media releases - CSIR and UNISA seal agreement for advancement of SA biotechnolog

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the University of South Africa (Unisa) have today signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) that officially seals collaboration for the commissioning of a high-powered instrument set to position South African scientific research on a more prominent level on the world stage. Using a magnetic force 300 stronger than the magnetic field of Earth, the 600 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) machine has the ability to catapult local scientific research beyond what is currently being achieved. The new research partnership in addition opens doors for Unisa post-graduate students registered in biotechnology to undertake practical research training at a recognised scientific research institution - an opportunity that UNISA was unable to offer previously.

This particular NMR worth more than R5 million offers scientists the ability to fully isolate and characterise compounds of interest providing a complete analysis and interpretation and is non-destructive to samples. An NMR instrument of this power is rare in South Africa. Dr Martin Myer, senior lecturer and research co-ordinator in the Department of Life Sciences and Consumer Sciences at Unisa said "The acquisition of the NMR allows local scientists to compete properly at an international level. There is great investment in this type of equipment overseas. One could easily find eight NMR machines sitting side-by-side in one room. Without an NMR it's as though scientists are looking into space and seeing a fuzzy picture of Mars. This partnership is important to preserve our own technology and technology transfer and to stymie the proliferation of international patents on South African biodiversity."

NMR, the scientific technique, has in recent years become the pre-eminent practice for determining the structure of organic compounds. The NMR is especially useful in nutrition research as well as drug development - an area that is still in the infant stages in South African research.

This donation assists Unisa in its task of establishing a culture of research as well as a network for biotechnology training platforms and in establishing collaborative research facilities to accommodate post-graduate research students in biotechnology. The CSIR has an established biotechnology research competence and facilities. This partnership resonates with Unisa's set of strategic objectives for 2015 which among other things state that the institution aims to promote research, increased capacity and productivity aligned with national priorities for knowledge development.

The CSIR and UNISA in 2008 also co-signed a memorandum of understanding to accommodate a new stream of post-graduate training in biotechnology at Unisa. This allows prospective masters and doctoral students the opportunity of undertaking cutting edge research in laboratory facilities on the CSIR campus in Pretoria. Included in the different areas of research, to be offered over a three-year programme, will be bioprospecting for plant extracts with active ingredients against various disease-causing microogranisms, as well as against nutritional disorders and cancer. Khungeka Njobe, CSIR Group Executive for R&D Outcomes and Strategic Human Capital Development commented that, "Research alliances are not only key in ensuring that the CSIR continues to strengthen the county's SET base, performs relevant R&D, and contributes to the country's HCD priorities.

They are also important to the strengthening of the National System of Innovation. This partnership with UNISA is no different. "The acquisition of this NMR instrument is crucial in two respects. Firstly it will help SA in its continuing quest to build a strong knowledge economy, and it will also contribute to the priorities of HCD. The latter has been raised by the former South African president, Mr Thabo Mbeki, who echoed Dr Mosibudi Mangena's calls for more investments to be made in this regard."