Ms Nonsikelelo Nkwanyana’s summa cum laude master’s study focused on green chemistry approaches to solid-phase peptide synthesis, demonstrating that small, strategic changes in experimental design can enhance reaction efficiency while significantly reducing solvent consumption and chemical waste.
Her thesis is titled: ‘A Change of Paradigm on the Solid Support for Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis in Batch Mode’. Supervised by Professor Fernando Albericio and Professor Beatriz Garcia de la Torre of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Nkwanyana built upon her undergraduate and honours experience to expand her chemistry experience. Her research formed part of an international collaborative project and involved adjusting experimental design to improve efficiency, simultaneously reducing solvent use and waste.
Nkwanyana’s interest in chemistry developed during her studies, when she recognised the discipline’s applicability to everyday problems and its meaningful impact on practices in pharmaceuticals, manufacturing and the environment. She developed an interest in the practical applications of chemistry and how its techniques can be made more efficient and sustainable. Participating in a large, international project for her master’s degree further trained her in thoughtfully planning her scientific methods.
Coming from Ulundi in KwaZulu-Natal, UKZN was a natural choice for her owing to its reputation in the sciences and research. She appreciated the Institution’s supportive environment and well-equipped laboratories, and found her time at UKZN contributed to academic and personal growth.
Despite encountering common challenges in achieving consistent results and improving her experiments, Nkwanyana used this experience to develop her patience, organisational skills and adaptability.
Constancy and effective time management also became important tools for her success, especially as she worked as a practical demonstrator and Residence Assistant (RA), and volunteered as a Chemistry tutor, laboratory representative, and Vice-Secretary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa Student Organisation (ELCSASO) during her studies. These commitments strengthened her confidence, communication skills and teamwork skills, and she received the 2024 Best RA of the Year Award for the Westville campus.
Her academic work also earned her the Best Poster Presentation in 2023 and the second prize for her Oral Presentation in 2025 from the South African Chemical Institute. She also contributed to a peer-reviewed publication from her master’s thesis, an important achievement in her academic journey.
Nkwanyana is enthused about beginning her career in pharmaceutical manufacturing, having accepted a position as an Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) Production Operator with Wildlife Pharmaceuticals, an opportunity which will require her to apply her chemistry background in a practical manufacturing environment. She anticipates acquiring hands-on experience while enhancing her skills in quality control, process understanding and chemical production.
Nkwanyana thanked Albericio and de la Torre, as well as mentors and peers, for their guidance and support. She was grateful for the postgraduate bursaries she received through her supervisors, which enabled her to focus fully on her research.
She credited the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) for its support during her undergraduate studies, without which education would have remained inaccessible. Finally, she thanked her family for their encouragement and constant support.
Words: Christine Cuénod
Photograph: Sethu Dlamini