About BIOGRIP
What is BIOGRIP?
The Biogeochemistry Research Infrastructure Platform (BIOGRIP) is a South African research platform funded by the Department of Science and Innovation. BIOGRIP will drive biogeochemical knowledge creation and exploitation by:
providing technical capacity, training and scientific leadership in biogeochemical research
developing world-class analytical facilities
improving monitoring of key biogeochemical environmental variables through the generation and compilation of statistically meaningful datasets
BIOGRIP consists of a network of research laboratories organised into four nodes, each hosted by a South African university. These nodes will support both discipline-specific research and larger-scale integrated and interdisciplinary efforts. BIOGRIP will work with and support other research infrastructure platforms in South Africa, such as EFTEON, SMCRI, SAMARF and the Natural Sciences Collection Facility.
“With the increasing energy demands of an ever growing population, and issues like global climate change, a better understanding of the environment and the impact of human activities is essential, as is orienting ourselves with knowledge of the origin and sustainability of resources.”
— South African Research Infrastructure Roadmap
BIOGRIP’s objectives
BIOGRIP aims to build on biogeochemical research already being done by South African researchers in terrestrial, marine, aquatic, atmospheric, mineral, soil and palaeo biogeochemistry.
BIOGRIP sets ambitious research objectives relevant to South Africa and globally, including investigations into water management, natural resource preservation, air pollution, climate change, and the impact of human activities on our environment.
In driving this research, BIOGRIP contributes knowledge, research capacity and the development of highly skilled research professionals who will drive discovery and champion innovative careers in the green economy.
Our nodes
Atmosphere
The BIOGRIP Atmospheric Node is hosted by North-West University (NWU) in partnership with the South African Weather Service. It enables analyses of land-atmosphere, land-oceanic and anthropogenic atmospheric interactions.
Isotope
Based at the University of Cape Town, the BIOGRIP Isotope Node facilitates analyses of gases from organic, carbonate and air/breath samples, as well as precision stable carbon and oxygen isotope analyses of small quantities of carbonates.
Mineral
The BIOGRIP Mineral Node is facilitated by the Centre for Mineral Biogeochemistry (CMBG) at the University of the Free State. It supports quantitative analysis of reactive surface area of biological and inorganic geological materials.
Water & Soil
The node for Water and Soil Biogeochemistry is housed at Stellenbosch University, where it is part of the Central Analytical Facility. It supports analysis of the chemical and physical properties of water and soil.
Our team
Dr Roger Diamond
Director
Roger Diamond is currently based in the Department of Geological Sciences at UCT. His research has examined groundwater, hydrochemistry, stable isotopes, as well as the radioactive element radon. This work was applied to questions of quality in both surface water and groundwater.
Aldwin Ndhlovu
Project Manager
Aldwin Ndhlovu is the project manager at BIOGRIP based at UCT. He is responsible for liaising with the BIOGRIP nodes and stakeholders. His background is in ecotoxicology, focusing on water quality and heavy metal pollution in aquatic systems.
Gloria Cupido
Administration
Gloria Cupido, Finance and Admin Manager, is responsible for the overall finance and administration management of BIOGRIP and is based at UCT.
Dr Janine Colling Water & Soil Node
Janine Colling is the lab manager at the BIOGRIP node for soil and water analysis, which is affiliated with the Central Analytical Facility at Stellenbosch University. She obtained her PhD in Plant Biotechnology at SU with a focus on researching the chemistry and genetic engineering of indigenous South African medicinal plants.
Dr Tara Edwards
Isotope Node
Tara Edwards is the Chief Scientific Officer in the new LA-ICPMS lab, based in the Department of Geological Sciences at UCT. Her work has focused on the reconstruction and dating of speleothems from the Cradle of Humankind. Her research interests are geochronology and paleoclimate reconstruction.
Patricia Groenewald
Isotope Node
Patricia Groenewald is the Senior Scientific Officer in the Stable Light Isotope Laboratory in the Department of Archaeology at UCT. She has a background in archaeology and is working towards her PhD. Her research focuses on a better understanding of bone collagen turnover in adult humans and the incorporation of dietary stable light isotopes throughout life.
Dr Robert Hansen
Mineral Node
Robert Hansen is a senior lecturer for Environmental Geochemistry in the Department of Geology at UFS. He is an environmental geochemist with industry and research experience in (bio)geochemical systems.
Dr Julie Luyt
Isotope Node
Julie Luyt is a research officer in the Stable Light Isotope Laboratory. Her PhD thesis (Archaeology, UCT) explored the effects of environmental and climatic variables on the stable carbon, nitrogen and oxygen isotopic values of wild African fauna from environments with predominantly winter rainfall.
Volante Moonsamy
Soil & Water Node
Volante Moonsamy is the Junior Analyst at the BIOGRIP node for soil and water analysis, which is affiliated with the Central Analytical Facility at Stellenbosch University (SU). She obtained her MSc in Microbiology at UKZN. Her research focused on the catabolism of organic pollutants using microorganisms.
Prof Pieter G van Zyl
Atmospheric Node
PG van Zyl is an Atmospheric Chemist at NWU with expertise in the field of atmospheric aerosols and gaseous species, as well as the deposition of these biogeochemically important species from the atmosphere.