NATURAL AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES now. Water is one of the main routes also a member of the Microbial Water the resulting compound was used in by which antibiotic resistant genes Quality Monitoring Centre. Professor an experiment aimed at the removal (ARGs) are spread, and freshwater, Omobola Okoh is a Lecturer in the of an antibiotic-resistant bacterium surface water, drinking water and Department of Pure and Applied named Listeria monocytogene. wastewater have all been identified Chemistry and is linked to the Previous testing had shown that as carrying them. Of all these, Microbial Water Quality Monitoring Listeria monocytogene was resistant wastewater is a particular ‘hotspot’, Centre while Professor Anthony Okoh to sulfamethoxazole, erythromycin, and the quest is on to combat the is a lecturer in the Department of streptomycin, amoxicillin, and proliferation and spread of ARGs in Biochemistry and Microbiology and tetracycline, antibiotics often used this particular water source. is also linked with the Department by doctors as the first line of defence Adsorption technology is one method of Environmental Health Sciences in against infection. Through painstaking that has been identified as having the College of Health Sciences at the and rigorous research, the UFH the potential to combat ARGs in University of Sharjah in the United research team was able to show that wastewater. Its cost effectiveness Arab Emirates. Professor Okoh is also the mesoporous silica nanoparticles a member of the Microbial Water is just one of the reasons why the doped with zinc cation (SiO @Zn2+) Quality Monitoring Centre at UFH. 2 technique attracted the attention of were effective in removing bacterial a team of prestigious and emerging The attention of the research team DNA conveying antibiotic resistance scientists from the University of was drawn to the use of metallic genes from water. The team went Fort Hare (UFH). Emerging scientists oxides in adsorption technology. further than this broad observation, Adaora Ezeuko and Eric Anthony are Metal oxide nanoparticles have a however, as they also explored how PhD scholars in the Department of large surface area and have been different operating parameters (such Pure and Applied Chemistry at UFH shown to be effective in removing as the time concentration profile and are also linked to the Microbial organic and inorganic pollutants and the adsorbent dose) influenced Water Quality Monitoring Centre. Both in previous studies conducted by adsorption and enhanced the doctoral candidates have conducted Professors O. Okoh, Professor removal of bacterial DNA. research on the removal of ARGs A. Okoh, and Dr Ojemaye. Zinc It is unlikely that anyone reading this from water using nanomaterials as an Oxide (ZnO) is typical of the class of article will not have needed antibiotics adsorbents. Testimony to the quality adsorbents that are very effective in in their lifetime. The idea that of the training they have received at eradicating diverse pollutants from antibiotics may not be available in the UFH is the fact that both students water/wastewater. In this latest study future to treat ailments and diseases already have three publications involving the UFH team, mesoporous to which we are all susceptible is little under their belts with Adaora Ezeuko silica nanoparticles doped with Zinc short of horrifying. However, thanks expecting a fourth imminently. Fellow cation (SiO2@Zn2+) were used. To to the work of this UFH research team member Dr Mike Ojemaye is a test this method, the team first had team, the world is a step nearer to research fellow in the Department of to develop a technique to incorporate avoiding what is feared so widely. Pure and Applied Chemistry and is zinc cation onto silica oxide before Research Report 2021/2022 | 20