Boost for a tuberculosis detective

Tsungai Jongwe will decode some of the secrets of plants

Smart young Rondebosch resident Tsungai Jongwe has won a bursary from South African Women in Science and Engineering (SAWISE) to decode some of the secrets of plants.

"I'm so excited and grateful," said Tsungai, who is using the R10 000 SAWISE/Angus bursary for her honours degree in microbiology at the University of Cape Town this year. "I'm glad I can continue with my post-graduate studies. I hope to learn a lot from this year."

Tsungai uses chemicals such as ethanol to detect bacteria in the cells of local plants. She's hoping to examine the bacteria to see if they produce antibiotics. She's particularly interested in isolating new antibiotics to fight tuberculosis, as she is working in the TB lab of her supervisor, Dr Paul Meyers in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology.

Biological treasure hunt
"Tsungai Jongwe will be isolating bacteria from the leaves of indigenous plants during her honours project this year," Meyers explained. "Screening for antibiotics is like biological treasure hunting. We're looking for new anti-tubercular antibiotics. Although we cannot be sure of what we'll find, there is a vast bacterial diversity in nature to explore."

He pointed out that Tsungai's scientific research was critical because TB was a serious public health problem everywhere in South Africa and was "exceptionally high" in the Western Cape. Simultaneous infection with HIV and the new drug-resistant strains of the bacteria have created "an urgent need for drug disovery programmes”.

"There are a lot of hidden secrets in nature that can be revealed through research and be used for our well-being," the 22-year-old said. "I believe science will play a large role in solving a lot of Africa's problems, including malnutrition, killer diseases and food shortages."

More girls needed in science
Tsungai benefited from an all-girls education at St Dominics in Harare, so she's one of an estimated three million Zimbabweans now living in South Africa. She encourages girls in Grades Nine to matric to attend the SAWISE/Element 6 women's day event in August at the Iziko Museums with their classmates and science teachers. "I would definitely encourage teenage girls to follow the path of science, especially if they're the adventurous type of person," said Tsungai.

The lastborn in a large family, Tsungai said that without the bursary, she would have had to beg her five sisters and one brother, or her retired parents, for financial assistance. But after graduating from her undergraduate degree in microbiology and biochemistry with distinction, she never raised the issue of dropping out of university, not once.

Farm background
She paid tribute to her parents, a former nurse and a former college lecturer, who raised her on a small plot in Kwe Kwe in central Zimbabwe, for supporting her science ambitions. "That farm is where I got my motivation, my liking for plants," the Shona-speaking young scientist explained. "The farm has a bit of everything, some things we grow for ourselves, others we sell. We grow maize, wheat and soybeans, and raise pigs, cattle, sheep, goats and fish."

And the future? "I'd like to study abroad, to expand my knowledge and do my Masters degree and then I want to come back and enter industry," she said.

Second bursary awarded
The chairperson of the SAWISE scholarship committee, Éva Plagányi-Lloyd, a UCT mathematics lecturer, said that the quality of applications was so high that another R10,000 bursary was awarded to Jen de Beyer, a biochemistry student at the University of Stellenbosch.

"Tsungai is a very promising young scientist," said Plagányi-Lloyd. "The honours year is often the toughest year financially for most students, especially those from poorer backgrounds, and we hope she will be a role model who will encourage young women to stay in university after their first degree because it does pay off in the long run. It's a good investment in their future."

She noted that female students considering doing an honours degree would be able to apply this year for not one but two scholarships. November 30 is the deadline for both scholarships.

The SAWISE/Element 6 scholarship, now worth R11 000, is available for female students to study at honours (fourth year) level in chemistry, physics, mechanical engineering or metallurgy, at any South African university. The Angus/SAWISE scholarship will be given to a sub-Saharan black woman graduate with 70% (or above grade average) in her field of study in any branch of science or engineering.

Previous winners
Previous winners include botanist Kathryn Lannas, whose scientific investigations took her to the Kruger National Park, who is currently finishing off her Master’s degree. Other scholarship winners include two women doing their doctorates, Melinda Griffiths and Ilda Ladeira, who is also teaching at the all-girls school St Cyprians. Another winner, Thokozile Lewanika, already received her doctoral degree and is currently what academics call a 'post doc' - a sort of gap year in which varsity students develop as independent researchers. - SciDev.Net