Michael obtained his PhD (with distinction) in Fischer-Tropsch catalysis at the University of Karlsruhe, Germany, in 1997. Further research interests include the preparation and characterisation of nano materials and their use in catalytic applications, as well as the development of catalysts and novel instrumentation for characterisation of catalysts at working conditions. He has published extensively on these topics, holds a number of patents and has been awarded an A-rating by the National Research Foundation of South Africa.

A large portion of his research is conducted in conjunction with industrial partners, in particular a longstanding industrial collaboration with Sasol R&D. Michael is the Director of the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Catalysis, c*change, a large virtual and multidisciplinary Centre, where he also acts as the Manager of the Scientific Synthesis Gas Programme, which includes processes of catalytic valorization of CO2.

Eric obtained his doctorate in Chemical Engineering from the Technical University of Karlsruhe in 1993 focusing on kinetic evaluation of iron and cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. He initiated this research upon joining the staff in Chemical Engineering at the University of Cape Town. 

He is known for this size-dependent thermodynamics to predict phase stability within catalysts. He has developed extensive expertise in the field of molecular modelling to gain a better understanding of surface reactions and their inclusion in reactor models.