Neuroscience in Africa
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ISSUE 4/2019 Neuroscience in Africa Minerals to Metals Tackling leishmaniasis Flows of fertility Mining that is more sensitive After malaria, it’s the next most Mapping movements in to people and planet deadly protozoan disease the global fertility industry umthombo 2 contents Umthombo is the isiXhosa word for a natural spring of water or fountain. The Research notes 2 most notable features Millions donated to of a fountain are its drug discovery 4 natural occurrence 18 and limitlessness. Fair work in the gig economy 5 Umthombo as a name Art exploring what it means positions the University to be African 6 of Cape Town, and this 6 publication in particular, Spotlight on neuroscience 8 as a non-depletable well of knowledge. Brain gain: African institute of excellence 10 Epilepsy: a collaborative cure 12 Inside growing brains 14 22 Brain injury and infection: the burden in children 15 Banishing phantom pain 16 Sequencing the future 17 Life is in the details 18 Judges: appointing the right person for the job 20 Global flows of fertility 22 Antarctic cyclones reshuffle sea ice 25 Spotlight on Minerals to Metals 26 Leishmaniasis needs 8 more attention 32 Researchers without borders: a novel collaboration with 26 the University of Bristol 34 An African perspective on gene editing 35 32 5 questions with Hafeni Mthoko 36 RESEARCH NOTES Benefi ts of breastfeeding Malaria drug less effective can last a lifetime in malnourished children Mothers can transfer lifelong protection against infection The most common malaria treatment Town’s (UCT) Division of Clinical to their infants by breastfeeding, says a new study by worldwide is less effective for those Pharmacology. She, along with UCT an international team of scientists led by researchers who are particularly vulnerable to Associate Professor Lubbe Wiesner at the University of Cape Town (UCT). The researchers Flushing the disease: severely malnourished and Michiel Smit, previously part of found that infant mice breastfed by a mother who had a guidelines children. This is according to the Wiesner’s lab in the same division, worm infection before getting pregnant acquired lifelong during drought rst study to address the challenge collaborated with international protection against this ailment. of treating malaria in severely partners on the research. The devastating 2015–2018 Scientists previously thought that immunity against malnourished children, speci cally. The results showed that not drought in Cape Town and its illness was passed from mothers to infants only during “It highlights how important only were the levels of the most aftermath saw citizens get behind the time they are breastfed and ended when it is to make sure that optimised commonly used antimalarial drug city-wide water-saving initiatives breastfeeding stops. drug doses are developed for worldwide lower in children’s blood and adopt the catchphrase “If it’s “The work shows that exposure to an infection before undernourished children and other compared to adults’, but that among yellow, let it mellow”, ushing less pregnancy can lead to a mother transferring long-term vulnerable groups – such as pregnant severely malnourished children there and using grey water to do so. immune bene ts to her offspring,” said lead author, Dr women – who are usually excluded was about 19% less of the drug than In response, University of Cape William Horsnell of UCT’s Institute of Infectious Disease from studies to decide treatment in other children. This lower exposure Town (UCT) researchers Waseefa and Molecular Medicine and the Division of Immunology. doses,” says Professor Karen also meant they acquired new Ebrahim and Dr Dyllon Randall “This is remarkable and adds a new dimension to our Barnes from the University of Cape malaria infections sooner. published research on different understanding of how a mother can in uence our health.” toilet ushing solutions and their impacts. Ebrahim and Randall calculated that the city’s waste-water Rat poison threatens treatment plants could cope peri-urban wildlife with the additional estimated Urban rat poisons are predators at risk: caracal, 893 tonnes of solids added to the spilling over into the Cape clawless otter, system from grey-water ushing natural environment around Cape eagle owl, large and allowing urine to stagnate in Cape Town, South Africa, spotted genet (pictured), toilet bowls. But the immediate and threatening wildlife, honey badger and water toilet infrastructure could become according to a team of mongoose. Others are clogged by solids. University of Cape Town likely affected as well. They go on to offer practical (UCT) researchers in the The predators aren’t solutions for water-savers to Institute for Communities eating the poisons directly, avoid damaging their sanitation and Wildlife in Africa. though. The poisons are infrastructure. By measuring the designed to work slowly in “It [this work] was inspired by presence and concentration their target species, rats, the Cape Town [water] crisis but of rat poison in liver and which become sick over ultimately we’re looking towards blood samples from 41 days and end up as easy what the sanitation of the future animals, they identi ed six prey for predators. will look like,” Ebrahim said. BABY: JOHN MAYER, FLICKR; GENET: SHUTTERSTOCK; TOILET: VECTEEZY; MALARIA, UNAMID, ALBERT-GONZÁLEZ-FARRAN VECTEEZY; SHUTTERSTOCK; TOILET: FLICKR; GENET: JOHN MAYER, BABY: 2 umthombo 3 Millions donated to drug discovery University of Cape Town (UCT) alumnus and former chairman and chief executive of Coca-Cola Neville Isdell has donated USD1 242 160 (about ZAR18 million) towards research into the discovery of new medicines for infectious diseases at UCT’s Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3D). Fair he generous donation will work be used to establish an initial ve-year Neville Isdell Chair in African-centric Drug Discovery and Development at H3D. H3D’s director and founder in t Professor Kelly Chibale will hold the Chair, which includes the directorship GIG ECONOMY of H3D. Through the donation, Isdell, who Two months after launching the first-ever international ranking of working took the world’s largest beverage conditions and standards in the platform economy, Fairwork released four company to new heights during his I am excited tenure, will support solution-orientated about playing new ratings for South African digital labour platforms. research to create life-saving health a part in helping innovations. airwork is a collaboration health and safety of its workers. The ratings help consumers to make “I am excited about playing a part to achieve African between the University of Cape “Fairwork aims to encourage ethical and informed choices about the in helping to achieve African solutions solutions to public Town (UCT) and the University platforms to be transparent about the platforms they choose when ordering to public health challenges on the health challenges of the Western Cape in South work that they provide and to ultimately commodities and services such as food, continent and across the world. I hope on the continent and Africa, and the universities of Oxford create better, and fairer, jobs,” said cleaning services and transport – or this support will help Professor Chibale across the world. and Manchester in the United Kingdom. Van Belle. outsourcing a simple task. to drive and lead innovative research The rating system offers a comparison Oxford’s Professor Mark Graham, & development (R&D) of new malaria of the best and worst working standards Ratings: a useful measure lead researcher on the Fairwork medicines, as well as new tuberculosis of variability in drug response across will work hand in hand to better in the digital or gig economy. Fairwork scores are useful to companies project, said the addition of these (TB) and antimicrobial resistance African populations, which is mostly understand genetic variability in As part of a 30-month project that want to highlight how the jobs new platforms will allow for greater treatments, and train a new generation driven by genetic differences in the diverse African populations,” Chibale funded by the Global Challenge they create are better than those of comparison among companies with of African scientists with key modern expression and activity of drug- explained. Research Fund, UCT’s Professor Jean- their competitors. They are also useful similar missions. pharmaceutical skills required to metabolising enzymes. “H3D will need sustainable funding Paul van Belle and Dr Paul Mungai to regulators who seek benchmarks “This is critical in the development discover modern medicines,” Isdell “In addition to providing useful at critical mass if it is to succeed. (Department of Information Systems) against which to evaluate platforms. of international standards in the gig said. data for targeted clinical trial design, Should H3D continue to be successful, measured digital labour platforms’ “They are useful to consumers economy, as workers, clients and The donation will be used partly and eventually for the establishment it could result in the beginning of a levels of adherence to ve Fairwork and clients who seek to make more managers will now be able to draw SHUTTERSTOCK to lead efforts in establishing the of better directed drug dosage and home-grown pharmaceutical R&D RAWPIXEL.COM principles: fair pay, fair contracts, fair informed decisions about how they direct comparisons between competing H3D African Drug Metabolism and dosage intervals, the African Liver industry that would focus on the unmet conditions, fair management and spend their money,” added Van Belle. platforms,” he said. Disposition Project, also known as Project will also make H3D a unique medical needs of African populations fair representation. These include “And they are also useful to workers The platforms evaluated in the the H3D “African Liver Project”. This centre of excellence where scientists and create high-skilled jobs for African evaluating whether a company pays as they seek to achieve better working survey were Wumdrop, Domestly, Uber PHOTOGRAPH: will focus on addressing the issue from the global north and Africa scientists.” PHOTOGRAPH: the minimum wage and ensures the conditions.” Eats and Nomad Now.