Microbiology lecturer and doctoral student at Durban University of Technology (DUT), Nokuthula Mchunu has completed ground-breaking research in sequencing of a thermophilic genome. Mchunu, from Port Shepstone, lectures undergraduates at the Department of Biotechnology and Food Technology and is currently completing her doctoral thesis at the University of Sains Malaysia’s (USM) Centre for Chemical Biology (CCB).
Biotechnology and Food Technology HOD, Professor Suren Singh said the study is a joint project by the department and USM and forms part of Mchunu’s doctoral thesis. The study is co-supervised by Professor Kugen Permaul and Professor Maqsudul Alam (CCB@USM CED, and Director of the Advance Studies in Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics at University of Hawaii). Professor Alam’s team has featured in the international scientific journal Nature, Science and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA. The team has completed the draft genomes of papaya, rubber plants and jute including several microbial genomes.
Professor Singh said: “Mchunu spent close to a year at CCB@USM and has made excellent progress in completing the sequencing of an industrially-important thermophilic fungal genome, a world first. It is a milestone for the DUT’s research achievement similar to the sequencing of the human genome.”
Genomic sequencing refers to a combination of laboratory experiments and computer processing that elucidates the entire DNA sequence of a living organism. Numerous organisms have had their complete DNA sequence “read”, from simple bacteria to insects, trees and humans.
Professor Singh said: “Sequencing of the human genome is one of man’s greatest scientific accomplishments, taking approximately 12 years since 1989 to produce a draft version. To this day, it is only approximately 90% complete. This is due, in part, to the large amount of DNA we possess and also since about 8% contains repetitive sequences that contain no genes.”
Human genomes are made up of over three billion individual building blocks, however, they do not contain the most DNA – some worms have more DNA than humans! If unwound and arranged in a linear fashion, the building blocks would reach an incredible 1.8 metres in length. Even more mind-boggling is the fact that this represents the DNA in just one of the ten thousand billion cells that make up the human body.
Mchunu’s project, however, focused on a much smaller genome from a thermophilic fungus. These are fungi that prefer hot conditions and can happily survive at temperatures around 60°C. They produce enzymes that can function at even higher temperatures which are important in industrial processes as they work faster and are more temperature stable than other biological catalysts. This novel fungus Thermomyces lanuginosus isolated by Prof Singh in 1995, produces several such enzymes that break down biological polymers such as starch, plant residue, fats and crustacean shells to produce useful by-products.
For the first time researchers at DUT will able to identify series of novel genes from this fungus for potential biotechnological application. Enzymes from this organism are ideal for use in the paper and pulp, food and beverage, medical, animal feed, agricultural and biofuels industries and are also important in reducing environmental pollution.
Professor Permaul said Mchunu’s research shows that there is a greater than 90% match between the genome and transcriptome (codes for real genes) demonstrating the high quality of the data produced by the high throughput genome sequencing. Mchunu has already started functional genomics (application of genome discovery) and validated the existence of cluster of genes that codes for diverse degradative enzymes, by cloning and resequencing.
“The identified genes will be used to mass-produce enzymes that will be useful in industrial applications and processes. Mchunu intends producing at least two scientific articles from the results of her project as well as file patents for genes that produce enzymes of industrial importance,” he said.
Mchunu also previously participated in the SA-Swedish Bilateral Research Project between DUT and Lund University as part of her master’s study. On her return to South Africa, she will team up with Professors Singh and Permaul in a collaborative study on DNA sequencing of indigenous plants.
USM’s Vice-Chancellor, Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli and Professor Alam met with DUT Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ahmed Bawa and the Department of Biotechnology and Food Technology on 26 August 2011 at the University’s Hotel School Conference Centre. The two universities signed a memorandum of understanding to establish future research prospects.
This world first also places the Enzyme Technology Research Group at DUT led by Professors Singh and Permaul in the forefront of research in the application and genetic engineering of enzymes relevant for industry. This leading group at DUT boasts national and international collaborations with fifteen Masters and three Doctoral students as well as three Post-doctoral fellows in their team .
USM’s Vice-Chancellor, Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli and Professor Alam will meet with DUT Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ahmed Bawa and the Department of Biotechnology and Food Technology on 26 August 2011 at the University’s Hotel School Conference Centre. The two universities will sign a memorandum of understanding to establish future research prospects. USM is an internationally-acclaimed research intensive institute and a recipient of the Asian Innovation Award. It offers a wide range of courses to more than 28 000 undergraduate and postgraduate students The university focuses on research in the field of Pure Sciences, Applied Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Building Science and Technology, Social Sciences, Humanities and Education.
Singh stated that the Department of Biotechnology and Food Technology offers three established research areas in Enzyme Technology, Plant Biotechnology, led by Prof Bharti Odhav and Water and Waste Water Technology, led by Prof Faizal Bux, together with a research cohort of 47 Masters and eight PhDs and eight postdoctoral fellows together with several national and international collaborators which makes it second to none in comparison to similar disciplines amongst Universities of Technology in South Africa. Together with its state of the art equipment and new teaching and research facilities soon to be upgraded to the tune of almost R20 million, he envisages the Department to further its ground – breaking research beyond 2011.
