Hard work, commitment and a passion for research has paid off for a group of innovative researchers and students in the Faculty of Applied Sciences.

the Bioresource Engineering Research Group, officially joined the growing ranks of research groups at CPUT.

“We try to replace chemical processes with biological processes,” says Ntwampe.

Projects range from exploring bio friendly options for the treatment of water to finding chemical free options for production processes in sectors ranging from mining to food production. The team is also involved in projects that look at innovative ways of turning waste, produced through environmentally friendly processes, into something valuable.

Ntwampe, who hails from the Biotechnology and Consumer Science Department, started the group five years ago and steadily built the team, which comprises of well over 30 members.

The group consist of 22 postgraduate students, of whom 8 are registered in doctorate programmes, a postdoc as well as several staff members who hold doctorate qualifications.

The group also recently celebrated its first doctoral graduate, Olusola Solomon Amodu, who received his degree at the recent Spring Graduation.

“We also have associated members in the group from Zimbabwe, Botswana and Nigeria. They contribute to the group, either through conference or research papers,” says Ntwampe.

“Our focus now is to grow the group into a centre in the next five years. We also want to train more female students,” says Ntwampe.