Innovations

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

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are immune system proteins that are used in targeted drug therapy and prophylaxis and are in high demand around the world to fight diseases. Despite advancements in biomedical technology, current methods for producing mAbs – primarily mammalian cell cultures – can be

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 CSIR has developed a smartphone technology that is used as a detection system for analysing biomolecular assays or chemical reactions. The smartphone is used to capture one or more images of the biomolecular assays, which are processed by way of bespoke hardware and software to provide

The CSIR has developed the next-generation ground-based surveillance and classification radar that enables automated detection and classification of movement over a wide area, enabling proactive protection of wildlife and other security applications. With the insights gained from Meerkat 1, the CSIR

A renewable energy powered street light which provides off-grid lighting. Powered by a combination system of a vertical axis wind turbine, a solar panel, and a rechargeable battery system. Twerly™ uses a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) to harvest wind energy and a standard 140W photovoltaic (PV)

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

The need for accurate, rapid and sensitive detection of bio-molecules is becoming ever more pressing. The aforementioned are needed in several industries, ranging from clinical diagnostics and screening to assessing microbial contamination in water and even plant disease diagnostics, to name just a

SUNSPOT is a solar thermal power plant with rock-bed storage, containing a unique set of patented and individually licensable Stellenbosch University technologies. The SUNSPOT cycle is appropriate and efficient for generating, storing and deploying solar power in arid regions.

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has rigorously investigated and conducted preclinical studies on the use of the South African indigenous plant species, Siphonochilus aethiopicus, commonly known as African ginger, in the treatment of allergic and respiratory diseases

According to the present invention, there is provided a process for extracting mucilage from succulent plants, in particular, the cladodes of the Opuntia ficus-indica or the leaves of the Aloe barbadensis or Agave Americana, the process comprising the steps of: Providing a source of cladodes or

The innovation describes a process for removing lead from a liquid such as contaminated water. The liquid is brought into contact with a PbrD protein which binds lead ions present in the liquid. The bound lead ions can then be recovered, for example as an insoluble salt or compound such as lead