RESEARCH 2014-15 UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN RESEARCH 2014-15 1 3 5 2 4 7 8 9 10 6 11 12 14 15 13 18 16 17 21 20 19 22 1. The Constitutional Court of South Africa 13. Female Nematode Worm: Dr Claire Hoving, SA Science 2. Timbuktu doorway Lens 2007 competition 3. Western Leopard Toad: Wikimedia Commons 14. The Table Mountain Beauty (Aeropetes tulbaghia): 4. Cape Gannet: Wikimedia Commons Dr R Navarro, Animal Demography Unit 5. Red Baron Protea, Wikimedia Commons 15. Nova explosion: Bill Saxton, NRAO/AUI/NSF 6. Taro leaf: GFDL, Wikimedia Commons 16. Rhino skull: Professor Stephen Inggs 7. Blue Spotted Klipfish, BY-SA 3.0: Wikimedia Commons 17. Artwork: Associate Professor Fritha Langerman 8. Hand-written record of |Xam language 18. Cycad (Encephalartos arenarius): J Brew, Wikimedia 9. San rock art, Fondazione Passaré: Wikimedia Commons Commons 19. Helix Nebula, NASA/JPL-Caltech: Wikimedia Commons 10. Chacma Baboon (Adult ursinus male): M Lewis 20. African Pipit brood (Anthus cinnamomeus): Dr Ian Little 11. Angulate Tortoise: Wikimedia Commons 21. Ndebele wall design: Wikimedia Commons 12. Electron microscope: Stephen Williams 22. Ebolavirus: Russell Kightley UCT RESEARCH 2014-15 1 CONTENTS MESSAGE FROM THE VICE-CHANCELLOR 3 MOVING ALGAE THE KEY TO RENEWABLE OIL 49 PRODUCTION? GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS ARE NEEDED FOR GLOBAL 6 CHALLENGES – BY THE DEPUTY VICE-CHANCELLOR MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF OSCAR WILDE’S WIFE 50 FINALLY EXPLAINED A SNAPSHOT OF RESEARCH AT UCT 10 GENETICALLY ENGINEERED ‘PLANTIBODIES’ TO 52 2014 INNOVATION DASHBOARD 12 HALT EBOLA OVERVIEW OF SOME KEY RESEARCH AREAS AT UCT 14 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH: FROM THE 55 A SNAPSHOT OF RESEARCH IN AFRICA 16 BOTTOM UP POSTDOCTORAL PERSPECTIVES 19 WHY WE SHOULD CARE ABOUT DUST – AND THE 56 POSTGRADUATES FOR AFRICA 22 CRUCIAL ROLE IT PLAYS IN OUR CLIMATE LEADERS IN SCIENCE 24 FORGET THE MYTHS ABOUT IMMIGRANTS 58 NSTF AWARDS – UCT AWARD WINNERS 27 SOUTH AFRICA BY NUMBERS: WHAT IS HAPPENING 60 TO POVERTY, EMPLOYMENT AND DISEASE? SATELLITE TRACKERS SHOW VULTURES ON DECLINE 64 RADIO TELESCOPES UNRAVEL MYSTERY OF 66 RESEARCH STORIES NOVA GAMMA RAYS GROUNDBREAKING CLINICAL TRIAL SETTLES 28 RARER THAN RHINO AND JUST AS PRIZED BY POACHERS 68 QUESTION ON TREATMENT OF TB PERICARDITIS 125-MILLION-YEAR-OLD CHANGYURAPTOR SHEDS 70 HOW CAN WE PREPARE NURSES TO DEAL WITH 31 LIGHT ON DINOSAUR FLIGHT DEATH AND DYING? HEALTH BY DESIGN – CUTTING-EDGE LOW-COST 72 WHY PROPERTY OWNERSHIP IS NOT A PATH 32 LOCAL INNOVATIONS OUT OF POVERTY FIGHTING TB – SOUTH AFRICA’S ‘INSIDIOUS EPIDEMIC’ 34 ANCIENT DNA OF MARINE HUNTER-GATHERER 37 FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS SHEDS LIGHT ON OUR COMMON ANCESTRY UNEASE REIGNS AS CULTURE AND THE CONSTITUTION 38 SCIENCE 76 COLLIDE IN SOUTH AFRICA HEALTH SCIENCES 78 GENETIC DIVERSITY OF THE CHACMA BABOON 40 HUMANITIES 80 KEY TO UNDERSTANDING CONSERVATION IN A TIME OF CLIMATE CHANGE COMMERCE 82 THE DEVASTATING CONDITION THAT CAN CAUSE 42 ENGINEERING & THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT 84 CANCER IN CHILDREN LAW 86 REVIVING EXTINCT LANGUAGES THE MOBILE WAY 44 CENTRE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION 88 TWO RESEARCHERS’ JOURNEY FROM AIDS DESPAIR 46 DEVELOPMENT (CHED) TO AN AGE OF HOPE 2 UCT RESEARCH 2014-15 MESSAGE FROM THE VICE-CHANCELLOR DR MAX PRICE esearch is, at its best, profoundly transformative. This is true the world over; however, it is a particular imperative Rfor the University of Cape Town, located as we are in a country, and on a continent, of vast wealth and deprivation – and the opportunity to make a difference. Research can make a difference in a number of ways; we must certainly ensure that the difference we make answers the most pressing needs of our local communities and environment, but we must also do research that changes the wider world, stretches the limits of human imagination and adds to humankind’s understanding of our natural and social worlds. So what does ‘making a difference’ look like at UCT? We have a particular imperative to find Africa-specific solutions, such as developing low-cost solutions to our health problems ... In doing so, we solve local problems not generally that may turn out to be revolutionary: hunting for vaccines addressed by other global research for diseases that decimate our communities (p34 and p46); universities. tracking the patterns in poverty and employment (p60); and challenging myths about immigrants (p58), to name just a few. We have a particular imperative to find Africa-specific solutions, At the very smallest scale, research transforms the individual such as developing low-cost solutions to our health problems who conducts it. It is often as they embark on their first research (p72). In doing so, we solve local problems not generally project that people discover the passion for their subject in addressed by other global research universities. Moreover, particular, and for research in general. It is this passion that we develop a particular, Africa-informed set of knowledge, will drive them on to become leaders in their field. We need to contributing to the disciplines within which our researchers expose as many of our students, as young as possible, to these work – changing the way the world works and the way people possibilities, which is one of the reasons we have an increased think (p6 and p14). focus on expanding opportunities for undergraduate research Finally, research has the power to transform even those who (p55) and expanding our postgraduate cohort (p22). This is particularly important if we are to answer the desperate need simply hear and read about it. Seeing what we are capable of to bring more black (including African, coloured and Indian) achieving through research and technology encourages us to South Africans into academia. address even bigger problems and challenges. As you read in these pages about the latest breakthroughs at UCT, I hope you At the other end of the scale, research can make a difference will be inspired, as I am, to imagine what greater achievements to communities, continents and the world. This is research still lie ahead. UCT RESEARCH 2014-15 3 UMYALEZO OLUVELA Ngoko ke kubonakala njani “ukwenza umahluko” e-UCT? Ngokwesona sikeyile sincinane, uphando luguqula lo mntu KUSEKELA NGQONYELA uluqhubayo. Ixesha elininzi xa abantu beqalisa iprojekthi yabo yokuqala yophando, baye bazifumanise bevutha nangakumbi phando, ngokokugqwesa kwalo, luzisa iinguqulelo. lulangazelelo olungazenzisiyo kwisifundo sabo, oku kuquka Oku kuyinyani kwihlabathi jikelele; nakuba kunjalo, nophando ngokubanzi. Iba lolu langazelelo ke oluthi Ulubaluleke nangakumbi kwiYunivesiti yaseKapa, lubaqhubele ekubeni babe ziinkokeli kwimimandla yabo. ezinze kwilizwe esikulo, nakwilizwekazi elinendyebo kunye Kufuneka sibabonise lamathuba abafundi bethu abaninzi, nobuhlwempu – lukwanika nethuba lokwenza umahluko. besebatsha. Yiyo lonto esinye sezizathu esinazo ikukujolisa, ngezinga eliphakamileyo, ekwandiseni amathuba ophando Uphando lunokwenza umahluko ngeendlela ezininzi; kufuneka ngakumbi kwabo bangekabi nazo izidanga (iphepha 55) kunye siqinisekise ukuba umahluko esiwenzayo uphendula ezona nokwandisa iqela lethu labo sebenazo izidanga (iphepha 22). mfuno zingamandla zoluntu lweengingqi zethu zasekuhlaleni Oku kubaluleke nangakumbi ukuba sinokusabela kwimfuno kunye nokusingqongileyo, kodwa kusafuneka senze uphando enkulu yokufaka abemi boMzantsi Afrika abaninzi abamnyama oluzisa iinguqulelo kwihlabathi ngokubanzi, olunabela (abaNtsundu, abeBala nama-Indiya) kwisimo esiphathelene ngaphaya kweengcinga zoluntu, kwaye olongeza ukuqonda nophando nemfundo kuluntu. kwethu ngendalo nentlalo yoluntu. Ekupheleni kwelinye icala lesikeyile, uphando lunokwenza umahluko ekuhlaleni, kwilizwekazi kunye nakwihlabathi. Olu luphando olunokuvela nenguqu: ukuzingela izitofu zokugonya izifo ezibulala uluntu lwethu (umzekelo iphepha 34 no iphepha 46); ukulandela imizila yobuhlwempu kunye nengqesho (iphepha 60); kunye neentsomi eziyimiceli mngeni malunga nabafuduki (iphepha 58), ukukhankanya nje imizekelo embalwa. Sinako okubalulekileyo okuthile ekufumaneni izisombululo ezithile ezingqalene ne-Afrika, njengokuphuhlisa izisombululo zamaxabiso asezantsi kwiingxaki zethu zempilo (iphepha 72). Ngokwenza njalo, sisombulula iingxaki zasekuhlaleni ezingajongwanga zezinye iidyunivesi ezijongene nezophando ehlabathini jikelele. Ngaphaya koko, siphuhlisa ulwazi oluphuma nolungqamene ne-Africa, ngokwenza njalo sifaka isandla kumacandelo abasebenza kuwo abaphandi bethu – sitshintsha indlela elisebenza ngayo ihlabathi kunye nendlela abacinga ngayo abantu (umzekelo iphepha 6 no iphepha 14). Okokugqibela, uphando lunamandla okutshintsha nabo bathi beve kwaye bafunde ngalo. Ukubona into esikwaziyo ukuyiphumeza ngophando kunye nobuchwepheshe kuyasikhuthaza ukuba silungise iingxaki ezinkulu kunye nemiceli mngeni. Xa ufunda kulamaphepha malunga nophuhliso lwakamva nje e-UCT, ndiyathemba ukuba uza kuphenjelelwa, ukuba ucinge ngokuba yeyiphi na impumelelo enkulu esezayo. 4 UCT RESEARCH 2014-15 te skep en om ons nagraadse studentekorps uit te brei (p22). BOODSKAP VAN Dit is veral belangrik as ons wil voldoen aan die dringende behoefte om groter getalle swart (insluitende Afrikane, bruin DIE VISEKANSELIER en Indiër) Suid-Afrikaners by die akademie in te sluit. avorsing is iets wat diepgaande transformeer. Hoewel Op ‘n groter skaal kan navorsing ook ’n verskil maak binne dit wêreldwyd die geval is, bemoei die Universiteit van gemeenskappe in die wêreld. Dit is die tipe navorsing wat NKaapstad sigself ten sterkste hiermee. Ons is in ’n land uiteindelik revolusionêr van aard kan wees: om te soek na en op ’n