This is the news blog for the Division of Molecular Biology & Human Genetics and the Division of Immunology
Greetings friends – we hope you are ready for great #MenInScience profile. Today’s featured Scientist for the #MenOfMay blog series is Mr Kudzanai Tapfuma, a PhD candidate within the Mycochem Lab of the TB Drug Discovery Research Group at the Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics. Mr Tapfuma is originally…
Hello there – and welcome to our first official #MenOfMay blog series post! We are so excited to have you and hope that this series serves as a source of inspiration and encouragement to all those who are trying to navigate the new normal. Our featured Scientist this #MotivationMonday is…
Celebrating the Brilliant male minds of MBHG As a follow-up to the “Woman’s History Month” Blog series, which highlighted the incredible #WomanInScience within out division, we will be featuring various #MenInScience throughout the month of May. For this series, we have selected a group of professors, senior researchers and postdoctoral…
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease primarily caused by infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Mtb is transmitted through aerosol droplets released when a patient with pulmonary TB coughs. TB pathogenesis begins when the inhaled bacteria arrive at the alveolar region of the lungs. There resident alveolar macrophages, serving as the…
Statistical models are a lot like beauty pageants. You can philosophically discuss what truth/beauty really is or rant about how models don’t represent the general population. Both have curves, tight fits and ways to cover up unfortunate data points. Both are slightly obsessed with perfection, while both actually know this…
Imagine if the human body was as transparent as a jellyfish. This would mean that as we take a bite of an apple, we can track how it goes from the mouth to the stomach, how it gets digested and circulated all through the body. Life will be a lot…
Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is transmitted from one individual to the next through aerosols [1]. Upon TB infection, the pathogen can either be successfully cleared from the lungs as a result of the innate immune response or acquired T-cell…
I am a molecular biologist which means that I study the organization and functions of the genes and proteins that make up cells. A major flaw in my field is that we tend to be obsessive about the minutest details. Whole PhD projects can focus on the role of one…
Of all the information shared to me by my microbiology lectures in undergrad, one analogy stood out the most: “if alien’s visited the planet and said ‘We come in peace. Take us to your leader.’ I would point to a random space occupied by any number and variety of bacteria” Dr. Bouwer.…
It is no secret that Southern Africa shoulders a major burden with regards to tuberculosis (TB), indeed fifth highest in the world. But did you know that TB also affects domestic animals such as cattle? And when you’re on a game drive in the beautiful Kruger National Park to spot a lioness…