Position : Senior Lecturer
Telephone : 035 902 6098
Email : shabusef@unizulu.ac.za
Office : Biochemistry Dept, Science Building, KwaDlangezwa Campus
Biography:
Dr Freedom Tshabuse has been active in academia for over a decade, serving in different research and teaching positions at several South African institutions. He has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Durban University of Technology and as a SAMRC Funded Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Zululand. He is currently a Senior Lecturer at the University of Zululand, where he is actively involved in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, research, and student supervision.
Dr Tshabuse has trained extensively in microbiology, molecular biology, and biotechnology, and his academic career reflects a strong integration of laboratory science, innovation, and applied environmental biotechnology. He has supervised numerous honours, master’s, and doctoral students and continues to build a strong postgraduate research program in nanotechnology-enabled microbial systems.
Lecture ‘s the following modules:
- Prokaryotes Structure and Environmental Microbiology (4MCB221 – 2nd year)
- Biotechnology (4MCB322 – 3rd year)
- Advanced Biotechnology (4BCH501 / 4MCB501 – Honours)
Qualifications:
- PhD: Molecular and Cell Biology, 2018, University of Cape Town
- MSc: Biotechnology, 2012, University of the Western Cape
- BSc Honours: Microbiology, 2009, University of Venda
- BSc Biochemistry and Microbiology: 2008. University of Venda
Research interests:
Dr. Tshabuse’s research is driven by a strong passion for nanotechnology-enabled microbial systems and environmental biotechnology. His work focuses on integrating metal and metal-oxide nanoparticles, microbial biotechnology, and natural-product nanoformulations to enhance wastewater bioremediation, anaerobic digestion, and biogas production. His current research spans environmental nanobiotechnology, nano-enhanced bioenergy systems, nanoformulated phytochemicals, microbial consortia engineering, and microbe–nanoparticle interactions. He leads innovation-driven projects funded by the Technology Innovation Agency (2023–) with strong industry translation potential. Through postgraduate supervision, publications, and national collaborations, Dr. Tshabuse is establishing himself as a principal investigator in clean-tech innovation and sustainable microbial systems engineering.
Professional membership:
- South African Society of Microbiologists (SASM)
- South African Association of Botanists (SAAB)
- South African Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SASBMB)