Institute for Plant Biotechnology
Welcome to Stellenbosch University

Theses & Dissertations

​2024

LOUW NM. Assessment of mutant N19 sugarcane lines for drought tolerance. MSc, March 2024. http://hdl.handle.net/10019/35519

GOUWS N. Investigating transgenic potato plants lacking starch branching enzyme I and/or glucan, water dikinase 1. MSc, March 2024.

WARREN K. Is AtGSTF2 involved in lumichrome perception and transport? MSc, March 2024.

KERET R. The physiological and genetic underpinnings that influence the xylem properties of Eucalyptus grandis, when subjected to different levels of water availability. PhD, March 2024.​


2023

HENRIQUES M. Does lumichrome-enhanced growth reduce disease resistance in plants? MSc, 2023

SCHWEGLER DA. Development of genome editing of potato to repress cold-induced sweetgening. MSc, 2023.

KULU NN. Analysis of starch metabolism in South Afri can pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) varieties. MSc, 2023. 

XONTI A. Identification and characterisation of a drought-responsive galactinol synthase in wild rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia). MSc, 2023.

FULTON K. Engineering drought tolerance in sugarcane through modification of genes involved in photosynthetic activity. MSc 2023.

MASOABI M. Genetic engineering strategies to enhance drought tolerance in sugarcane. PhD, 2023.​​

DE STADLER J. Analysis of phosphoglucomutase isoforms form Physcomitrium patens, MSc 2023. ​

LE ROUX J. Nuclear Factor-YB transcription factors in sugarcane and their functional role in drought tolerance, MSc, 2023.  

DE VRIES A. Enhancement of free L-tryptophan levels in sugarcane by elimination of ASA1 feedback loop and random mutagenesis, MSc, 2023.


2022

ADEGBAJU MS. Analysis of interactions between glucan, water dikinase and either isoamylase or starch branching enzymes in determination of starch structure, PhD 2022.


2021​​

MDODANA Z.  Analysis of aspects of starch metabolism in Physcomitrella patens, PhD 2021.

JACOBS D.  Analysis of sugar accumulation under cold stress in Physcomitrella patens, MSc 2021.

LOURENS D. Determining the function of MtAMA1, an AGP suspected to play a role in the symbiosis between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and Medicago truncatula, MSc 2021.

EHRENREICH C. Site directed-mutagenesis studies on a novel dual domain β galactosidase/ β-glucosidase open reading frame identified from dairy runoff, MSc 2021.

RUST CM.  The volatile tale of Arabidopsis thaliana: Enhancing plant growth and salinity stress tolerance by overexpressing α-acetolactate decarboxylase to produce acetoin in planta, MSc 2021.

GABRIEL C. Overexpress trehalose-6-phosphate synthase genes, isolated from sugarcane, in potato to determine its activity and its role in internal carbohydrate homeostasis, MSc 2021. 

BARKER A. The over-expression of a late embryogenesis abundant protein in Saccharum species hybrid to improve osmotic stress tolerance under water-deficit, MSc, 2021.  ​

MADZIVIRE PM.  Conservation of the endangered geophyte Haemanthus pumilio, MSc ,2021.


2020

HUNTER EW. Screening for bioactive phytocannabinoid-like secondary metabolites in the flowers of two endemic South African “wilde dagga" (Leonotis leonurus) varieties, MSc 2020.

ENSLIN NG. Identification of a cellulolytic active fungal strain, isolated from a cigarette waste microenvironment, showing preference for growth on cellulose acetate, MSc 2020.  

WIESE A. Characterization of the Sucrose Synthase and class II Trehalose 6-Phosphate Synthase gene families in the moss Physcomitrella patens. PhD, 2020.

LOUBSER J. Analysis of the molecular and physiological effects following treatment with BC204 in Arabidopsis thaliana and Solanum lycopersicum. PhD, 2020.

MBAMBALALA N. Analysis of the role of transcription factors in enhancing drought tolerance in sugarcane (Saccharum spp.). MSc, 2020.

KERET R. Optimisation of micropropagation protocols for Eucalyptus hybrids. MSc, 2020.

ROSMARIN M. Enhancing plant growth via the transgenic production of bacterial volatile organic compounds. MSc, 2020.

VAN DER WALT F.  Investigation of the link between glycogen metabolism and cell size in E. coli. MSc, 2020.


​2019

LE ROUX W.  Induced mutagenesis through gamma irradiation of embryogenic callus and selection for drought tolerance in sugarcane. MSc, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10019/24236


2018

PIETERS J. Identification and biochemical characterisation of an aryl β-glucosidase isolated from a cellulose-acetate rich environment via a functional metagenomic approach. MSc, 2018.

HUGO M. Functional identification of a putative stachyose synthase (StaS, Medtr7g106910.1) from Medicago truncatula, by overexpression in the Arabidopsis stachyose deficient double mutant atrs4/atrs5. MSc, 2018.

​VAN BEEK CR. Overexpression of a tomato SlNAC2 gene in Nicotiana tabacum to determine its potential role in enhancing drought tolerance in plants. MSc, 2018

JACOBS I. Analysis of aspects of the starch metabolic pathway in lower plants. MSc, 2018.

SMITH M. Isolation and characterisation of novel enzymes producing fructo- and galacto-oligosaccharides through a metagenomic approach. PhD, 2018.​


2017

SWANEPOEL CC. Characterisation of the glycoside hydrolase domain of a novel bi-functional metagenomic clone for use in the biofuel production industry. MSc, 2017.

MTHEMBU ZN.  Development of a hairy root bioreactor from Stevia rebaudiana to produce steviol glycosides. MSc, 2017

PRINCE E. Synthesis of phosphorylated polyglucans using phosphorylases. MSc, 2017

NDIMBA RM. Biophysical characterization of the mineral composition of seeds with varying genetic background including transgenic sorghum with reduced amounts of the storage protein kafirin. PhD, 2017.

PRINS, R. The two oceans project: Searching for novel carbohydrate sulfoconjugation enzymes. MSC, 2017. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/100897

PHOLO, Z.  Molecular analysis of plant growth promoted with low molecular weight compounds in relation to genetically altered photosynthetic carbohydrate partitioning in higher plants. PhD, 2017. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/101430

MUSHFIELDT K.  Mutational analysis of E. coli maltodextrin metabolism.  MSc, 2017. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/100798


2016

​JANSE VAN RENSBURG H.  The Arabidopsis GolS1 promotor as a potential biosensor for heat stress and fungal infection, MSc, 2016.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/100248

STRYDOM L. Mutational analysis of genes involved in E. coli glycogen degradation. MSc, 2016. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/100148

HARTZENBERG L.  Identification and manipulation of starch synthases from marama bean and potato.  MSc, 2016. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/100015

MASOABI M. Biotechnological approaches for sugarcane enhancement – Drought tolerance and cell wall manipulation. MSc, 2016.

LOUBSER J. Tools for strigolactone research: Towards a strigolactone-responsive promoter and a strigolactone-activity inhibitor. MSc, 2016.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/98736

ROSSOUW MJ. Application of plant growth promoting substances and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for phytostabilisation of mine tailings. MSc, 2016.

VAN DER MERWE S. Attempting to enhance sugarcane growth through genetic modification. MSc, March 2016.


2015

LEKGARI GLP. Over-expressing Arabidopsis MYB transcription factors in Salvia spp and sugarcane. MSc, 2015. 

LOEDOLFF B. functional roles of raffinose family oligosaccharides: Arabidopsis case studies in seed physiology, biotic stress and novel carbohydrate engineering. PhD, 2015. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/98052

DENKHAUS E. Using XhLEA, a group 1 vegetative Late Embryogenesis Abundant protein to aid water deficit tolerance in plants and microbes. MsC, 2015. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/98113

JAYAKUMAR R. Functional identification of the chloroplastic raffinose transporter from Arabidopsis. MScAgric, 2015. http://146.232.129.77/handle/10019.1/97726

​MARAIS C.  Screening, isolating and characterizing acetyl xylan esterase enzymes from a novel ecological niche.  MSc, 2015

DEMPERS D.  Overexpression of α-acetolactate decarboxylase and acetoin reductase/2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase in Arabidopsis thaliana. MSc, 2015

DE VILLIERS RM.  Pp1s148_40v6 in Physcomitrella patens: An AtMAX2 orthologue? MSc, 2015. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/96818 

FERNHOUT JJ. Isolation and characterisation of genes involved in carbon and chlorophyll metabolism in Saccharum species hybrids. MSc, 2015. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/96696

JEWELL JF. The analysis of glycogen phosphate and glucose-1,6-bisphosphate metabolism in Escherichia coli. MSc, 2015.

 

2014

SAMODIEN ME.  The analysis of starch degradation in Solanaceae species.  PhD, 2014.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/86440

NDIMANDE S. Increasing cellulosic biomass in sugarcane.  PhD, 2014.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/86296

 

2013

CLAASSENS AP.  Investigation of starch metabolism gene and their interactions.  MSc, 2013.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/85863

DE WITT RN.  Correlating metabolite and transcript profiles in transgenic sugarcane lines.  MSc, 2013.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/80286

GROBBELAAR MC.  Influence of strigolactones and auxin on Sutherlandia (Lessertia) frutescens in vitro plant tissue cultures.  MSc, 2013.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/85701

HECTOR SBE. Molecular studies of galactan biosynthesis in red algae. PhD, 2013. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/85620

SWART C. Production of libraries to study biopolymer metabolism in Arabidopsis thaliana and Tylosema esculentum.  MSc, 2013. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/85607

WIESE AJ. Characterisation of carbohydrate metabolism in mycohereotrophic associations between plants and fungi. MSc, 2013.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/85740

 

2012

EGBICHI IM. Modulation of ascorbate peroxidase activity by nitric oxide in soybean. MSc, 2012.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/71645

JACOBS FA.  Identification of regulatory elements mediating response of SOD and cyctatin transcripts to salt stress and nitric oxide in soybean nodules.  MSc, 2012.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/20024

LOEDOLFF B. Isolation and partial characterisation of PHT1;5, a putative high affinity phosphate transporter from Arabidopsis thaliana. MSc, 2012. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/20243

MDODANA T. The effects of the synthetic strigolactone GR24 on Arabidopsis thaliana callus culture. MSc, 2012. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/71963

RAPP T. Isolation and characterisation of genes encoding biopolymer manufacturing enzymes. MSc, 2012. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/19968

​WILLARD K. Investigation of exopolysaccharide producing bacteria isolated. MSc, 2012. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/71627

 

2011

CONRADIE T.  Genetic engineering of sugarcane for increased sucrose and consumer acceptance.  MSc, 2011.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/17826

STEENKAMP LE. Analysis of the effects of the plant growth promoting substances GR24 and smoke water on abiotically-stressed Nicotiana benthamiana seedlings. MSc, 2011. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/17863

 

2010

BOUSSIENGUI-BOUSSIENGUI.  Analysis of the role of relative nucleotide concentrations on the regulation of carbohydrate in higher plants.  PhD, 2010.

CRONJE C.  Manipulation of ascorbate biosynthesis in Solanum lycopersicum (cv Money maker).  MSc, 2010.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/5291

FLY R.  Approaches for the study of leaf carbohydrate metabolic compartmentation in Arabidopsis thaliana. MSc, 2010.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/5332

GEORGE GM.  Virus induced gene silencing for the study of starch metabolism. PhD, 2009. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/4024

HORSTMANN C.  Manipulating cell wall biosynthesis in yeast and higher plants.  MSc, 2010.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/5288

KOTZE LM.  An investigation into the effects of smoke-water and GR24 on the growth of Nicotiana benthamiana seedlings.  MSc, 2010.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/5215

MACKAY S.  Identification of the genes encoding enzymes involved in the synthesis of the biopolymer paramylon from Euglena gracilis. MSc, 2010.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/5420

ZWIEGELAAR JP.  Molecular studies on phosphate homeostasis in higher plants.  PhD, 2010.  https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/4839

 

2009

GOUWS LM.  The molecular analysis of the effects of lumichrome as a plant growth promoting substance.  PhD, 2009.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/4825

NEPEMBE MN.  Elucidatin of the biochemical mechanism of glycogen phosphorylation in Escherichia coli.  MSc, 2009. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/2524

SAMODIEN ME.  Analysis of enzymes involved in starch phosphate metabolism.  MSc, 2009.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/2633

SPRACKLEN AL. Characterization of transgenic sugarcane lines with perturbed pyrophosphate:fructose 6-phosphate 1-phosphotransgerase (PFP) activity.  MSc, 2009.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/2769

 

2008

BASSON CE.  Analysis of intermediate carbon metabolism in strawberry plants.  MSc, 2008.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/2295

GOVENDER C.  Stem specific promoters from sorghum and maize for use in sugarcane.  MSc, 2008.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/2374

LOEBENBERG L.  UDP-glucose: β-(1-3)-glucan (paramylon) synthase from Euglena gracilis.  MSc, 2008.

OHLHOFF CW.  Biopolymer gene discovery and characterization using metagenomics libraries.  MSc, 2008.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/2380

SMITH ML.  Investigating the role of pyrophosphate fructose 6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase in phloem loading.  MSc, 2008.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/3062

VAN WYK N.  Analysis of dextrin dextranase from Gluconobacter oxydans.  MSc, 2008.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/2619

 

2007

BEKKER J. Manipulation of cell wall composition in sugarcane. PhD, 2007.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/1259

FERREIRA SJ.  The analysis and reduction of starch in sugarcane by silencing ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase and over-expressing B-amylase. MSc, 2007. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/2880

NDIMANDE GS.  Comparative analysis of differential gene expression in the culms of sorghum.  MSc, 2007. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/2903

NELL H.  Genetic manipulation of sucrose-storing tissue to produce alternative products. PhD, 2007.

NICHOLSON TL.  Carbon turnover and sucrose metabolism in the culm of transgenic sugarcane producing 1-kestose.  MSc, 2007.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/38152

VAN DER MERWE L.  UDP-glucose: B-(1-3)-glucan (paramylon) synthase from Euglena gracilis.  MSc, 2007.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/1560

 

2006

HITEN NF.  The manipulation of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate levels in sugarcane.  MSc, 2006.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/2873

HUSSELMANN LHH.  Molecular characterization of the commercially important Agathosma species.  MSc, 2006.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/3068

JOUBERT D.  Manipulation of neurtral invertase activity in sugarcane.  MSc, 2006.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/1817

VAN DER MERWE J.  Isolation and evaluation of the sugarcane UDP-glucose dehydrogenase gene and promoter.  PhD, 2006.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/1461

 

2005

BOSCH S.  Trehalose and carbon partitioning in sugarcane.  PhD, 2005.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/1433

BOUSSIENGUI-BOUSSIENGUI G.  Remobilization of sucrose from the culm during germination of sugarcane setts.  MSc, 2005.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/3116

ORENDO-SMITH R.  Enzyme profiling of a range of sugarcane tissue types with different levels of sucrose.  MSc, 2005.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/2462

SCHEEEPERS I.  The influence of genetic manipulation of cytosolic aldolase (ALDc) on respiration in sugarcane.  MSc, 2005.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/2923

SWART JC.  The characterization of vacuolar pyrophosphatase expression in sugarcane. MSc, 2005.   http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/1756

TSION GA.  Isolation and characterisation of a culm-specific promoter element from sugarcane. MSc, 2005. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/1843

TURNER GM.  Development of in situ hybridisation to examine tissue-specific expression patterns of the invertase genes in sugarcane culm.  MSc, 2005. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/16621

VAN DER MERWE MJ.  Influence of hexose-phosphates and carbon cycling on sucrose accumulation in sugarcane spp.  MSc, 2005.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/1873

 

2004

BURGER AL.  The isolation and characterisation of a developmentally-regulated gene from Vitis vinifera L. berries.  PhD, 2004. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/15938

CHAMPANIS R.  Aspects of sucrose metabolism in transgenic tobacco.  PhD, 2004.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/49854

McCORMICK JA.  Expression behaviour of primary carbon metabolism genes during sugarcane culm development.  MSc, 2004.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/16387

SCHAFER WE.  Characterisation of sucrose synthase activity in the sugarcane culm.  PhD, 2004. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/16068

TITUS CHA.  Sucrose transporters and sucrose uptake mechanisms in sugarcane.  MSc, 2004.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/16448

VENTER M. Isolation of Grapevine promoters with special emphasis on the vacuolar pyrophosphatase.  PhD, 2004. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/16078

 

2003

RAMOUTAR R.  The development of an in situ hybridisation technique to determine the gene expression patterns of UDP-glucose dehydrogenase, pyrophosphate-dependent phosphofructokinase and UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase in sugarcane intermodal tissues. MSc, 2003.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/49795

 

2002

SNYMAN SJ.  Development of a transformation system for sugarcane (Saccharum spp. Hybrids) in South Africa using herbicide resistance as a model system.  PhD, 2002.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/52764

CARSON DL.  Gene discovery and expression analysis in sugarcane leaf and culm.  PhD, 2002.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/52860

ROGBEER O.  Differential gene expression in the culm of sugarcane during development, with special emphasis on the storage parenchyma cells.  MSc, 2002. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/52803

ZWIEGELAAR JP.  Tissue specific gene expression in grape berries.  MSc, 2002. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/53192

 

2001

HOEPFNEER SW.  Fructokinase activity in the sugarcane culm: expression patterns and kinetic properties.  MSc, 2001.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/52276

ROSE S.  Sucrose accumulation and the expression of neutral invertase in sugarcane.  MSc, 2001.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/52468

SANUSHKA R.  Variants of the gene encoding the beta subunit of pyrophosphate dependent phosphofructokinase (PFP) and their transcriptional expression in sugarcane.  MSc, 2001.  http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/52605

 

2000

BINDON K.  Carbon partitioning in sugarcane intermodal tissue with special reference to the insoluble fraction.  MSc. 2000. http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/51642