The Walter Sisulu University Faculty of Natural Sciences has again established another  research collaboration with the Technical University of Graz.

The long-term research collaboration of the EndoAfrica and children/adolescent risk for cardiovascular disease research project collaboration has given birth to a new Cannabis research project collaboration.

Faculty of Natural Sciences Dean, Prof Benedicta Nkeh-Chungag, said “I have been to Graz three other times before and each time I went was in the Medical University where I have collaborations going on and typically I am in the faculty of Natural Sciences so I started asking myself how do I get the faculty where I am to also benefit from my trips and that is when I contacted the Technical University of Graz.”

Nkeh-Chungag added that she contacted their international office to request for a collaboration and that is when they said individuals from my faculty must go the university website and align themselves with the researches that are currently being done in the university,” she elaborated.

In July, Nkeh-Chungag visited the Technical University of Graz and introductions were made to get to know each university in more detail. Specific  cooperation interests in the field of medicinal plants as well as advanced material science were identified.

This first get together with members of the Institute of Environmental Biotechnology proved considerable interest on both sides.

“From the Technical University of Graz we had two people who came and said they were interested in the cannabis research because Prof Oyedeji aligned herself with the cannabis research,” added Nkeh-Chungag.

The two researchers from the Technical University of Graz will be visiting WSU in February and March 2023 to get started with the collaboration.

“We had to start doing the basic ground work which was to first get a clearance for cannabis research in the area and also make sure I have money to buy specific research kits which were indicated at the time when the collaboration was discussed,” said Nkeh-Chungag.

She further stated that the researchers from the collaborating university will come to look at the different microscopic organisms that affect the growth of cannabis. We will visit at least five cannabis farms to test the microscopic organisms.

Cannabis is a historic, multidimensional, and sometimes controversial plant. Its versatility and usefulness have propelled cannabis into all kinds of industries and products, especially in the medical field.

Some of the health benefits of cannabis include lowering blood pressure, reduce inflammation, prevents relapse in drug and alcohol addiction, treating anxiety disorders and preventing seizures.

Nkeh-Chungag also said that she is hoping that other scholars from the faculty will also align themselves so that the collaboration can have different research niche areas.

By Anita Roji