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ESR6 Palesa Madupe
ESR6 Palesa Madupe
Born and raised in South Africa, I studied a mixture of biology, biochemistry, microbiology and bioinformatics and I mainly worked in comparative genomics work. I have skills in extraction of biomolecules, cloning, next-generation sequencing, machine learning, R, Python, bioinformatics and phylogenetic analysis. In the last couple of years I learned of research in ancient omics, more specifically ancient proteomics which ignited my desire of studying ancient fossils.
During my project; my main goals are to further my skills in protein extractions particularly in the context of ancient samples, gain skills in proteomics analysis, and improved my data and time management skills. I think my experience in molecular biology and bioinformatics has given me a foundation of which to build on my research career in palaeoproteomics.
My PhD Project
My PhD Project
The study of ancient biomolecules has transformed our collective understanding of evolutionary history. Providing direct evidence of the drivers and mechanisms that have led to present-day diversity, this is from ancient art, architecture and fossil records. The generation of the enamel proteome of the hominins: Homo antecessor, Homo erectus and the hominid: Gigantopithecus blacki amongst others has shown that phylogenetic relationships and sexual dimorphism between hominins and hominids of the early and middle Pleistocene species can be studied.
My project aims to add to that body of research by reconstructing the enamel protein sequences of Paranthropus robustus and potentially other species of Pleistocene South African hominins such as Australopithecus africanus and Homo naledi. The genus Paranthropus is thought to be a distant cousin of the genus Homo and more closely related to other South African hominins such as Au. africanus. This research aims to clarify the taxonomic relationships between Paranthropus robustus and other South African Pleistocene hominins. Furthermore, we will determine sex from the peptide profile, providing further insights into sexual dimorphism in these taxa.
Secondments
Secondments
Secondment period of 4 months, during PhD year 2, at University of Cape Town, South Africa, under Prof R. Ackermann’s supervision to integrate molecular data with advanced morphometric data and generate a consensus about the phylogenetic placement of Paranthropus robustus and other hominin species of Pleistocene
CV
CV
2016-2020
Comparative genomics student and intern at the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa.
Projects; The de novo genome assembly of none-model organisms and machine learning on global amphibian skin microbiomes data.
2014-2017
MSc, Microbiology and Plant Pathology at the University of Pretoria, South African.
Project title; The comparative genomics of the plant pathogen Xanthomonas vasicola pv. Isolate from Eucalyptus against strains from monocotyleanous plants.
2010 -2013
BSc (Hons) Molecular and Cell Biology, University of the Witwatersrand and University of Pretoria, South Africa.
Majors; Biochemistry and Microbiology
Publications
Publications
Paterson, R. S., Madupe, P. P., & Cappellini, E. (2024). Paleoproteomics sheds light on million-year-old fossils. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, 1-2.
Koenig, C., Bortel, P., Paterson, R. S., Rendl, B., Madupe, P. P., Troché, G. B., ... & Olsen, J. V. (2024). Automated high-throughput biological sex identification from archeological human dental enamel using targeted proteomics. Journal of Proteome Research, 23(11), 5107-5121.
Taurozzi, A. J., Rüther, P. L., Patramanis, I., Koenig, C., Sinclair Paterson, R., Madupe, P. P., ... & Cappellini, E. (2024). Deep-time phylogenetic inference by paleoproteomic analysis of dental enamel. Nature Protocols, 1-32.
Mahoney, P., McFarlane, G., Taurozzi, A. J., Madupe, P. P., O'Hara, M. C., Molopyane, K., ... & Berger, L. (2024). Human‐like enamel growth in Homo naledi. American Journal of Biological Anthropology, 184(1), e24893.
Madupe, P. P., Koenig, C., Patramanis, I., Rüther, P. L., Hlazo, N., Mackie, M., ... & Cappellini, E. (2023). Enamel proteins reveal biological sex and genetic variability within southern African Paranthropus. bioRxiv, 2023-07.
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