UP part of global research team to present the first image of Sagittarius A*

Astronomers have unveiled the first image of the supermassive black hole at the centre of our own Milky Way galaxy. The announcement was made at simultaneous press conferences around the world. Professor Roger Deane, an Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria and Director for the Centre of Astrophysics at the University of Witwatersrand and Wits Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr Iniyan Natarajan, were part of this global collaboration with the Event Horizon Telescope team. They are the only two African-based representatives who are part of the global team of more than 300 astronomers.

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Research Matters shows how the University of Pretoria creates a world of answers by highlighting some of our most impactful and innovative research, all of which addresses society’s most pressing concerns in order to transform lives and communities.

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Answers to climate change may lie in the soil

Problem

Global warming is causing climate patterns to change – think higher temperatures and decreased rainfall. In fact, climatic models suggest that temperatures may rise by between 0.3°C and 4.8°C!

Changes such as these are leading to a rise in the proportion of areas under threat of desertification (when land becomes increasingly arid), says Dr Thulani Makhalanyane, member of the Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics (CMEG) and lecturer in the Department of Genetics. Yet we know very little about the impacts of desertification on global ecosystems.

Solution

To find answers, Dr Makhalanyane looks at the microorganisms that thrive in the mostly frozen Antarctic and blistering Namib’s soil. These extreme desert ecosystems have no or limited rainfall and plant growth, respectively. When it comes to soil structure and fertility – important factors for sustainable agriculture – soil microorganisms play a vital role.

Dr Makhalanyane’s work aims to understand the role of these active microbial populations in shaping the soil environment, and how environmental factors drive their structure and function. Learning about how they have adapted to arid environments, can give us clues to understanding our world, especially how climate change may affect it and the changes we would need to make to ensure our food security.

Progress

Antarctic microbial communities are vital in understanding how changing conditions may ultimately affect important biogeochemical cycles, such as carbon fixation, says Dr Makhalanyane. Carbon fixation refers to the process when carbon dioxide is converted to organic compounds by living organisms in soil.

Dr Makhalanyane and the CMEG team have also started marine molecular ecology research, specifically focusing on oceans surrounding South Africa. He notes that it’s a massive undertaking, but one that will reveal even more answers to issues related to global climate change.

For more information, contact Dr Makhalanyane on:[email protected]

For an overview of his research:https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Thulani_Makhalanyane