There is nothing small about Prof Lebogang Katata-Seru’s ideas. She is currently working at North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Mahikeng as an associate professor in analytical chemistry and director for the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences. She believes that many of the country’s challenges can be solved through nanotechnology.
Nanotechnology is the science of small objects having a size ranging from 0,1 to 1000 nm. It can be applied in various fields such as water, medicine, electronics, energy, environment, food, materials etc. Nanotechnology offers manufacturing of new, faster, cheaper products which could solve many problems in the world.
Fourth industrial revolution realities
Prof Seru adds that nanotechnology is a fourth industrial revolution technology that can assist in addressing South African socio-economic barriers.
“I was first bitten by the nanotechnology bug in 2008 while working as a postdoctoral fellow at CSIR in Pretoria.”
Achievements
While at the CSIR, she was awarded an ICS-UNIDO (Trieste, Italy) six months fellowship in the field of nanomedicine.
In February 2009, Prof Seru was awarded the CSIR Young Researcher Establishment Fund for three years, to spearhead the nanomedicine work of developing a novel nanodrug delivery system for improving the current treatment of HIV/Aids.
She has also collaborated with Prof Alejandro Sosnik after securing the 2011 NRF SA-Argentina bilateral funding for a HIV/Aids project that enabled the thorough characterisation of the pharmacokinetics of efavirenz-loaded polymeric nanoparticles.
All in a day’s work
Since arriving at NWU in 2012, Prof Seru has served as subject chair of the former Chemistry Department from June 2015 until December 2017, and she was acting director of the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences.
Currently, her research interests involve developing some cost-effective nanomaterials for various applications in HIV/Aids, water treatment and agriculture sectors.
Future direction
Prof Seru is at the forefront of exiting research taking not only the NWU, but the world forward. “The research group’s focus area is nanoformulating different compounds that can be used for various possible applications such as water treatment and drug delivery among other users.
“The work done by a PhD student managed to develop and evaluate suppositories loaded with lopinavir nanoparticles for possible HIV/Aids paediatric treatment which aims to offer an alternative delivery to oral and intravenous administrations.”
She says nanotechnology can be applied ethically and legally to contribute to the challenges facing South Africa by providing different tools for addessing issues such as poverty, access to electricity, healthcare and access to clean water.
“It has been successfully applied in various industrial sectors for example the use of nanomedicine which combines nanotechnology with biomedical pharmaceutical sciences. Eligard® is one of the nanopharmaceuticals commercially available used for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer.”
Prof Lebo Seru.
