Name: Biophysics in Africa - 2026
Start: 2026-03-23T10:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-03-27T17:00:00+02:00
Location: No location set

Biophysics in Africa - 2026

from Monday, 23 March 2026 (10:00) to Friday, 27 March 2026 (17:00)

Monday, 23 March 2026
Tuesday, 24 March 2026
15:00 Opening Plenary Session: Prof Anita LAYTON
Opening Plenary Session: Prof Anita LAYTON
15:00 - 16:30
Contributions

15:00 Opening Plenary Remarks

15:05 We are all different: Modeling key individual differences in physiological systems - Anita LAYTON (University of Waterloo)
Wednesday, 25 March 2026
10:00
10:00 - 11:40
Contributions

10:00 Green-Synthesized Silver Nanoparticle–Liposomal ZnPcS4 Nanoplatform for Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy in Breast Cancer - Alexander Chota (University of Johannesburg, Laser Research Centre)

10:20 Plant based photosensitizers: An in vitro study against cancer cells - Nosipho Fakudze (University of Johannesburg)

10:40 Photodynamic Therapy against Drug-Resistant Cancer Cells - Paromita Sarbadhikary (University of Johannesburg)

11:00 Eco-Friendly Gold Nanoparticle-Hypericin Conjugates for Antibody-Mediated Breast Cancer Phototherapy - Mpho Mohlongo (University of Johannesburg)

11:20 Phototoxicity of Pheophorbide-a in Caco-2 colorectal cancer cells examined through cellular responses and morphological characterisation - Fermin Broni (University of Johannesburg)
11:50
11:50 - 12:30
Contributions

11:50 Spatial Distribution and Assessment of Background Ionizing Radiation around Waste Dumpsites in Gombe Metropolis, Nigeria - Muhammad Nuruddeen Abdulkareem (Department of Physics, Federal University of Kashere, Gombe State. Nigeria )

12:10 Petrologic and Geochemical Constraints on the Evolution of Rocks in Southwest Ugep, Southeastern Nigeria - ADAEZE UGWU (University of Wyoming, USA)
13:00
13:00 - 14:40
Contributions

13:00 A Bioformulated Curcumin–Silver Nanoconjugate for Potent Photodynamic Management of Resistant Lung Cancer - Glory Kah (University of Johannesburg)

13:20 Biogenic Silver Nanoparticles for Visible-Light Activated Breast Cancer Photodynamic Therapy - Isaac Baidoo (University of Johannesburg)

13:40 Evaluation of Multifunctional Spinel and Hexaferrite Nanostructures for Magnetic Hyperthermia and Advanced Tumor Therapy - Diaa EL-Rahman Rayan (Central Metallurgical Research & Development Institute (CMRDI)) Mahmoud Ismail (Biophysics Branch and Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt)

14:00 Advances in MRI techniques for early detection and characterization of brain tumors: A medical physics and biophysical perspective - Nyasha Njanji (University of Zimbabwe)

14:20 Biophysical Modeling of Real-Time Cellular Mechanical Responses to Ionizing Radiation for Predicting Radiotherapy Outcomes - Nyasha Njanji (University of Zimbabwe)
15:00
15:00 - 17:00
Contributions

15:00 The efficacy of PAM fluorometry as a tool to quantify heat stress in wheat - Sarah Burnett (Univeristy of Pretoria)

15:20 BALANCING CELL COMPATIBILITY AND ANTIMICROBIAL EFFECTS OF 470 NM IN AN INFECTED HYPERGLYCAEMIC WOUND CELL MODEL - Francis Obeng Brenya (University of Johannesburg)

15:40 Laser-Based Photobiomodulation Enhances Beta Cell Differentiation and Functional Insulin Production in Immortalised Adipose-Derived Stem Cells - Olukemi Daramola (University of Johannesburg)

16:00 The artificial optical microscope. - Alberto Diaspro (Department of Physics - University of Genoa)

16:20 Parameter study and optimization of real-time single-particle tracking - Salomon van Niekerk (University of Pretoria)

16:40 Optimizing Photobiomodulation For Smooth Muscle Differentiation of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Using Retinoic Acid and TGFβ in a Two-Dimensional Model - Christevie Mbuyu (Laser Research Centre)
Thursday, 26 March 2026
11:00
11:00 - 11:45
Contributions

11:00 Fluorescence-Lifetime Super-Resolution Microscopy - Jörg Enderlein (University of Göttingen)
12:00
12:00 - 13:00
Contributions

12:00 Multi-timescale fluorescence correlation spectroscopy of the main plant light-harvesting complex during aggregation stages - Francois Conradie

12:20 Objective clustering algorithm applied to single-molecule FCP data - Michael Lovemore (Univeristy of the Witwatersrand)

12:40 Linker switch mutations between canonical Plasmodium falciparum Hsp70-1 and PfHsp70-z reveal the role of this motif in regulating the functional specialisation of the two chaperones - Addmore Shonhai (University of Venda)
13:00 Structural Biology
Structural Biology
13:00 - 13:30
Contributions

13:00 Structural insights into the DDX11 helicase - Silvia Onesti (N/A)
14:00
14:00 - 14:45
Contributions

14:00 The importance of water in biology - an example of receptor function and implications for optogenetics - Anthony Watts (University of Oxford)
14:45
14:45 - 15:25
Contributions

14:45 Production of Leishmania spp. ∆24-sterol methyltransferases for the development of antiparasitic therapies - Bernadette Belter

15:05 Regulation of actin-binding proteins mediated by lipid-protein interactions - Yosuke Senju
15:25
15:25 - 15:50
Contributions

15:25 Identifying Quantum-Relevant Microstates in the Nav1.7 Sodium Channel Pore Using Ensemble Molecular Dynamics Descriptors - Chitaranjan Mahapatra (Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology, South Korea)
16:00
16:00 - 16:55
Contributions

16:00 International Union for Pure and Applied Biophysics - Anthony Watts (University of Oxford)

16:10 LAAAMP: Light sources for Africa, the Americas, Asia, Middle East and Pacific. Fostering capacity building and collaboration through synchrotron science. - Sizun Christina (French National Centre for Scientific Research)

16:20 How Instruct-ERIC can help Biophysics in Africa - Bryan Trevor Sewell (University of Cape Town)
17:00 Review of Medical Physics in Africa
Review of Medical Physics in Africa
17:00 - 18:30
Contributions

17:00 Review of Medical Physics in Africa - Stephen Inkoom (Radiation Protection Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission )
Friday, 27 March 2026
11:10
11:10 - 12:30
Contributions

11:10 ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF ZINC-MODIFIED COCONUT HUSK BIOCHAR - Ralph kwakye (university of health and allied sciences)

11:30 In vitro characterisation of electrospun nanofibers for chronic diabetic wounds - Sinesipho Phalaso

11:50 Physicochemical Characterisation and Antibacterial Activities of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles - Fezile Motsoene (University of Johannesburg)

12:10 Insights into the Structural Analysis of Caffeine–Oxalic Acid Co-crystals Using High-Resolution PXRD and Computational Refinement - Sihle Thabethe (University of Cape Town)
12:30
12:30 - 13:40
Contributions

12:30 Steroidal Pregnanes as 11β-HSD1 Modulators: Insights from Random Forest-Based QSAR and Atomistic Simulations - Oludare Ogunyemi (University of Ibadan)

12:50 Integrating Generative AI, Computational Modeling, and Physiological Reasoning to Enhance Biological Sciences Education - Camellia Okpodu (University of Wyoming)

13:10 Thermomechanical Mapping of DNA under Coupled Salt-Temperature Control with oxDNA2 Coarse-Grained Simulations - Isaiah Igwe (Federal University Dutsin-Ma)
13:40 Structural basis of specific lysine transport by Pseudomonas aeruginosa permease LysP
Structural basis of specific lysine transport by Pseudomonas aeruginosa permease LysP
13:40 - 14:00
Contributions

13:40 Structural basis of specific lysine transport by Pseudomonas aeruginosa permease LysP - Emmanuel Nji (BioStruct-Africa)
14:00
14:00 - 14:30
Contributions

14:00 From Sample to Structure: An Introduction to Cryo Electron Microscopy and Single Particle Analysis - Rebecca Thompson (Thermo Fisher Scientific)
14:30
14:30 - 15:00
Contributions

14:30 Structure-Based Discovery of KRAS Inhibitors - Amanuel Getahun Addis (Bahir Dar University)
15:00
15:00 - 15:40
Contributions

15:00 Multiscale local self-organization of the human metaphase mitotic spindle - Will Conway (New York Structural Biology Consortium)