Name: Candace Davison
Project: Novel Marine Drugs through Microbial Genomics
Position: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow
I am currently pursuing a post-doctoral fellowship at IMBM investigating therapeutic agents derived from marine bacteria. I received a BSc. degree in Biochemistry and Microbiology and a BSc honours degree in Biochemistry, specialising in proteomics from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. MSc degree in Biochemistry involved the study of Tulbaghia violacea as an anti-diabetic and anti-coagulant agent. I obtained a PhD in Biochemistry from the Nelson Mandela University entailed the use of synthetically derived xanthones in the treatment of breast cancer. I spend a year as a research associate and two years as a research Scientist at InnoVenton. As a member of staff my research focus at InnoVenton involved several diverse projects. Briefly, my research focused on the cultivation and production of astaxanthin from Haemococcus pluvaris at both a laboratory and pilot scale. The cultivation and protein extraction from Spirulina at a pilot scale. The use of microalgae and the extracted protein of microalgae as a replacement protein source in the development of aquafeed and the optimisation of the extrusion process. I played an integral role in the research, development, construction and running of an aquaponics plant where the aquafeed was utilised to promote a fully integrated self-sustaining aquaponics system at a pilot scale. I developed bio-pesticides for implementation in organic farming as well as the use of algae as a bio-fertilizer.