{{short description|Professor of Biotechnology}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox scientist | name = Nokwanda Makunga | workplaces = Stellenbosch University <br /> University of Minnesota, Minneapolis | alma_mater = University of KwaZulu-Natal }}
'''Nokwanda Pearl (Nox) Makunga''' is a Professor of Biotechnology at Stellenbosch University.
== Early life and education == Makunga grew up in Alice in the Eastern Cape, and attended a private boarding school in Grahamstown.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Nordling|first=Linda|date=2018-02-08|title=How decolonization could reshape South African science|journal=Nature|language=EN|volume=554|issue=7691|pages=159–162|doi=10.1038/d41586-018-01696-w|pmid=29420501|bibcode=2018Natur.554..159N |issn=0028-0836|doi-access=free}}</ref> Her father, Oswald, was a botanist who specialised in the Iridaceae.<ref name=":0" /> He grew up in rural poverty and won a scholarship to study at University of Fort Hare.<ref name="Makung2015">{{cite journal |last1=Makunga |first1=Nokwanda P. |title=Obituary Professor Oswald Hercules Daluxolo Makunga (1932–2013) |journal=South African Journal of Botany |date=2015 |volume=98 |page=161 |doi=10.1016/j.sajb.2015.03.001 |url=https://sabotanyblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/makunga.pdf |accessdate=6 July 2020|doi-access=free }}</ref> She attended university in Pietermaritzburg.<ref name=":0" /> She completed her PhD at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2004, working on the molecular biology of plants.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.saasta.ac.za/getsetgo/issues/201505/10.php|title=SAASTA getSETgo, May 2015: Meet live wire scientist and innovative science communicator - Prof. Nox Makunga|website=www.saasta.ac.za|access-date=2018-07-21}}</ref>
== Research and career == In 2005 Makunga was offered a position at Stellenbosch University. Her work looks to identify the molecular and genetic regulation of the secondary metabolism in medicinal plants.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Makunga|first=Nokwanda P.|date=2011-09-14|title=African medicinal flora in the limelight|url=https://journals.sajs.aosis.co.za/index.php/sajs/article/view/890|journal=South African Journal of Science|language=en|volume=107|issue=9/10|doi=10.4102/sajs.v107i9/10.890 |issn=1996-7489|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sun.ac.za/english/faculty/science/botany-zoology/staff/academic-staff/nox-makunga|title=Prof. Nox Makunga|website=www.sun.ac.za|language=en|access-date=2018-07-21}}</ref> She often travels to rural areas to talk to traditional healers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://whyy.org/segments/indigenous-traditions-get-science-backing/|title=Indigenous traditions get science backing|work=WHYY|access-date=2018-07-21|language=en-US}}</ref> She has a contributed to two books: ''Protocols for Somatic Embryogenesis in Woody plants'' and ''Floriculture, Ornamental and Plant Biotechnology: Advances and Topical Issues''.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Protocol for somatic embryogenesis in woody plants|editor-last=Gupta|editor-first=S. Mohan Jain and Pramod K.|date=2005|publisher=Springer|isbn=9781402029851|location=Dordrecht|oclc=262677669}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Floriculture, ornamental and plant biotechnology : advances and topical issues|date=2006|publisher=Global Science Books|others=Silva, Jaime A. Teixeira da.|isbn=490331300X|location=Isleworth|oclc=75713050}}</ref> In 2010 she delivered a TED talk on the Potential of a Medicinal Wonderland.<ref>{{Citation|last=TEDx Talks|title=TEDxStellenbosch - Nox Makunga - The Potential of a Medicinal Wonderland|date=2010-11-20|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etpqj1w9mOw|access-date=2018-07-21}}</ref> She has acted as honorary secretary, Vice President and President of the South African Association of Botanists Council.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbd.org.za/team/|title=CBD Team|website=www.cbd.org.za|language=en|access-date=2018-07-21}}</ref>
She won the 2011 National Science and Technology Forum ''Distinguished Young Black Researcher'' award.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nstf.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/10-Press-Release-Announcement_Final-DevV4.pdf|title=NSTF-BHP Billiton Awards|last=|first=|date=2011-05-27|website=NSTF|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2018-07-21}}</ref> She also won the TW Kambule Award.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://mg.co.za/article/2011-05-27-rewarding-outstanding-research|title=Rewarding outstanding research|last=Supplement|first=Advertorial|work=The M&G Online|access-date=2018-07-21|language=en}}</ref> In 2017 she was a Fulbright scholar at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cies.org/grantee/nokwanda-pearl-makunga|title=Nokwanda Pearl Makunga {{!}} Fulbright Scholar Program|website=www.cies.org|language=en|access-date=2018-07-21}}</ref> She worked with Jerry Cohen on medicinal plants from the Eastern Cape.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Freund|first1=Dana M.|last2=Sammons|first2=Katherine A.|last3=Makunga|first3=Nokwanda P.|last4=Cohen|first4=Jerry D.|last5=Hegeman|first5=Adrian D.|date=2018-06-21|title=Leaf Spray Mass Spectrometry: A Rapid Ambient Ionization Technique to Directly Assess Metabolites from Plant Tissues|journal=Journal of Visualized Experiments|issue=136|doi=10.3791/57949|issn=1940-087X|pmid=29985332|pmc=6101983}}</ref> She studied the ''Stevia'' plant.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.goodhousekeeping.co.za/health/sweet-surprize/|title=Sweet Surprise - Good Housekeeping|date=2013-10-30|work=Good Housekeeping|access-date=2018-07-21|language=en-US|archive-date=22 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722012930/https://www.goodhousekeeping.co.za/health/sweet-surprize/|url-status=dead}}</ref> She holds a patent for vegetative plant propagation.<ref>{{Citation|title=Sustainable and industrial production of guaianolides based on organ tissue culture|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2017144065A1/fi|date=2017-02-02|access-date=2018-07-21}}</ref>
Together with Tanisha Williams and Beronda Montgomery, she leads the annual Black Botanists Week.<ref>{{cite web |title=#BLACKBOTANISTSWEEK|url=https://blackbotanistsweek.weebly.com/|access-date=2020-07-26}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Makunga, Nokwanda}} Category:21st-century South African scientists Category:Living people Category:People from the Eastern Cape Category:Academic staff of Stellenbosch University Category:University of KwaZulu-Natal alumni Category:University of Minnesota alumni Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Biotechnologists Category:Women biotechnologists Category:South African science communicators