Nanomaterials Research on Antiretroviral Detection Garners Cum Laude Award

Ms Mariam Hajee’s innovative chemistry research on the electrochemical detection of antiretroviral (ARVs) drugs in wastewater using nanomaterials earned her a cum laude master’s degree and contributes to the remediation of widely used ARVs in the environment.

The Durban local, who chose UKZN for her undergraduate and postgraduate studies for its proximity to home, was able to indulge her passion for exploring the building blocks of life through chemistry as well as learn how to create new materials.

In 2022, Hajee graduated with her BSc in Applied Chemistry also with a cum laude result.

During her honours studies, the introduction to electrochemistry sparked her interest, leading her to consider how it could be used to monitor specific pharmaceuticals in the environment.

In her master’s research, Hajee took on the challenge of the accumulation of ARVs in the environment of South Africa – a country boasting one of the largest ARV programmes in the world – to treat its high prevalence of HIV/AIDS. The drugs have a detrimental effect on the environment after being excreted by patients or improperly disposed of, accumulating in and having a toxic effect on aquatic organisms, disrupting microbial diversity and functions, and leading to potential trace exposure in humans as well as the development of drug-resistant pathogens.

In a quest to use electrochemical sensing – a cheaper and faster alternative to detect these drugs than conventional techniques – Hajee discovered a graphene-based material functionalised with chitosan, a biopolymer, that could be used as a potential sensing material for the detection of pharmaceuticals in the environment.

Hajee found that UKZN provided a supportive environment to grow personally and academically, with staff guidance helping her develop valuable skills and achieve her goals. Learning resilience and persevering through challenges made the research process rewarding for Hajee, and she was grateful for the support of her parents, which allowed her to dedicate her full focus to her studies.

The research journey is not over for Hajee, who plans to pursue a PhD in Chemistry at UKZN.

She acknowledged her supervisors, Professor Olatunde Olatunji and Professor Bice Martincigh, for their continuous support and guidance and thanked her colleagues in the nanochemistry research group for their valuable insights. She thanked the National Research Foundation for funding her master’s work and her parents for their unconditional love and support.

Words: Christine Cuénod

Photograph: Supplied