Ashira Roopnarain
YOU?
Author Swipe
View article: Sclerocarya birrea-mediated calcium phosphate and iron oxide nanoparticles: Effect of extraction time and annealing temperature on physical properties
Sclerocarya birrea-mediated calcium phosphate and iron oxide nanoparticles: Effect of extraction time and annealing temperature on physical properties Open
View article: Unravelling the role of nanoparticles during bioethanol production: A review on pretreatment, hydrolysis and fermentation
Unravelling the role of nanoparticles during bioethanol production: A review on pretreatment, hydrolysis and fermentation Open
View article: Applying Artificial Neural Networks and Multivariable Linear Regression from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Datasets to Estimate Durum and Bread Wheat Yield under Low Nitrogen Application Rates
Applying Artificial Neural Networks and Multivariable Linear Regression from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Datasets to Estimate Durum and Bread Wheat Yield under Low Nitrogen Application Rates Open
Durum and bread wheat are widely planted cereal crops that contribute immensely to global food security. To maintain and improve on crop yields, fertilizers are applied including nitrogenous fertilizers. However, there is limited research …
View article: Dynamics and Insights into the Unique Ecological Guild of Fungi in Bacteria-Bioaugmented Anaerobic Digesters
Dynamics and Insights into the Unique Ecological Guild of Fungi in Bacteria-Bioaugmented Anaerobic Digesters Open
Anaerobic digesters host a variety of microorganisms, and they work together to produce biogas. While bacterial and archaeal communities have been well explored using molecular techniques, fungal community structures remain relatively unde…
View article: Bioprospecting Bacteria From Psychrophilic Anaerobic Digestate for Potential Plant Growth‐Promoting Attributes
Bioprospecting Bacteria From Psychrophilic Anaerobic Digestate for Potential Plant Growth‐Promoting Attributes Open
The psychrophilic anaerobic digestion (PAD) system is a diverse and underexplored microbial ecosystem that typically harbors cold‐adapted microorganisms with possible agronomic potential. The plant growth‐promoting bacteria in the residue …
View article: A facile plant and chemical-mediated mechanosynthesis of α-Fe <sub>2</sub> O <sub>3</sub> nanoparticles
A facile plant and chemical-mediated mechanosynthesis of α-Fe <sub>2</sub> O <sub>3</sub> nanoparticles Open
This study reports adopting a mechanochemical approach to synthesise iron oxide nanoparticles at a shorter reaction time and ambient conditions. This solid-state synthesis holds many advantages over conventional solution chemistry currentl…
View article: Enhancing maize drought and heat tolerance: single vs combined plant growth promoting rhizobacterial inoculation
Enhancing maize drought and heat tolerance: single vs combined plant growth promoting rhizobacterial inoculation Open
Maize ( Zea mays L.), a key staple crop in Sub-Saharan Africa, is particularly vulnerable to concurrent drought and heat stress, which threatens crop yield and food security. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have shown potential…
View article: Do Nanoparticles Affect Crop Growth and Soil Bacteria?
Do Nanoparticles Affect Crop Growth and Soil Bacteria? Open
Did you know scientists can make tiny structures called nanoparticles, which are smaller than the smallest ants? Nanoparticles are useful for a lot of different things, including helping farmers grow our food crops. Without fertilizers, wh…
View article: Can Nanoparticles Be Used to Boost Biogas Production?
Can Nanoparticles Be Used to Boost Biogas Production? Open
Biogas is a type of gas that can be burnt to produce energy. It causes less harm to the environment than burning coal or oil, which is why it is called “green energy”. Biogas is produced by breaking down a plant or animal resource such as …
View article: Elucidating Key Microbial Drivers for Methane Production during Cold Adaptation and Psychrophilic Anaerobic Digestion of Cattle Manure and Food Waste
Elucidating Key Microbial Drivers for Methane Production during Cold Adaptation and Psychrophilic Anaerobic Digestion of Cattle Manure and Food Waste Open
At psychrophilic temperatures (<20 °C), anaerobic digestion produces less methane (CH4). For psychrophilic anaerobic digestion (PAD) to be successful, investigation of cold-adapted microbial consortia involved in methane production is crit…
View article: Fodder oats as catch crop: potential to reduce nitrogen losses from soil
Fodder oats as catch crop: potential to reduce nitrogen losses from soil Open
Reducing nitrogen (N) losses and associated nitrate (NO 3 - ) leaching and nitrous oxide emissions from agricultural land is a critical target worldwide. This is particularly urgent in areas with low fertility soils and a climate that incr…
View article: Nanoparticle applications in agriculture: overview and response of plant-associated microorganisms
Nanoparticle applications in agriculture: overview and response of plant-associated microorganisms Open
Globally, food security has become a critical concern due to the rise in human population and the current climate change crisis. Usage of conventional agrochemicals to maximize crop yields has resulted in the degradation of fertile soil, e…
View article: Insights into the Core Fungal Community Dynamics in Bioaugmented Anaerobic Digesters
Insights into the Core Fungal Community Dynamics in Bioaugmented Anaerobic Digesters Open
View article: Bioaugmentation potential of inoculum derived from anaerobic digestion feedstock for enhanced methane production using water hyacinth
Bioaugmentation potential of inoculum derived from anaerobic digestion feedstock for enhanced methane production using water hyacinth Open
View article: Corrigendum to “Development of a GIS-based knowledge hub for contaminants of emerging concern in South African water resources using open-source software: Lessons learnt” [Heliyon 9 (1) (January 2023) Article e13007]
Corrigendum to “Development of a GIS-based knowledge hub for contaminants of emerging concern in South African water resources using open-source software: Lessons learnt” [Heliyon 9 (1) (January 2023) Article e13007] Open
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13007.].
View article: Casting Light on the Micro-Organisms in Digestate: Diversity and Untapped Potential
Casting Light on the Micro-Organisms in Digestate: Diversity and Untapped Potential Open
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is an established process for waste conversion to bioenergy. However, for the AD process to be viable, it is imperative that all products be adequately valorized to maximize the benefits associated with the technol…
View article: Development of a GIS-based knowledge hub for contaminants of emerging concern in South African water resources using open-source software: Lessons learnt
Development of a GIS-based knowledge hub for contaminants of emerging concern in South African water resources using open-source software: Lessons learnt Open
View article: Biosynthesized metallic nanoparticles as fertilizers: An emerging precision agriculture strategy
Biosynthesized metallic nanoparticles as fertilizers: An emerging precision agriculture strategy Open
Nanofertilizers increase efficiency and sustainability of agricultural crop production. Due to their nanosize properties, they have been shown to increase productivity through target delivery or slow release of nutrients, thereby limiting …
View article: Draft Genome Sequences of Three Identified Rhizobacteria Associated with Maize Rhizosphere
Draft Genome Sequences of Three Identified Rhizobacteria Associated with Maize Rhizosphere Open
In this study, we sequenced the entire genomes of three identified rhizobacterial strains associated with maize plantation. Genome annotation of the sequenced data revealed several putative growth-promoting proteins associated with the pro…
View article: Bioresource potential of <i>Tetradesmus obliquus</i><scp>UJEA_AD</scp>: critical evaluation of biosequestration rate, biochemical and fatty acid composition in <scp>BG11</scp> media
Bioresource potential of <i>Tetradesmus obliquus</i><span>UJEA_AD</span>: critical evaluation of biosequestration rate, biochemical and fatty acid composition in <span>BG11</span> media Open
BACKGROUND Microalgae biomass is regarded as one of the most promising renewable biomass energy resources with the potential as a sustainable biological climate change mitigation agent, raw material for commercially valuable products and f…
View article: Bioprospecting wild South African microalgae as a potential third-generation biofuel feedstock, biological carbon-capture agent and for nutraceutical applications
Bioprospecting wild South African microalgae as a potential third-generation biofuel feedstock, biological carbon-capture agent and for nutraceutical applications Open
Microalgae are among the few biological resources studied that are found to possess vast biotechnological potential. This study isolated, identified and investigated two wild green microalgal species with substantial potential as a bioreso…
View article: The Potential of Single-Cell Oils Derived From Filamentous Fungi as Alternative Feedstock Sources for Biodiesel Production
The Potential of Single-Cell Oils Derived From Filamentous Fungi as Alternative Feedstock Sources for Biodiesel Production Open
Microbial lipids, also known as single-cell oils (SCOs), are highly attractive feedstocks for biodiesel production due to their fast production rates, minimal labor requirements, independence from seasonal and climatic changes, and ease of…
View article: Biofertilizer production in Africa: Current status, factors impeding adoption and strategies for success
Biofertilizer production in Africa: Current status, factors impeding adoption and strategies for success Open
Presently, the global biofertilizer market is expanding due to the rising acceptance of efficient soil nutrient management practices such as the application of biofertilizers amongst farmers. Biofertilizers are preferred to chemical fertil…
View article: Whole genome sequence of Serratia marcescens 39_H1, a potential hydrolytic and acidogenic strain
Whole genome sequence of Serratia marcescens 39_H1, a potential hydrolytic and acidogenic strain Open
Here, we report a high quality annotated draft genome of Serratia marcescens 39_H1, a Gram-negative facultative anaerobe that was isolated from an anaerobic digester. The strain exhibited hydrolytic/acidogenic properties by signific…
View article: Insights into the microbial composition and potential efficiency of selected commercial biofertilisers
Insights into the microbial composition and potential efficiency of selected commercial biofertilisers Open
This study investigated 13-commercial biofertilisers for their microbial contents and potential functional capabilities using a culture-based approach. Isolates obtained were identified by sequencing the partial I6S rRNA gene and ITS 1 and…
View article: Assessment of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal spore density and viability in soil stockpiles of South African opencast coal mines
Assessment of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal spore density and viability in soil stockpiles of South African opencast coal mines Open
The symbioses between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and plant roots is essential for nutrient uptake and growth of most vascular plants. Soil condition and management influence the density and viability of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal…
View article: Comparative assessment of bio-fertiliser quality of cow dung and anaerobic digestion effluent
Comparative assessment of bio-fertiliser quality of cow dung and anaerobic digestion effluent Open
The elevated use of inorganic fertilizers due to poor soil quality and the need for an increase in food production to meet the demand of the increasing global population has led to fertility decline in soil. Anaerobic digestion for the pro…
View article: Biases during DNA extraction affect bacterial and archaeal community profile of anaerobic digestion samples
Biases during DNA extraction affect bacterial and archaeal community profile of anaerobic digestion samples Open
View article: Soil fertility challenges and Biofertiliser as a viable alternative for increasing smallholder farmer crop productivity in sub-Saharan Africa
Soil fertility challenges and Biofertiliser as a viable alternative for increasing smallholder farmer crop productivity in sub-Saharan Africa Open
Low fertility and inefficient management of sub-Saharan African soils have been the major challenges facing productivity among smallholder farmers. Unfortunately, inorganic fertiliser used as major soil nutrient management is unsustainable…