Latest news with #MichaelPepper
Zawya
31-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
South Africa startup Altera raises $1.5mln for donor cell platform
South African biotech startup Altera Biosciences has raised R29m in pre-seed funding to advance its work on a universal donor cell platform, a breakthrough that could revolutionise treatments for organ rejection, cancer, and diabetes. The raise, led by OneBio Venture Studio and E Squared Investments, is among the largest of its kind in the country and marks a milestone for Africa's nascent cell and gene therapy industry. Founded by Alexandra Miszewski and Professor Michael Pepper, Altera aims to become Africa's first dedicated cell and gene therapy company, targeting global health challenges through gene-silencing technology that eliminates immune rejection in transplants. 'By removing the identity markers on donor cells that trigger immune responses, we're developing off-the-shelf therapies that can work across genetically diverse populations,' said Miszewski. 'This could dramatically improve access and outcomes in transplant medicine and beyond.' Miszewski is an Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Fellow with a track record in biotech ventures, including Regenesis Vet and Novita Biotechnology. She is joined by Professor Pepper, director of the Institute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Pretoria and a leading immunology researcher. Professor Pepper said Africa's genetic diversity made it an ideal testbed for scalable therapies. 'We are building from a globally inclusive foundation, which gives our platform broader relevance. Our work starts here, but it's designed for the world.' The company has not yet disclosed which conditions it will target first, citing strategic and IP considerations. The deal is being hailed as a turning point for Africa's biotech sector, with investors increasingly backing the continent's scientific potential.
News18
09-07-2025
- Sport
- News18
Unbelievable Cricket Moment In England: Riley Meredith's Yorker Splits Stump
As the ball hit the stump, it split the wood lengthwise—an extremely rare sight in cricket, where stumps may break or uproot, but rarely get sliced clean in half In a stunning moment during Tuesday night's Vitality Blast T20 match in England, Australian pacer Riley Meredith left spectators awestruck with a feat rarely seen in cricket. Playing for Somerset, the fast bowler tore a stump in half with a thunderous yorker, showcasing raw pace and precision. Meredith, who also plays in the IPL, accomplished this feat during Essex's innings. He clean bowled opener Michael Pepper with a fast ball, but this was no ordinary delivery. As the ball struck the stump, it split the wood lengthwise, creating a sight rarely seen before. In cricket, stumps often break or get uprooted, but witnessing a stump being cut in half by a ball is extraordinary. This unique stump has been preserved and will soon become a museum exhibit. Despite this astonishing event, Meredith's overall performance in the match was relatively standard. He bowled 2 overs, taking 2 wickets for 22 runs. He first dismissed Michael Pepper for 13 runs and later sent Charlie Allinson to the pavilion. Meredith, who has played for Punjab and Mumbai in the IPL, participated in 18 matches and secured 19 wickets with an average of 9.46. However, he was not picked by any team in the 2025 mega auction. Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
BBC News
25-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Pepper & Westley save game for Essex against Hants
Rothesay County Championship Division One, Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, Chelmsford (day four)Essex 296 & 358-6 dec: Pepper 140, Westley 130*; Dawson 4-82Hampshire 453: Dawson 139, Tilak 100; Critchley 4-102Essex (10 pts) drew with Hampshire (14 pts)Match scorecard Tom Westley and Michael Pepper combined for a 215-run sixth-wicket partnership that frustrated Hampshire and ultimately saved Essex from suffering their third County Championship defeat of the pair came together at 131-5, still 26 runs short of making Hampshire bat again, and were not parted for nearly three-and-a-half hours. Slowly but surely they took the game out of the visitors' grip that had looked strong after gaining a first-innings lead of 157. Pepper was the hare to Westley's tortoise, but both batsmen clocked up contrasting centuries, Westley his 30th in red-ball cricket and Pepper his highest first-class handskakes were exchanged to signal the draw at 16:50 BST, the Essex captain had batted for all but 12 overs of the 119 Essex faced in their second innings. He had struggled for runs this summer but his unbeaten 322-ball 130, with 12 boundaries, showed a high level of self-discipline and Westley had dug in doggedly, Pepper changed the tempo of the innings with some big-hitting before he was eventually dismissed for 140 from 154 balls, including 20 fours and a six. Pepper had also played a similar key role in partnership with Matt Critchley to help Essex secure an equally unlikely draw against Yorkshire last spinner Liam Dawson added two early wickets in the morning to the pair he had in the bag overnight, but while whirling away for a marathon stint of 41 overs could not improve on figures of had started the day requiring 49 more runs to make Hampshire bat again – or remain all day at the crease to hang on for the draw with seven wickets in hopes were high when overnight batsman Critchley was undone by a delivery from Dawson that turned and caught him on the instep of his front leg. He had dug in for an hour and a half for his 19, and had earlier set the tone for the opening exchanges by finally claiming the first run of the day from the 29th was particularly watchful, adding just a single to his overnight 50 in the opening 51 minutes and 35 balls before he went on the backfoot and drive Eddie Jack for a boundary. His concentrations was such that he added just 20 runs from 65 balls in the morning centurion Charlie Allison was slightly more expansive with two fours in 31 balls before he pulled Dawson to short midwicket. That wicket fell at 11:59 - the next came at 16:30.A sweep off Dawson for four by Pepper eased the Essex total into the black. It was at that point Pepper put his foot on the gas. He took 15 from an over by James Fuller, including a big yahoo for then cut Jack for another boundary that brought up the fifty partnership with Westley in 11 overs, of which the wicketkeeper-batsman contributed 42. Pepper's own half-century, reached with his eighth four, driven to long leg, took just 43 balls. The pair took another 13 overs to pass three-figures strike-rate increased in the hour after lunch when he added the 30 runs he required to reach his century, realised with a lofted drive off Dawson for his 11th was not long in following suit, a thick edge off Jack racing away to the third-man boundary took him to second century of the season. It also brought up 150 runs scored between the pair in 40 overs.A contrast in the pace at which the two batsmen had scored was shown starkly when Pepper caught up with Westley when both had 108; Pepper had got there in 152 balls Pepper's knock came to an end when he attempted to launch Tom Prest out of the ground but only found Kyle Abbott on the long-leg Reporters' Network supported by Rothesay
Mail & Guardian
30-05-2025
- Health
- Mail & Guardian
Slc7a8 Deletion Is Protective against Diet-Induced Obesity and Attenuates Lipid Accumulation in Multiple Organs
Reabetswe Pitere Name of faculty and department: Institute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine, and Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria Picture of the researcher: see attached Name of 1st author: Reabetswe Pitere Email of 1st author: Name of additional Authors: Reabetswe R. Pitere, Marlene B. van Heerden, Michael S. Pepper and Melvin A. Ambele Submitting authority – Faculty of Health Sciences Name of 'submitter' – Prof Flavia Senkubuge, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences (they ask for the dean's details) Email of 'submitter' – For the full paper see below:
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Surrey seamers bowl out Essex on opening day
Rothesay County Championship Division One, Kia Oval (day one)Essex 217: Pepper 75, Walter 38; Smith 3-54 Surrey 94-3: Patterson 51, Sibley 24*; Porter 2-38Yet to batSurrey 3 pts, Essex 1 ptMatch scorecard Surrey dismissed Essex for 217 as events on day one at the Kia Oval followed a familiar won the toss, the champions fielded first on a well-grassed surface and despite Michael Pepper's 75 they bowled Essex out in two left-hander Kurtis Patterson led the reply with 51 as Surrey reached 94-3 at stumps, 123 provided much of the resistance in front of a crowd of 5,861 and helped Essex's last three wickets add 71, while at the start of the day Surrey did not use the new ball particularly well. But they have got themselves into a familiar position and will try to bat into the third day before putting Essex back under pressure in their second had been the promise of a different story unfolding in the first half hour when Dean Elgar and Paul Walter helped themselves to 10 boundaries in the opening eight overs as they posted a half-century stand with few alarms against some unusually indifferent new-ball bowling by Dan Worrall and Nathan when Sam Curran, who was making his first Championship appearance of the season, replaced Worrall at the Vauxhall End he broke through with his second ball, which darted off the seam and Elgar edged it to second 50 without loss Essex slipped to 95-4 as the Surrey seamers profited from bowling a better length. Walter played well for his 38 but was one of three wickets to fall in 7.4 overs for seven runs as the champions tightened the screw before Ben Foakes snapped up a simple opportunity when Walter poked at Jordan Clark's outswinger but there was nothing ordinary about his next intervention when he dived in front of first slip to remove Charlie Allison after Smith had switched ends – his 450th catch in first-class had a second wicket before lunch and Foakes a third catch after skipper Tom Westley was surprised by extra bounce and Essex would have been in further strife had Jamie Overton, like Curran playing his first Championship game of the season, not dropped straightforward catches at slip to reprieve first Pepper and then Matt Critchley off successive deliveries. Overton took himself out of the cordon but Pepper apart, Essex failed to make the most of their good aiming to leg, was beaten by Tom Lawes' late inswing and Foakes had his fourth catch – and Worrall his first wicket – when Noah Thain followed an away swinger. Simon Harmer was lbw unwisely offering no shot when Curran switched from 146-7, Pepper led a tail-end revival, first with Shane Snater with whom he added 51 in 65 balls. Snater contributed 28 before edging to second slip in Overton's third over but Pepper brought up Essex's 200 by driving Overton handsomely over long-on for six while adding another 24 with Sri Lankan Kasun Rajitha. Rajitha eventually played on to Smith and Pepper holed out to deep mid-wicket for a season's best 75 from 94 balls with nine was caught at slip aiming an expansive drive at Jamie Porter as Surrey began their reply and they suffered a further setback when Patterson was squared up by Porter shortly after the Australian left-hander had reached an attractive half-century. Nightwatchman Lawes fell in the penultimate over but Surrey are still well Reporters' Network supported by Rothesay
