Dr Alta van Zyl

Biopharming Research Unit
Research staff (BRU/CeBER)

I received my PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Cape Town in 2014. My PhD focussed on the development of plant-based vaccine candidates for Bluetongue virus. My research interests centre around the expression of recombinant proteins in plants and in cell culture, particularly proteins that can be used as potential vaccine candidates for humans and animals. 

I have a keen interest in human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine research and have worked on the development of a platform for the expression of HPV vaccine candidates in plants. I have extensive experience in the production and purification of papilloma virus-like particles (VLPs) and pseudovirions (PsVs) in plants. Other projects I am involved in include the production of VLPs and recombinant proteins for bovine papillomavirus, porcine circovirus and beak and feather disease virus; all of these are of great interest in the animal health sector. 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alta-van-zyl-8335b35a/