Brightness N - Tutor in Annlin
My name is Brightness Nkosi originating from KwaZulu Natal but currently working and staying at Pretoria. I am good teacher, as part of my job description requires me to teach and train students. I am currently working at Agricultural Research Council (ARC) as a lab technician and my job description includes teaching students lab work, practicals and also help them with their projects. I work at Molecular, Mycology and Bacteriology labs. I have always have a passion for Biology since from high school which resulted in majoring in Microbiology at Tshwane University of Technology where I obtained a National Diploma in Biotechnology (2006) and BTech in Biotechnology (2011). Recently (this month:2020), I'm about to submit my MSc (UNISA) thesis in the same field. I will be a good Zulu tutor because Zulu is my original language. I grew up at KwaZulu Natal, Pietermaritzburg. I also did Zulu as my first language during my matric year in 2002. It is imperative for students to learn, understand and grasp Zulu and Biology at an early stages. I will be a good English tutor to Foreigners because I am very patient, friendly, get along with age groups and passionate about teaching.
Tutor basics
Teaching places
My Home, Students Home, and Public Place
Travelling distance
Brightness will travel 50km from Annlin, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
Languages spoken
Brightness speaks Zulu and English
Experience
Senior Research Technician
MICROBIOLOGY: • Preparation of media • Adjusting and measuring pH of liquid samples and media • Isolation of fungi from leaves, stems and roots • Isolation of fungi from potatoes • Isolation of fungi from soil • Isolation of bacteria from potatoes • Purification and sub-culturing of fungi and bacteria • Sub-culturing of fungal isolates • Preservation of fungal and bacterial cultures • Microscopy techniques used for bacteria and fungi for morphology • Preparation of chemical stock solutions • Sterilisation of used cultures and waste • Checking of media plates and cultures for contamination MYCOLOGY: • Routine activities of lab work e,g. preparation of media, making up of antibiotic stock solutions and stock taking • Fungal isolations • Fungal culture purification • Fungal culture preservation • Fungal morphology • DNA extraction • PCR • PCR troubleshooting • DNA sequencing • Phylogenetic analysis BACTERIOLOGY: • Routine activities of lab work like preparation of media and making up of antibiotic stock solutions • Bacterial isolations • Bacterial culture purification • Bacterial culture preservation • DNA extraction • PCR • PCR troubleshooting • DNA sequencing • Phylogenetic analysis VIROLOGY: • DNA extraction • RNA extraction • Reverse transcription • PCR • Running gels • ELISA • Buffer preparation MOLECULAR: • PCR • PCR-RFLP. • PCR trouble shooting • Aliquot of PCR reagents • Preparing PCR reactions for DNA sequencing • Analyzing DNA sequencing results • Buffer preparation • Changing of buffer from gel electrophoresis tank LAB MANAGEMENT: • Assisting in the management of three labs namely; Molecular lab, Mycology lab and Bacteriology lab • Teaching lab users to comply with laboratory rules and regulations, including health and safety policies. • Ordering of lab consumables and assist with CAPEX. • Monitoring of cleaning personnel to ensure that the laboratory floor and working surfaces are cleaned properly. • Assisting in training courses and laboratory orientation for interns and students • Assisting students in conducting their practicals accordingly. • Assisting in processing diagnostic samples. • Assist with lab-related documentation and the organization of laboratory activities • Ensure that all equipment is clean and in good working order. Reporting of equipments that are broken or not working properly. • Organizes servicing and repair of selected equipment. • Record of consumables and glassware used in the laboratory. • Stock taking and checking supply levels. • Monitoring that the normal non-hazardous waste is removed daily and that the hazardous waste, such as sharps, biological (liquid and solid), glass and chemicals are disposed in suitable separate, clearly marked containers. Handling and arranging of ethidium bromide waste to be removed safely. CULTURE MAINTANACE: • Maintenance of fungal and bacterial cultures • Culture purification • Maintaining and updating preserved fungal and bacterial database. • Record keeping of lab related documents like database, protocols and lab books. • Assist with incubation room if it kept clean and no contaminated cultures. • Assisting in famers day and stakeholder meeting by exhibiting ARC-VOP, Crop protection work. ADMINISTRATION: • Proposal writing • Writing of ARC submissions and documentation • Lab documentation • Monthly report writing • Using of computer software for analyzing results • Using of a computer software (AX) put in orders and to update timesheets • Requesting quotations from companies and follow up. • Applications to acquire interns COMPUTER LITERACY I have good knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and Power Point Responsible for capturing and maintaining fungal databases. Knowledge of the following computer software: BioEdit Sequence Alignment Editor (for sequence editing, base calling and creating consensus sequences). Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis (MEGA) version 6.0 software (for sequence editing, base calling, creating consensus sequences and constructing of phylogenetic trees). Phylogenetic Analysis Using Paup (PAUP) 4.0* software (for phylogenetic analyses). TreeView (for constructing and viewing of the phylogenetic trees). Knowledge of the following websites: http://www.cbs.knaw.nl/fusarium Fusarium Multilocus DNA sequence typing (MLST) http://isolate.fusariumdb.org nucleotide BLAST analyses of any Fusarium sequences https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov biomedical and genomic information for all species http://www.atgc-montpellier.fr/phyml/ Maxumum Liklihood of PhyML analyses https://nrrl.ncaur.usda.gov/ Agricultural Research Service culture collection RESEARCH AND REPORT WRITING I am currently working as a Senior Research Technician at Crop Protection Division, ARC-VOPI, Pretoria (December 2008 to current). The topic of my recent project is Characterization of Fusarium oxysporum species complex associated with fusarium wilt of sweet potato in South Africa. The project is done in collaboration with University of South Africa as it is the MSc project. The project included collection of symptomatic sweet potato plant material and soil samples. Isolation of fungi, obtaining pure cultures, preservation, DNA extraction, PCR, phylogenetic analysis, morphological characterization and DNA barcoding. The project also included writing of a research project proposal, literature, report progress, presentation of the progress project at seminars. The final thesis and research article will be submitted in November 2019. I was involved in the project titled: Characterization of Alternaria isolates associated with Alternaria Blight of sweet potato in South Africa. The isolates were isolated from sweet potato symptomatic leaves. Assisted with preservation of Alternaria cultures, DNA extraction, PCR of targeted gene regions (ITS, SSU, TEF-1α, RPB2, Alta 1, Gpd), DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. In addition, I am assisting in the current project characterisation of Alternaria from symptomatic potato leaves. I am involved in isolation, purification of preservation of Alternaria cultures. I am also assisting in the current project, the characterization of fungi from tobacco plants. I am assisting in isolation of fungi from leaves, stems, roots and soil; purification of fungi, preservation and maintenance of tobacco fungal database. I am currently assisting in molecular characterization of different Streptomyces isolates that cause common scab on potato. I am involved in isolation of Streptomyces and Rhizoctonia from diseased potatoes, cleaning of bacterial and fungal isolates (obtaining pure cultures), growing and preservation of cultures (and updating database), DNA extraction, 16S PCR, DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. In addition, developing a diagnostic technique for Streptomyces isolates using HRM approach. The project I also includes the genetic diversity of the Streptomyces strains with regards to the pathogenicity factors they contain in their pathogenicity islands (PAI’s). The presence of three genes encoding pathogenicity determinants or pathogenicity factors were evaluated based on nec1, txtAB and tomA. I did a project for my BTech study which was done and completed in 2011. It was based on the determination of genetic variation of 20 isolates of Phytophthora drechsleri using Polymerase Chain Reaction - Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis. The isolates were isolated from lucerne. My research project involved literature review of molecular analyses of P. drechsleri, sub-culturing of fungal isolates, DNA extraction, PCR using ITS 4 and ITS 6; FM 75 and FM 77 primers and visualisation of PCR products by electrophoreses gel equipment. Successful PCR products were digested with AluI, MspI, TaqI and results analysed. The results provided the information on genetic variation between the isolates of P. drechsleri. The research project included writing a project proposal, final report and the presentation of the complete project. While working in the Mycology Unit, Biosystematics Division, ARC-PPRI, Pretoria (August 2007 to December 2007). I assisted in research on the genetic diversity of 24 isolates of the fungal plant pathogen, Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc, isolated from rooibos roots. The research project involved literature review of molecular analyses of fungi in general and on Sclerotium spp. in particular, sub-culturing of fungal isolates, DNA extraction, PCR using ITS 1 and ITS 4 primers and visualisation of PCR products by electrophoreses gel equipment. Successful PCR products were send for sequencing at Inqaba Biotec and results analysed. The results provided the information on genetic diversity of 24 isolates of S. rolfsii. The research project included writing a project proposal, progress reports. During my in-service training at the Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria (February 2006 to November 2006) my research project involved evaluating the effect of essential oils on the phytosanitary plant pathogen, Guignardia citricarpa Kiely. The research involved screening of 9 different essential oils for their selective inhibitory activity against G. citricarpa in vitro, using volatile assay and toxic assay tests. The project included writing of a short background on the disease, planning and executing of experiment, interpretation of results and submitting of the full report at Tshwane University of Technology.
Education
BTech Biotechnology - TUT
The BTech Biotechnology majored with Microbiology. The subjects were Environmental Biotechnology, Entrepreneurial Skills, Industrial Biotechnology, Medical Biotechnology, Recombinant DNA Technology, Research Methodology and a research project at Agricultural Research Council.
National Diploma Biotechnology - TUT
The National Diploma Biotechnology majored with Microbiology. Subjects done were Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Disease and Immune Response, Fermentation Technology, Microbial Biochemistry, Bioprocessing, Food Microbiology, Microbiology: Biological and also included a one year experiential Training as laboratory assistant in the Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria.
Subjects taught
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Zulu
I will be a good Zulu tutor because Zulu is my original language. I grew up at KwaZulu Natal, Pietermaritzburg. I also did Zulu as my first language during my metric year. It is imperative for students to learn, understand and grasp Zulu as it is one of the major languages spoken in South Africa. I will be a good teacher, as part of my job description requires me to teach and train students. I am currently working at Agricultural Research Council (ARC) as a lab technician and my job description includes teaching students lab work, practicals and also help them with their projects. I work at Molecular, Mycology and Bacteriology labs.
Brightness teaches Zulu at High School, University/College, and Adult level(s)