In South Africa, Dr. Lindokuhle Nene fights cancer with nanotechnology
“African Women researchers”. Episode 5. When Dr. Lindokuhle Nene was young, she used to watch TV shows about animal life, land and sea with her dad. “From there I wanted to be a marine biologist,“ she recalled “until I met one, and he asked me if I’m ready to live on a boat for the rest of my life.” She was then a 10-year-old little girl. She was scared.
She thought being a biotechnologist instead will just be fine. Her father also encouraged her, telling her she could become a doctor, not just a physician but an expert “of anything,” he insisted.
Introduction of our series “African Women researchers”
At Rhodes University where she got her PhD, Dr. Lindokuhle Nene focused on the development of organic dye compounds and nanomaterials for cancer therapy. The advent of nanotechnology, particularly advances in intelligent nanomaterials, has transformed the field of cancer diagnosis and therapy. Nanomaterials have been engineered to improve cancer treatment by mitigating cytotoxicity, enhancing specificity, increasing drug payload capacity, and improving drug bioavailability.
For the scientist, conventional chemotherapy leads to “harsh consequences”. In her research for example, her aim is to develop an alternative treatment which uses dye molecules that can only be activated after exposure to sound to initiate cancer cells destruction.
“The sound that we use in our studies is utter sound and it is similar to the one we use for pregnancy scans or massages,” she said in a YouTube video of her university, adding that an utter sound in its physical form is a wave that will cause the formation of bubbles in the cells. The mechanism of the destruction of cancer cells is then activated because the dye molecules which are specific to cancer, will be administered through the body of the patient “without harming normal body cells”.
The accumulated forming bubbles will burst to admit light, she explained. The energy from this light can then after be absorbed by the nearby dye molecules within the cells. These dye molecules also become activated and transfer this same energy to nearby molecules oxygen in the cells as well. “The oxygen would then be activated and would become highly reactive,” she continued. “The oxygen in this form is highly dangerous to the cells and will lead to the destruction of cancer cells.”
For Agripreneurs d’Afrique, Dr. Lindokuhle Nene, now a “mom in science”, shares her story and how she envisions her future with the academic writing business she has launched.
Everything started with a little girl dreaming about animals…
My father had a lot of interest in sciences, especially animal sciences. I spent a lot of time with him and we used to watch a show on SABC called 50/50. It was like the national geographic. They explained a lot about animal life on land and sea. From there I wanted to be a marine biologist. Until I met one, and he asked me if I’m ready to live on a boat for the rest of my life.
Episode 1. Professor Francine Ntoumi and the passion for sciences
Now I know he wasn’t giving me an honest description of what it means to be a marine biologist. But it scared me then, so I changed and wanted to be a biotechnologist. I think I was 10 at the time. So I carried that until I went to university.
Did your family really support your scientific career ?
Yes, definitely. Especially my father. My father paid a lot of attention to my siblings and I’s interests and fuelled us with the relevant experiences. I’ve visited science museums, science shows, game farms throughout my childhood exploring what nature and science offers. I was also allowed to participate in our school science challenges in South Africa- Gauteng Province Smart Young Mindz, the First Lego League, the Natural Science and Physical Sciences Olympiad.
But what pushed me more, was my father telling me at a very young age that I could be a doctor of anything. He clearly stated that he doesn’t mean a medical Dr (Physician), but an expert in my field. So since then I wanted to be a Dr of whatever it is I was to pursue.
Being a female scientist is challenging in Africa. What were your main difficulties?
There weren't a lot of challenges to be honest. My supervisor was very supportive. I didn’t feel like a “girl” doing science. I was a scientist. Professor Nyokong fights for us to get opportunities during our student phases. I’ve travelled, I’ve published and I’ve communicated my sciences in international stages.
But one challenge I struggled with was explaining to my community back at home what I was actually doing at University for so many years. Well since most people graduated after their first degrees, got jobs and started looking more like adults. One of the ladies from church prayed for me because she thought I was failing my courses at University since I was there for too long (she was in her first year of PhD and “I was moving in record time”, she told Agripreneurs d’Afrique).
Episode 2. In Tanzania, Cesilia Mambile uses AI to predict Forest-fire
So the idea of Doctor of Philosophy is fairly new there, plus explaining what a chemist was, was a challenge. We don’t have an IsiZulu (her mother tongue) translation of Photophysics, phthalocyanines, nanoparticles etc.
The support that changed everything…
My supervisor was a woman. Well established in her field and has bulldozed through many barriers that were preventing women to flourish in this field. I suspect through that experience, she [Professor Nyokong] developed mechanisms to assist girl students in science to flourish and be able to attain their scientific career goals in their most original forms- without doubt, without limitations.
I am just entering the professional space as a woman scientist- I am hopeful that I’d be able to unleash my capabilities without limitations. This is a new space.
A new space, a new mom in science…
Yes, I’m a new mom. At home nursing. After a couple of months in, I started missing work. I wish there were more academic work from home opportunities that moms in science can use. Since completing my post doc, I’m now with my baby, while working on securing my next job.
And you started your own academic writing business…
I’ve just started my own academic writing business. I host writing retreats for students, assisting with academic writing tools (for publications and thesis). While I continue to search for writing opportunities with journals.
Josiane Kouagheu
Episode 3. In Tunisia Dr. Amira Kebir uses mathematics to save lives
Episode 4. Female Science Talents, a new platform for African women in science
Banner image: skin cancer cells in laboratory in UFV, Viçosa, Brazil. Image by Mateus Figueiredo via Wikimedia Commons.
