Hebzee - Motswedi Anderson
Dr Motswedi Anderson: Post-doctoral fellow Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership, SANTHE fellow, Wellcome Trust International Training Fellow, EDCTP-AREF Preparatory Training Fellow.
Her Research: Motswedi studies the Hepatitis B virus. This virus causes liver disease and in long term infections it can cause liver cancer. There is a vaccine for HepB but it still infects millions each year. Motswedi studies a particular form of the virus that is hidden from current tests and is sometimes not covered by existing vaccines. The tests and the vaccine were made against a particular protein in the virus. Proteins have very specific shapes and a given antibody (found in the tests and made by the body after vaccination) attaches to a specific spot on a protein. Change the protein just a little bit and the antibody will no longer attach. In the hidden form, scientists can find the DNA of the virus only. Motswedi’s research compares the hidden and regular forms of the HepB virus to understand the hidden HepB virus and develop better vaccines and diagnostics.
Learn more about her work: #HepBzero Silent No More
Her Heroes: People who succeed against all odds.
Her Top Tip: In science (and life) sometimes things work out as expected, sometimes we get surprising results, sometimes things don't work out at all. But no effort is in vain. Learning what not to do is still a lesson.
What does it take to succeed in science? We asked everyone to rank the following from most important to least: Curiosity, hard work, communication, creativity
What else do you need: Perseverance, flexibility, dedication
Her Superpowers! Sequencing, PCR, bioinformatics
Her scientific strengths: Team player, lab work, mentorship
In isiZulu
Dr Motswedi Anderson: Post-doctoral fellow Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership, SANTHE fellow, Wellcome Trust International Training Fellow, EDCTP-AREF Preparatory Training Fellow.
Amandla akhe kwezesayensi: Umdlali weqembu, umsebenzi waselabhorethri, ukuqeqeshwaUDkt Motswedi Anderson: Uzakwethu waseBotswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership, umlingani, i-Wellcome Trust International Training Fellow, EDCTP-AREF Preparatory Training Fellow.
Ucwaningo lwakhe: UMotswedi ucwaninga ngegciwane leHepatitis B. Leli gciwane lidala isifo sesibindi futhi ekuthelelekeni kwesikhathi eside lingabangela umdlavuza wesibindi. Kukhona umgomo we-HepB kodwa usathelela izigidi ngonyaka. I-Motswedi icwaninga uhlobo oluthile lwaleli gciwane olufihlekile ekuhlolweni kwamanje futhi ngezinye izikhathi alufakwa emithini yokugoma ekhona. Ukuhlolwa nomgomo kwenziwa ngokumelene nephrotheni ethile kugciwane. Amaprotheni anomumo othize futhi i-antibody enikeziwe (etholakala ekuhlolweni futhi eyenziwa umzimba ngemva kokugoma) inamathela endaweni ethile kuphrotheni. Shintsha iphrotheni kancane futhi i-antibody ngeke isanamathela. Ngendlela efihliwe, ososayensi bangathola i-DNA yegciwane kuphela. Ucwaningo lukaMotswedi luqhathanisa izinhlobo ezifihliwe nezivamile zegciwane le-HepB ukuze kuqondwe igciwane le-HepB elifihliwe futhi kuthuthukiswe imigomo engcono yokuhlonza.
Funda okwengeziwe ngomsebenzi wakhe: #HepBzero Silent No More
Amaqhawe Akhe: Abantu abaphumelelayo ngokumelene nazo zonke izinkinga.
Ithiphu Yakhe Ephambili: Kwezesayensi (nasempilweni) ngezinye izikhathi izinto zihamba njengoba bekulindelekile, ngezinye izikhathi sithola imiphumela emangalisayo, ngezinye izikhathi izinto azihambi nhlobo. Kodwa akukho mzamo oyize. Ukufunda okungafanele ukwenze kuseyisifundo.
Yini edingekayo ukuze uphumelele kwisayensi? Sicele wonke umuntu ukuthi aklelise okulandelayo kusukela kokubaluleke kakhulu kuye kokuncane: Ilukuluku, ukusebenza kanzima, ukuxhumana, ukusungula izinto
Yini enye oyidingayo: Ukubekezela, ukuguquguquka, ukuzinikela
Amandla Akhe Amakhulu! Ukulandelana, i-PCR, i-bioinformatics