Doctoral Degrees (Molecular Biology and Human Genetics)
Recent Submissions
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Quality control for data-dependent and data-independent mass-spectrometry-based proteomics
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Discovery proteomics is advancing at a rapid rate, and quality control of the technique must adapt accordingly. In 2012, a console application, QuaMeter, was created to produce ... -
Novel approaches for the diagnosis of drug-resistance, treatment response, and infectiousness in patients with tuberculosis (the eDIToR study – Diagnosis Infectiousness and Treatment Response)
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Drug-resistance tuberculosis (DR-TB) is a major challenge facing TB control. Limiting personto-person transmission is key. This can be done by reducing time to drug susceptibility diagnosis and effective ... -
2020-12-11 Global transcriptomic investigation of the human macrophage response towards pathogenic/non-pathogenic mycobacteria
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-12)Background:Tuberculosis (TB) is a major cause of infection-related mortalityworldwide. In 2017 an estimated 1.3 million people who were HIV-negative died of TB. An estimated 5-10% of infected individual develop active ... -
Novel approaches to the diagnosis of Mycobacterium bovis infection in African buffaloes (Syncerus caffer)
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Mycobacterium bovis(M. bovis) is the pathogen that causes bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in a wide range of host species including livestock and wildlife. Globally, the control of M. bovisinfection is hindered ... -
Identification of distinct bio-signatures in whole blood and in-tube quantiferon pellets of Tuberculosis (TB) close contacts (CCs) and TB patients with and without type 2 diabetes (T2D)
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Tuberculosis (TB) remains difficult to control despite effective treatment and the presence of more sensitive diagnostic tools. Immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection can further be ... -
Sex-bias and tuberculosis susceptibility: Bioinformatic and Biostatistical evaluation of trans-ethnic genomic datasets
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Approximately 25% of the world’s population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tuberculosis). Progression to active tuberculosis (TB) is influenced by the infecting strain of M.tuberculosis, ... -
Genome-Wide Associations Between Human Genotypes and Mycobacterium tuberculosis Clades Causing Disease
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The World Health Organization (WHO) declared tuberculosis (TB) to be a global health emergency in 1993, and despite decades of extensive biomedical research, it remains a major cause of morbidity and ... -
Characterization of the innate and adaptive immune systems during active TB disease and during treatment
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-04)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Individuals presenting with symptoms of active tuberculosis (TB) disease currently undergo a lengthy diagnostic procedure, followed by an intense six-month treatment regimen. Delays in accurate diagnoses ... -
Implementation of targeted resequencing strategies to identify pathogenic mutations in Nigerian and South African patients with Parkinson’s Disease
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-04)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative movement disorder. It is characterized by the progressive loss of specific neurons in the brain, the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia ... -
Detection and Characterization of Mycobacterial Infections Occurring in Phacochoerus africanus (Gmelin, 1788) (Common Warthog)
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Mycobacterium bovis, a member of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and the cause of bovine tuberculosis (bTB), has an extensive host range that includes livestock and wildlife. While warthogs are ... -
Understanding decision-making regarding prenatal diagnostic testing for down syndrome and termination of pregnancy: an interpretive phenomenological study
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Pregnant women or couples who screen high risk for a baby with Down syndrome (DS) are faced with having to make life changing decisions. Firstly, they need to decide whether they want prenatal diagnostic ... -
Genetic characterization of drug resistant clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis circulating within the Copperbelt province and Northern regions of Zambia.
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The emergence and spread of drug resistant (DR) tuberculosis (TB) strains in the form of multidrug resistant (MDR)- and extensively drug resistant (XDR)-TB is a major threat to the global fight against ... -
Clinically relevant mutations contributing to drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Single nucleotide variants are the underlying driver of drug resistance, strain fitness and adaptation in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and investigating the mechanistic and physiological aspects of these ... -
Investigating southern African genetic diversity and its role in TB susceptibility
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Recent genetic studies have established that the KhoeSan populations of southern Africa are the earliest known indigenous inhabitants of the region and distinct from all other African populations. Owing ... -
Nucleoid gene regulation in mycobacteria
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-12)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis disease, remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The ongoing tuberculosis epidemic and poor treatment outcomes can be attributed ... -
Functional characterization of sequence variants in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) and its possible interaction with the translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane (TOM) protein complex
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an incurable neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain of affected individuals. Both environmental and genetic ... -
Identification of novel candidate genes for susceptibility to tuberculosis by identifying disease-causing mutations in individuals with Primary Immunodeficiency disorders
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Mendelian susceptibility to mycobacterial disease (MSMD) is a rare primary immunodeficiency disorder believed to affect less than 1:1 000 000 individuals globally. It is characterized by increased ... -
Sputum derived biomarkers of anti-tuberculosis drug activity in early bactericidal activity (EBA) studies.
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Sputum sample is a crucial material to diagnose tuberculosis (TB), the resistance to different drugs and the assessment of new drug effectiveness in clinical trials. The first step to evaluate the efficacy ... -
Immunological markers for active TB and early treatment response indicators
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03)Background The difficulty in diagnosing tuberculosis (TB) and evaluating TB treatment response are two major problems that are hampering the defeat of this infectious disease. The current TB diagnostic tools have several ... -
The effects of a Mycobacterium bovis infection on the metabolic and reproductive systems of African lions (Panthera leo) in the Kruger National Park.
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: SCCHg en SCCmec elemente is, maar verdere filogenetiese ondersoeke moet uitgevoer word, om insig te gee oor die oorsprong en verspreiding van hierdie nuwe element. This thesis serves as an attempt to ...