Prof Natasha Potgieter was awarded a Water Research Commission project in 2022 to the value of 2,5-million rand. The Project is titled ‘Surveillance of multidrug resistant enteric bacteria in wastewater sources and their association with clinical pathogens in South Africa’. This project forms part of the ONE HEALTH research group activities. Prof Afsatou Traore is co-investigating while Prof Potgieter and Prof Traore mentor staff members (Dr Jean Pierre Kabue); Postdoctoral fellows are (Dr Ellen Ledwaba and Dr Mpumelelo Rikhotso) including several postgraduate students from Honours to Doctoral level. Prof Akebe Luther King Abia from UKZN, who is also appointed as a Senior Visiting Fellow in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology , is also a collaborator, researcher, mentor, and supervisor of postgraduate students in the ONE HEALTH group on this project.
Above photo: Prof Natasha Potgieter (far left front row), Prof Tobias George Barnard, Prof Afsatou Traore, Mr Themba Baloyi and Prof Akebe Luther King Abia during the meeting in Pretoria
Other collaborators on this project include Prof Tobias George Barnard from the Water and Health Research Centre where Prof Potgieter is also appointed as a visiting Professor. The inaugural meeting of the research team took place in Pretoria in March 2022. Prof Abia also visited the UNIVEN campus on 26 June to 03 July 2022 to work on the project deliverable 0ne (1) with Prof Potgieter, Prof Traore, and a Master student (Mr Theba Baloyi). During his visiting period, he was also a keynote speaker at the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture Research celebration on 27 June 2022 where he gave a presentation entitled “Antimicrobial resistance and one health: implications for sustainable development in South Africa”.
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Date: 07 July 2022
