Dr Aluwani NEMUKULA (South Africa)

In his research, Aluwani focuses on algae bio-products and renewable energy with special applications in aquaculture, production of biofuels, and pharmaceuticals.

PhD in Biotechnology

Current position: Lecturer and Researcher at University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Research focus: algal biotechnology, bio-products and biofuels

Aluwani conducted his research stay at the Institute of Process Engineering in Life Sciences of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany. After this, he went back to his home country to continue working on microalgae biotechnology with the goal of developing an integrated process for sustainable and energy efficient production of renewable metabolites.

2018 Bio-Innovation Award, South Africa
2011 Youth Ambassador for Climate Change at the 17th United Nations Climate Change Conference, Durban, South Africa


CV as submitted for the Green Talents award (2009):

Durban University of Technology, South Africa

Research focus: use of biomass as a renewable energy source

Aluwani Nemukula holds a master’s degree in biochemistry and has recently begun his PhD work at the Centre for Water and Wastewater Technology at Durban University of Technology, in the city of Durban in eastern South Africa. Nemukula’s topic is the production of biodiesel from microalgae, specifically from hypersaline environments looking at photosynthesis rates and enzyme activity to enhance oil production. Microalgae could be used in the production of bioenergy including biodiesel obtained from micro-algal oil.

They could also help to bind carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (biosequestration) and thus directly help to fight global warming. What was striking about Nemukula's application was the entrepreneurial interest of the young scientist, who clearly has an eye on commercial applications of research work. Consequently, the young researcher is looking for fruitful contacts to researchers and entrepreneurs in his field in Germany who can help him advance his own research work.