The Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Nomalungelo Gina, will join the Centre for High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (CHRTEM) at Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha on Wednesday, 14 October, for its 15th anniversary celebration.
Dr Gina will unveil two new scanning electron microscopes and a new bioimaging laboratory at the CHRTEM, based at the university’s Ocean Sciences Campus.
The new infrastructure replaces ageing instruments with advanced technology to maintain South Africa's competitiveness in the field, while expanding CHRTEM's traditional materials science into biomedical imaging and the bioeconomy.
The centre, a multimillion-rand facility for advanced electron microscopy funded by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) and its entity, the National Research Foundation (NRF), has evolved from producing high-resolution imaging to conducting quantitative measurements of matter at the atomic and nanoscale.
This allows researchers to move beyond asking where atoms are, to determining their chemical, electronic, structural and chemical environment, and understanding how these characteristics can be exploited towards novel applications.
CHRTEM's researchers work with universities and research organisations across the country, and collaborate internationally. Its capabilities are applied to address complex scientific and technological challenges in many different fields, including materials science, engineering, medicine, geology, zoology, botany and biochemistry.
The centre’s work contributes to strategic sectors such as mining and minerals beneficiation, hydrogen energy, nuclear technology, advanced manufacturing, agriculture and food security, biomedical technologies and nanomedicine, and marine science.
Its broader significance is in developing national capability in advanced quantitative imaging, combining sophisticated instrumentation with the scientific, technical and computational skills needed to extract new information from increasingly complex databases. It has so far supported more than 1 000 postgraduates.
The Deputy Minister will also deliver the keynote address during a gala, bringing together international, research as well as industry partners. Dr Mlungisi Cele, the DSTI Director-General, will also deliver the keynote there as part of the 15th anniversary celebrations.
Date: Wednesday, 14 October 2026
Time: 08:30 – Keynote address by Director-General, Dr Mlungisi Cele
14:00 – Unveiling of the new infrastructure
Venue: Nelson Mandela University, Ocean Sciences Campus
For more information, please contact:
Veronica Mohapeloa
Cell: 083 400 5750
Zama Mthethwa
Cell: 082 808 3956
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Deputy Minister Nomalungelo Gina unveils advanced microscopy infrastructure at NMU, 14 Oct
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