Prof. Addmore Shonhai

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Dept Biochemistry & Microbiology, University of Venda

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About

Addmore Shonhai is Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Venda in South Africa. He received his BSc Honours degree in Applied Biology & Biochemistry from the National University of Science & Technology (NUST) in Zimbabwe. He subsequently worked in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries before studying for a PhD in Biochemistry at Rhodes University in South Africa. His PhD was supervised by Professor Greg Blatch formerly Pro-Vice Chancellor, at Notre Dame University, Freemantle Campus, Australia, and now semi-retired. Subsequently, he conducted postdoctoral studies in Greg Blatch’s laboratory before his appointment as a lecturer in the department of Biochemistry & Microbiology at Zululand University in South Africa.

Prof. Shonhai’s area of research involves understanding the role of heat shock proteins in the development of infectious agents. Another area of interest involves using heat shock proteins as biotechnological tools to enhance recombinant protein production in E. coli. He is also interested in the prospects of using synthetic gold nanoparticles as artificial molecular chaperones.

Prof. Shonhai is a current council member of the South African Society of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (SASBMB). This is a second term of service in this regard having been a SASBMB council member previously from 2011-2018. He has previously served as convenor of the rating panel of the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa overseeing the rating process of scientists within the Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology (BIOC) cluster.

To date, Prof. Shonhai has received research funding totalling approximately ZAR20 million from various organizations such as the Germany Research Foundation (DFG), South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) and the NRF of South Africa. He is a recipient of a prestigious Georg Foster Fellowship, awarded to him by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany. He is lifetime member of the Cell Stress International Society.

Selected recent publications
1.
Kayamba, F. et al. A promising class of Antiprotozoal agents, design and synthesis of novel Pyrimidine–Cinnamoyl Hybrids. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 116944 (2024) http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116944. Cite
1.
Nndwammbi, A. A. T. et al. Ursolic acid acetate and iso-mukaadial acetate bind to Plasmodium falciparum Hsp90, abrogating its chaperone function in vitro. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg’s Arch Pharmacol 397, 5179–5192 (2024). Cite
1.
Ahmad, T. et al. Plasmodium falciparum heat shock proteins as antimalarial drug targets: An update. Cell Stress and Chaperones 29, 326–337 (2024). Cite
1.
Dongola, T. H. et al. Insertion of GGMP repeat residues of Plasmodium falciparum Hsp70-1 in the lid of DnaK adversely impacts client recognition. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 255, 128070 (2024). Cite
1.
Mafethe, O. et al. Pharmacophore Model-Based Virtual Screening Workflow for Discovery of Inhibitors Targeting Plasmodium falciparum Hsp90. ACS Omega 8, 38220–38232 (2023). Cite
1.
Bopape, F. L., Hassen, A. I., Chiulele, R. M., Shonhai, A. & Gwata, E. T. The Genome of a Pigeonpea Compatible Rhizobial Strain ‘10ap3’ Appears to Lack Common Nodulation Genes. Genes 14, 1084 (2023). Cite
1.
Saha, S. T. et al. 2-Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) as a Potential Therapeutic Agent for Breast Cancer. Cancers 15, 2828 (2023). Cite
1.
Muthelo, T. et al. Inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum Hsp70-Hop partnership by 2-phenylthynesulfonamide. Front. Mol. Biosci. 9, (2022). Cite