DNA

Surfactants are amphipathic molecules with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties that partition preferentially at the interface between fluid phases, such as oil/water or air/water interfaces. Such characteristics confer excellent detergency, emulsifying, foaming, and dispersing traits, which

The recombinant LSDV-BCoV vaccine is an innovative dual vaccine designed to provide simultaneous protection against Lumpy Skin Disease Virus (LSDV) and Bovine Coronavirus (BCoV). It utilises a recombinant LSDV vector to express key BCoV antigens, including the spike (S1 and S2 subunits) and

The PAGA is an all-in-one anthropometric device designed for preterm and fragile infants, providing accurate, minimally invasive growth measurements in hospital and clinic settings, including low-resource environments. It captures all key metrics in one tool: weight, length, head circumference, foot

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

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

A biological solution using yeast strains which naturally remove chitinase enzymes responsible for haze formation. Adding these yeast cells to wine or grape must results in a crystal-clear product without the need for bentonite or synthetic additives.

Advances in diagnostic technologies have expanded the use of saliva as a valuable testing medium. Saliva collection is simple, non-invasive, and avoids many of the challenges associated with blood or sputum sampling, making it highly suitable for point-of-care and community-based screening. As part