Roughly 150 million children under five remain stunted (too short for their age). Children’s growth is affected not only by what they eat, but also by how well their bodies can process and absorb nutrients. Addressing childhood stunting requires moving beyond single interventions such as providing food.

African microbiomes are conspicuously absent from global datasets, with less than 3% of microbial diversity characterised to date. New research chair will reduce the knowledge gap regarding African microbiota. Prof. Thulani Makhalanyane is well-known for advocating the significance of and the vital role of microbiomes in health, agriculture, and environmental sustainability, particularly within the African context.

Almost 2000 geoscience terms documented across various South African languages. Project represents a major step towards inclusivity and accessibility of Earth Sciences. Public can access word bank at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19131345

Microvascular research is providing important biological insights that may help guide how we diagnose and treat patients living with complex chronic disorders such as Long COVID and ME/CFS. The Complex Disorder Alliance (CODA) will support experts to focus on key hypotheses to more quickly determine which patients can benefit from treatment.

In celebration of the International Day of Light, the Stellenbosch Laser Student Chapter presents a public lecture by Prof. Pieter Neethling, director of the Stellenbosch Photonics Institute in the Department of Physics.

Microbial Ecology

Species distribution maps as high-level proxies for analysing biodiversity. As the first continental-scale assessment of zeta diversity for African plants, this study provides novel insights into their biogeographic patterns by teasing-apart spatial configurations of narrow-ranged and widespread species.

Researchers debunk debunk long-held theory on prehistoric giant insects. The form and function of insects remain an active research field. Understanding body size and their functional limits have broader implications for understanding biodiversity responses to human-induced pressures.

Can AI agents learn what you think and represent you in a discussion you never attended?

With a PhD in physics in his pocket, Dr Amos Kiyumbi plans to invest his research experience in Germany and South Africa into the establishment of a photonics initiative in Tanzania. For his PhD research, Kiyumbi developed a proof-of-concept optical biosensor for the detection of low levels of the malaria parasite in blood samples. His research paves the way for the development of biosensors to support future vaccination efforts in low-resource areas.