Faculty of Science DEAN’S REPORT received an NRF A-rating, while three young researchers, Dr Amanda Weltman (Department of Mathematics and Applied The Faculty of Science enjoyed Mathematics), and Dr David Braun and considerable success in its Dr Shadreck Chirikure from the Department of Archaeology, received NRF P-ratings research endeavours in a in 2011. number of areas during 2011. At the university level, three of our more senior scientists, professors George To meet the continuing rise in cost of Janelidze (Department of Mathematics internationally competitive research, staff and Applied Mathematics), Hans-Peter were successful in raising approximately Kunzi (Department of Mathematics and R141 million in research income to cover Applied Mathematics), and Ed Rybicki a range of projects, including salaries were honoured by being elected as for soft-funded staff, postdoctoral fellows of the University of Cape Town in fellows and master’s and PhD bursaries. This is a recognition of their international research standing and particularly noteworthy achievement, given the dwindling the impact of their research. Professor Janelidze was NRF resources for the pure sciences. Of this funding, recognised for his work in categorical algebra, including R58 million was received from the NRF and some abstract Galois theory, with applications in classical R78 million from research contracts with industry, algebra, geometry and topology; Professor Kunzi for his government, public entities and statutory bodies, and work in analytic and categorical topology, focusing on science councils; with about R28 million being raised frame theory and asymmetric topology; and Professor from foreign sources. Of importance to the training of Rybicki for his work on the use of plants and cell cultures postgraduate students in our faculty, staff were able to to make pharmaceutically-important proteins, and in raise R32 million for bursaries in support of honours, elucidating the virus-host interactions of grass- and cereal- master’s and PhD students in the faculty. infecting geminiviruses. The number of PhD and postdoctoral researchers remained At a junior level, the faculty was privileged to have high, with 118 postdoctoral fellows spread among the the UCT College of Fellows name two of our younger departments, and 350 PhD students registered in the staff, Dr Rob Ingle (Department of Molecular and Cell faculty. A measure of the success of our postgraduate Biology) and Dr Deena Pillay (Department of Zoology), training programmes is reflected in the number of master’s as recipients of its 2011 College of Fellows’ Young and doctoral graduates produced in the Science faculty Researcher Awards that recognise outstanding scholarly in 2011, with 48 PhDs and 122 master’s degrees being work by young academics. Dr Ingle’s research area lies awarded, 22 percent of the latter with distinction. Two in the interactions between plants and their environment, students who excelled in their postgraduate studies were particularly in the molecular mechanisms that help them Fhumulani Nemulodi (Department of Physics), who was cope with stresses imposed either by other organisms or awarded the prestigious S2A3 Medal for the best master’s by chemical/physical factors. Dr Pillay’s research interests dissertation titled Third Order Relativistic Fluid Dynamics for focus on inter-tidal and estuarine ecology, with a view Heavy-Ion Collisions, and Dr Jasper Slingsby (Department to understanding the role of biological interactions in of Botany), who received the faculty PhD medal for 2011 structuring marine ecosystems. for his thesis, titled Ecological Differentiation and the Evolution and Maintenance of Fynbos Diversity. Research An important milestone in the faculty that was reached in publication output from staff and postgraduate students 2011 was the 100th anniversary of the Bolus Herbarium remained high, with about 900 articles being published in (Department of Botany). A series of lectures by world- ISI journals during 2011. renowned botanists, two exhibitions, and a commemorative collecting trip were arranged to celebrate the event. As we continue to strive for excellence and international Professor Peter Linder (University of Zurich) gave the competitiveness in the research arena, the faculty is proud keynote address. Another development of importance to of the latest additions to its current 13 NRF A-rated, 56 the faculty was the establishment and URC accreditation B-rated, 45 C-rated, 24 Y-rated, and five P-rated scientists. of the H-3D Centre for Drug Discovery & Development, The latter, in particular, reflects the growing research with Professor Kelly Chibale, Department of Chemistry, strength of our younger academic staff. Professor Ed as Director, and the URC accreditation of the Scientific Rybicki of the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology Computing Research Unit, with Professor Kevin Naidoo, 482 UCT RESEARCH REPORT '11 DEPARTMENTS Department of Archaeology Department of Astronomy Department of Botany Department of Chemistry Department of Computer Science Department of Environmental and Geographical Science also of the Department of Chemistry, as Director. These add to the 12 previously established URC research Department of Geological units and centres in the Faculty of Science. The faculty was privileged to be awarded another SARChI Chair, in Sciences Extra-galactic Multi-wavelength Astronomy, with Professor Claude Carignan taking up the position to bolster the Department of Mathematics rapidly expanding Department of Astronomy. and Applied Mathematics Staff of the faculty continued to garner national and Department of Molecular and international awards for their research contributions. Cell Biology Professor Jill Farrant of the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology became the third UCT woman scientist to win the L’Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science Award in Life Department of Oceanography Sciences (region: Africa and Arab States), announced in November 2011. Another notable achievement was that Department of Physics of Dr Amanda Weltman, who received the 2011/12 NSTF – BHP Billiton TW Kambule Award for “an outstanding Department of Statistical contribution to science, engineering, technology and Sciences innovation (SETI) through research and its outputs” by an emerging researcher. The faculty was privileged to have Department of Zoology three other deserving finalists at the award ceremony FACULTY OF SCIENCE 483 in Professor Kevin Naidoo, Professor Ed Rybicki, and DOCTORAL GRADUATIONS Dr Will Horowitz. Another notable accolade went to Professor Kelly Chibale who received the prestigious Alan Pifer Award from the University of Cape Town for socially A.W. ANDAYI (CHEMISTRY) responsive research; and Dr Jeff Murugan (Department of Synthesis, antimalarial evaluation, B-Hematin Mathematics and Applied Mathematics) and Dr Shadreck inhibition, and in-silico and in-vitro ADMET profiling of Chirikure who were privileged to be elected as founding 4-Aminoquinoline – Hydroxypyridinone Hybrids. members of the new South African Young Academy of Supervised by Professor K. Chibale and Professor Science (SAYAS). T.J. Egan The recent announcement and associated excitement M.A. ALTARAWNEH (GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES) that South Africa was awarded the lion’s share of the Structural setting of the Jordan Northern Highlands: SKA bid not only reflects positively on South African An integrated study using surface and sub-surface science and technology in general, but also on the geological data by utilising GIS technology. major contributions to the bid made by members of the Supervised by Professor A. le Roex, Professor Department of Astronomy. As the project rolls out in the Z. Ben-Avraham and Dr G. Viola coming years, staff and students of the department, with two SARChI Chairs in radio astronomy, will be actively C.G.M. ARCHIBALD (BOTANY) engaged in contributing to the success of the initiative. The use of contemporary and historic diatom This engagement will take place in tandem with getting the assemblages in the derivation of reference state precursor international MEERKAT project on line. communities for rivers in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Supervised by Professor J. Bolton In mid-2011, the first UCT Pro Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mark New, was appointed to head up the African Climate Y. BARSHEP (ZOOLOGY) and Development Initiative (ACDI). A significant number Migration and moult strategy of the Curlew Sandpiper. of staff from the Faculty of Science are actively involved Supervised by Professor L. Underhill, Dr P. Tomkovich in this exciting university-wide initiative, with Professor and Dr C. Minton New holding, in addition, an academic position in the Department of Environmental and Geographical Science. J. BRABY (ZOOLOGY) The biology and conservation of the Damara Tern in A number of new initiatives were set in place in the faculty Namibia. during 2011 to further develop our research impact. A Supervised by Professor L. Underhill, Dr J.P. Roux and new launching grant system was put into place, to allow Dr R.E. Simmons new (and particularly young) appointments to receive sufficient funding for a three-year period to get their K.S. BROWN (ARCHAEOLOGY) research careers off to a strong and competitive start. To The Sword in the Stone: Lithic raw material exploitation strengthen the competitive equity pool of applicants for in the Middle Stone Age at Pinnacle Point Site 5–6, future academic positions in the faculty, a number of equity Southern Cape, South Africa. PhD and postdoctoral