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

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

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

Drug regimens have not been optimised for individuals of African descent. This is due to several converging factors, including Africa’s diverse genetics, disproportionate disease burdens (and consequently a high dependency on specific drug regimens), as well as under-representation of local

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

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

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

Interferon Induced proteins with Tetratricopeptide repeats (IFIT) proteins are a family of antiviral proteins that have been shown to confer immunity against viral infection. IFIT proteins have been shown to be conserved in vertebrates, with homologues having been identified in several organisms