Media Releases
Female researchers from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) are spearheading research to improve the country’s competitiveness in additive manufacturing and stem cell reprogramming.
Speaking to the media in Pretoria recently, the researchers commended the CSIR for providing a conducive environment for them to excel in all areas, including those that were previously dominated by their male counterparts.
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) will be showcasing its Biomanufacturing, Agroprocessing and Health Innovation technologies at the inaugural Bio Africa Convention, taking place at the Durban International Convention Centre from 26 to 28 August 2019.
Female researchers working in additive manufacturing will brief the media of some of their research breakthroughs, made using the world’s largest 3D printer, which is housed at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
Only a handful of people in South Africa have mastered Stem Cell reprogramming and Dimakatso Gumede (34) is one of them. As a CSIR candidate researcher of the bioengineering and integrated genomics research group, she works on creating disease models of the innate immune system to study unique African gene variants that lead to elite controllers that naturally control viral load levels without antiretroviral therapy.
Hundreds of learners who attend the CSIR annual career day have described it as an eye opener in learning more about various careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
This year, the event was used to highlight the impact and effects of climate change in South Africa. Learners were exposed to various technologies developed by the CSIR to curb climate change. This is in line with the 2019 National Science Week (NSW) theme “Facing the harsh realities of climate change”.
The leakage of plastic waste into the environment, especially in the marine environment, is an issue of growing global concern. In South Africa, the need to find sustainable solutions is highlighted by the growing consumption of single-use plastic combined with weak waste collection, recycling and disposal systems. According to research conducted by Jambeck et al in 2015, the country ranked 11th in terms of the mass of mismanaged plastic waste by countries globally in 2010.
On Wednesday, 26 June 2019, a select group of young researchers briefed the media in Pretoria. The purpose of the briefing was to highlight the impact of, the opportunities available and future skills required by young people to thrive in the rise of the 4IR. CSIR researchers shared their research projects in areas such as machine learning, robotics and additive manufacturing.
The CHPC's Lengau supercomputer has placed 496th on the computing community's Top500 List. The list was announced at the International Supercomputing Conference in Frankfurt, Germany in June 2019.
A team of six South African undergraduate students has taken first prize against 13 teams at the International Supercomputing Conference (ISC) in Frankfurt, Germany. The spectacular success follows four days of working on a selection of tests and applications to optimise and run their computer cluster to demonstrate the performance of their chosen design. The competition took place from 16 to 19 June 2019.