LEADING RESEARCH CENTRES KwaZulu-Natal Research Institute for Tuberculosis and HIV (K-RITH)
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our areas of intensive research into tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/AIDS – which could yield significant breakthroughs within a few years in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of the killer diseases – are underway at UKZN thanks to a multi-million rand grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) in the United States. The grant, the biggest ever for medical research in South Africa, is being used to: Establish the KwaZulu-Natal Research Institute for Tuberculosis and HIV (K-RITH). Construct a R308-million building for the institute on the grounds of the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine in Durban. Fund TB and HIV research at UKZN for the next 10 years.
The HHMI has committed R219 million towards the construction of the K-RITH building with the balance being made up by the research body, Lifelab, and UKZN. The American institute will provide another R10 million a year to fund ongoing research into TB and HIV at K-RITH. The Institute, described as the most sophisticated of its kind in the world, will offer state-of-the-art facilities for researchers and students from across Southern Africa. Although current research will concentrate on TB and HIV, if circumstances and demands change in the future, the facilities can be easily adapted to meet new requirements and challenges. Research is being led by the Director of K-RITH, Professor William Bishai, in co-operation with local and United States researchers.
Pollution Research Group (PRG)
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he Pollution Research Group (PRG), led by Professor Chris Buckley, was established in 1973 as a self-funded contract research group within the Department of Chemical Engineering at the then University of Natal to investigate problems around industrial water management in South Africa. The Group has expanded its activities into municipal water and wastewater management as a result of a Memorandum of Agreement between the eThekwini Municipality’s Water and Sanitation Department and UKZN. An agreement has been signed whereby the Municipality provides financial support – R1 million a year for five years – for providing scientific support to the Water and Sanitation Department. These activities form the focus of attention of a multi-disciplinary team of engineers, biologists, political scientists and community medical professionals and have included participation in two European Union research projects related to membrane bioreactors and in identifying and disseminating best practice of water and sanitation supply to unserved communities. Sanitation projects are being undertaken on pit latrines and urine diversion toilets. Collaborative research on the anaerobic baffled reactor process includes internationally recognised projects being undertaken by the NGO BORDA in South-East Asia and Africa (BORDA has been announced as the International Water Association’s 2011 research award winner). In 2008/9 a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)-
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UKZN Research Report 2010
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) project on the water efficiency in African breweries was successfully completed. A new project to provide background information for the permitting of industrial wastewaters flowing into domestic sewage works was initiated. Research for the Water Research Commission and Sasol is continuing. The PRG recently received a R2.8 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to fund its toilet technology and sanitation research, the aim of which is to design a toilet system that will lead to the safe disposal of waste water in poor communities. UKZN was one of eight institutions – and the only one in Africa – chosen out of 22 to take part in the Reinvent the Toilet Challenge. The team includes 10 academics in the School of Chemical Engineering each contributing their specialised skills. The PRG will work closely with the eThekwini Municipality, local companies, as well as the Water Research Commission of South Africa, Hering South Africa, Partners in Development, Envirosan and Energy Engineering International. The grant will allow the Group to move sanitation and toilet technology to higher levels. The urine-diversion toilets will be changed and developed to include three streams of water – urine, faeces and wash water. Forward osmosis will be used to concentrate the liquid streams while the solids will be dried and incinerated.
From left: Dr John Adamson; Analytical Chemist; Peter McCaffrey, Medical Student; and Professor William R Bishai, Director, K-RITH assessing sample quality before loading a patient’s blood specimen into a mass spectrometer. This device will help researchers measure the levels of tuberculosis and HIV medication in the bloodstream as they try to design better treatment protocols.