Perforin - Bongiwe Ndlovu
Dr Bongiwe Ndlovu: Lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal College Of Health Sciences, Faculty member HIV Pathogenesis Programme, Fogarty Global Health Fellow. Chair of the Board of Directors Woza Moya a community development organisation in Bongiwe’s hometown Ixopo, KZN, South Africa.
Her Research: Antibodies are at the heart of your immune system and are amazing proteins. They are made in your immune system against proteins that the body doesn’t recognise as its own. The circulate in your body and attach very tightly to the target protein they were developed against if they encounter it They can differentiate between very small changes from one target to another. By attaching to the target protein they block the normal function of that protein and neutralise it or they trigger an immune system response that can lead to the target being destroyed.
Bongiwe researches antibodies and HIV, studying 1) how antibodies against HIV and the virus change over time in a person’s body and 2) the characteristics of antibodies that can block viruses from infecting cells. Both of these lines of research could have major implications for vaccine development or direct HIV therapy.
Focusing on the second project, Bongiwe’s group has been testing antibodies against the transmitted/founder viruses. These are the viruses that cause the initial infection. After a person has been infected for a longer time the virus changes, so being able to test against the form of the virus that infects a person is important. In the lab they are able to take different transmitted/founder viruses and mix them with antibodies they want to test. They then run an assay and see if the virus in combination with the antibody can infect cells. If the antibody has attached tightly to a viral protein important for infection, the virus will be blocked. A blocked HIV virus is exactly what we all want.
So far Bongiwe has found two or three antibodies that are good candidates. Hopefully one day soon they will be in clinical trials.
Her Heroes: My parents
Her top tip: “Persist! Maintain a positive mental attitude regardless of the situation, research may take long to yield good results.”
We asked each scientist to rank from highest to lowest the following, based on how important they are to succeed in science. For Bongiwe, it’s: hard work, curiosity, communication and creativity
What else do you need? Critical thinking, patience and persistence
Superpowers: Neutralization assays, cloning, transfections and ADCC assays (antibody dependent cytotoxicity assays)
Strengths as a scientist: Study design, data collection and analysis, oral presentation, grant writing and collaborations
Outside of the lab and personal history: I have a 14 year old daughter that loves science, I did my primary and high school education in previously disadvantaged schools.
In isiZulu
UDkt Bongiwe Ndlovu: Uthisha e-University of KwaZulu-Natal College Of Health Sciences, ilungu loFakhalthi iHIV Pathogenesis Programme, Fogarty Global Health Fellow. USihlalo Webhodi Labaqondisi Woza Moya inhlangano ethuthukisa umphakathi edolobheni lakubo kaBongiwe eXobho, KwaZulu-Natal, eNingizimu Afrika.
Ucwaningo Lwakhe: Amasosha omzimba asenhlizweni yamasosha akho omzimba futhi angamaprotheni amangalisayo. Zenziwe emasosheni akho omzimba ngokumelene namaprotheni umzimba ongawazi njengawo. Ukujikeleza emzimbeni wakho futhi kunamathele ngokuqinile ephrotheni eqondiwe abathuthukiswe ngokumelene nayo uma behlangabezana nayo Bangakwazi ukuhlukanisa phakathi kwezinguquko ezincane kakhulu ukusuka kwenye okuhlosiwe kuya kwenye. Ngokunamathisela kuphrotheni okuhlosiwe bavimba umsebenzi ojwayelekile walelo phrotheni futhi bawunciphise noma babangele ukusabela kwamasosha omzimba okungaholela ekubhujisweni okuhlosiwe.
UBongiwe ucwaninga amasosha omzimba kanye ne-HIV, ufunda 1) ukuthi amasosha omzimba alwa ne-HIV kanye negciwane ashintsha kanjani ngokuhamba kwesikhathi emzimbeni womuntu kanye 2) nezici zamasosha omzimba angavimba amagciwane ukuthi atheleleke kumaseli. Yomibili le migqa yocwaningo ingaba nomthelela omkhulu ekuthuthukisweni komgomo noma ekwelapheni i-HIV ngqo.
Ngokugxila kuphrojekthi yesibili, iqembu likaBongiwe belihlola amasosha omzimba ngokumelene namagciwane asakazwayo/abasunguli. Lawa amagciwane adala ukutheleleka kokuqala. Ngemuva kokuthi umuntu esenegciwane isikhathi eside igciwane liyashintsha, ngakho-ke ukukwazi ukuhlola uhlobo lwegciwane elingena kumuntu kubalulekile. Elabhu bayakwazi ukuthatha amagciwane ahlukene asakazwayo/abasunguli bawaxube namasosha omzimba abafuna ukuwahlola. Bese behlola bese bebona ukuthi igciwane lihlangene ne-antibody lingangena kumaseli. Uma i-antibody inamathele ngokuqinile kuphrotheni yegciwane elibalulekile ekuthelelekeni, igciwane lizovinjelwa. Igciwane lesandulela ngculazi elivinjiwe yilokho kanye esikufunayo sonke.
Kuze kube manje uBongiwe usethole amasosha omzimba amabili noma amathathu angamakhandidethi amahle. Ngethemba ukuthi ngelinye ilanga maduze bazoba sezivivinyweni zomtholampilo.
Amaqhawe Akhe: Abazali bami
Ithiphu yakhe ephezulu: “Phikelela! Londoloza isimo sengqondo esihle kungakhathaliseki ukuthi yisiphi isimo, ukucwaninga kungase kuthathe isikhathi eside ukuveza imiphumela emihle.”
Sicele usosayensi ngamunye ukuthi aklelise abalandelayo kusukela phezulu kuye kwephansi, kuye ngokuthi kubaluleke kangakanani ukuphumelela kwisayensi. KuBongiwe, yilokhu: ukusebenza kanzima, ilukuluku, ukuxhumana nokudala
Yini enye oyidingayo? Ukucabanga okubucayi, ukubekezela nokuphikelela
Amandla amakhulu: Ukuhlolwa kwe-Neutralization, i-cloning, ukuguqulwa kanye nokuhlolwa kwe-ADCC (ama-antibody ancike ku-cytotoxicity assays)
Amandla njengososayensi: Idizayini yokufunda, ukuqoqwa kwedatha nokuhlaziya, ukwethulwa ngomlomo, ukubhala kwesibonelelo kanye nokusebenzisana
Ngaphandle kwelebhu kanye nomlando womuntu siqu: Nginendodakazi eneminyaka engu-14 ubudala ethanda isayensi, ngenze imfundo yami yesikole samabanga aphansi nephezulu ezikoleni ezazincishwe amathuba phambilini.