Soccer CSIR

We cannot have an eNews going out in June without making reference to the Soccer World Cup! When the country's serious people get silly, you know that soccer fever has truly hit. The CSIR is known for its science and technology solutions. In a typical day you will find researchers studying bacteria, developing lab-on-chip devices, taking water samples, improving lasers, designing new harbours or breeding better trees. What you won't find them doing, is dancing away in the workplace. Well, that was until World Cup fever made its way into our country's science corridors... Take a quick look at what is happening in our labs and what scientists look like when they do the iDiski dance.

Dates to diarise

Registration for CSIR Conference now open The 3rd CSIR biennial conference will take place on 31 August and 1 September 2010. Registration for the conference, again with the theme Science: real and relevant, is now open. A draft programme is also available.

Built environment

CSIR research published in investment potential atlas for human settlements To make well informed and justifiable investment choices that will promote the development of sustainable human settlements, CSIR Built Environment was commissioned by the Department of Human Settlements to update research contained in the Human Settlements Atlas 2009.

CSIR research contributes towards green building guide Practical and applicable information for built environment professionals, the building industry and property owners who want to design and build ecologically sensitive buildings appear in the Green Building Handbook, Vol 2.

Enabling technologies

ICT: Setting up CSIR's fire detection system in Kenya The highly successful Advanced Fire Information System (AFIS) - a CSIR success story which draws on expertise from the CSIR Meraka Institute and support from the CSIR Satellite Applications Centre with funding from Eskom - will benefit countries in east and central Africa.

ICT: Commissioning a container Digital Doorway in KwaZulu-Natal Commissioning the second solar-powered container Digital Doorway - this time in Vumbu Village in rural KwaZulu-Natal - was a singular experience, even for the CSIR's Grant Cambridge who takes challenges in his stride. Vumbu is close to Kranskop; the community comprises mainly subsistence farmers.

MATERIALS: Crab shells to the rescue with your next bandage? CSIR researchers are investigating the antibacterial properties of crab shells, when these are used as electrospun chitosan nanofibre membranes. The idea is to find the right formula of chitosan-based polymeric solution that may be used to manufacture wound dressings.

PHOTONICS: Laser light to shine even brighter A CSIR chief scientist, Dr Andrew Forbes, painted a glowing picture on the future of laser applications at a public lecture held at the CSIR in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of this phenomenon in May 2010.

SPACE: Golden jubilee celebrated this year The CSIR Satellite Applications Centre celebrates 50 years in space this year. In fact its tracking telemetry and command (TT&C) experiences already started with NASA and its Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 1957.

SPACE: ORBCOMM to construct gateway earth station in South Africa ORBCOMM has announced that the company will soon construct a Gateway (News - Alert) Earth Station in Hartebeesthoek, South Africa. The company has also signed an agreement with CSIR Satellite Applications Centre for the establishment, installation and maintenance operation at the site.

Health

CSIR raises awareness on World Malaria Day Five of the CSIR's research groups are currently involved in exploring research methods aimed at developing anti-malarial drugs. The spotlight fell on these groups in April as the world commemorated World Malaria Day.

Industry

CSIR's "noisy sock maker" donated to Fochville company "It's this enormous yellow machine that goes clunk-clunk, woosh-wash, urgh-orgh and then out comes a big sock." This is how the CSIR's patented helical sewing machine was once described by an onlooker. The noisy, yellow "sock maker" now resides with a backfill bag producer in Fochville, to whom it was licensed and donated.

Natural environment

Role of water fleas crucial to cleaning Loskopdam from green algae The solution for the water quality problems plaguing Loskopdam can only be found in the upper catchment of the Olifants River and the return of tiny water zooplankton like water fleas (Daphnia).

New on the shelf

Latest ScienceScope available The latest ScienceScope focuses on defence and security R&D for a safe and secure South Africa.

People news

Honours for two CSIR experts in roads, transport research Two CSIR researchers, Paul Nordengen and Dr Phil Paige-Green, were singled out recently by local and international peers.

CSIR's Dr Bob Scholes appointed to inaugural board of SA's space agency As an outspoken scientist with high scientific values and standards and considerable practical experience of using space products for research purposes, CSIR systems ecologist Dr Bob Scholes will add immense value to the inaugural board of the South African National Space Agency (SANSA).