CPUT recently increased its number of specialised research units with the addition of the Biocatalysis and Technical Biology Research Group (BTB).
This unique research group, which consists of researchers from various backgrounds in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Microbiology, Biochemistry and Biotechnology, is researching biological ways to make useful chemical compounds such as anti-oxidants.
The group was formed by acclaimed researcher Prof Stephanie Burton, who was previously based at the University of Cape Town and before that at Rhodes University.
With Prof Burton’s move to CPUT to take up the Director of Postgraduate Studies post in January 2009, the group also relocated to the institution.
They are now based at the Bellville campus, in a state of the art “green” building, which was designed to house the BTB research group and their laboratory.
Dr Marilize Le Roes-Hill, who has been with BTB for several years, said they are working on a number of projects, of which many are potentially beneficial to various agricultural industries in the Western Cape Province.
Currently researchers are investigating the use of constructed wetlands to address winery waste water, since the wine industry produces huge volumes of waste water.
However, with strict legislation on pollution, they have to look for ways to treat waste water pollutants.
“Some of the wine farms have natural wetlands where they pump the winery waste water into. The water goes through the wetlands and by the time it reaches the rivers, most of the toxins have been removed,” she said.
Researchers found that fungi, bacteria and plants in the wetlands work together in order to break down pollutants.
However, some farms do not have natural wetlands and the possibility of constructed ones could be a solution to winery waste water pollution.
The BTB researchers are also investigating citrus waste water in order to see what organic oils, antioxidants and carbohydrates could be removed from fruit waste water and used to generate value added products.
They are also looking at biocatalytic production of antioxidants and investigating how they can be used in the health, nutraceutical and cosmetic industry.
Other projects are focusing on the production of bio-ethanol and the development of efficient bioprocesses.
Dr Nuraan Khan, who recently joined the group after completing her doctorate at the Institute for Microbial Biotechnology and Metagenomics at the University of the Western Cape , said the group is collaborating with a number of international researchers based in Italy, New Zealand, United Kingdom , Australia and Germany .
They are also working with researchers at the Universities of Cape Town, Stellenbosch , Western Cape and Rhodes, as well as a number of international research groups. Dr Khan said the group consists of 12 researchers, of whom five are postdoctoral Fellows. However, plans are in place to expand the group.
“We would like to attract postgraduate students from CPUT to join the research group to do Masters and doctoral degrees,” said Professor Burton
The BTB group’s strong record of successful completion of research projects has also seen it enjoy funding from a number of sources. Over the past 16 years, the group has raised a total of R24 000 000 in research funds.
The group's main funders have included the National Research Foundation, Water Research Commission, Innovation Fund, BHP -Billiton, Winetech, TMO (Pty) Ltd and the Technology and Human Resources for Industry Programme (THRIP).
By Candes Keating
Photo: Prof Stephanie Burton (sixth from left) and the members of the BTB Research Group stand outside their new research building.
Written by CPUT News
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