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)

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

Acute kidney injury presents as a rapid decrease in renal function and can be caused by severe trauma, illness, surgery or chronic medication, such as the use of antiretroviral treatment. Many assays used in disease detection were developed decades ago, and their performance is lacking. This is the

Some 13,000 ships enter South Africa’s eight ports annually. These ports process some 10,000 containerised loads per day. Many industries rely on imports and exports via the country’s ports, where a safe port environment, with minimal disruptions while loading or offloading cargo, is critical

The invention is a leakage detection system for water pipelines installed in partially saturated soils. Most soils in South Africa and the rest of Africa are partially saturated because the water table is usually deep. Given the large amount of water lost from water distribution systems worldwide

The invention The invention uses plastic waste and Waste Foundry Sand (WFS) to produce building and construction material with a density of between 1700 and 1750 kg/m 3 . The plastic is melted and WFS is used to produce a paste for the moulding of building material. Problem solved Plastics are vital

Invention The invention relates to a food ink for use in a 3D printing process for the manufacture of food items, using extrusion-based printing techniques. Problem solved The printer can make foods with elaborate decorations and designs more easily than doing it by hand. It can enhance diversity

The invention consists of a unique hinge mechanism as an alternative to existing spectacle hinge configurations. This mechanism facilitates the customisation of spectacle frames while also reducing costs associated with customisation. The majority of eyewear frames uses hinging systems that are

A reusable sanitary pad that is uniquely designed to collect, retain and dispose of menstrual fluid. The reusable pad is used externally, it is hygienic and easy to clean. The most commonly used and commercially available menstrual hygiene products in South Africa are tampons and sanitary pads. The

The invention relates to a process for producing extracts with valuable bioactive compounds from waste pomace generated during olive oil processing, which in return also minimises the environmental burden generated by the waste products. The resulting olive extracts are a source of Vitamin E

Radar technology is well suited to solutions such as those to protect helicopters. The CSIR was approached by SAAB Grintek Defence, a leading supplier of aircraft self-protection suites, to collaboratively develop a radar-based hostile fire indicator sensor to add to its existing platform protection

A camera, roughly the size of that used for CCTV, can locate gunshots by detecting potassium emissions from the muzzle flash. Dubbed, ‘The K-line camera’ (K being the symbol for potassium on the periodic table), it can be integrated into a CCTV network in a hotspot area for gun-related crime