Another year has rolled on by in a frenzy of Spoofage and charitable contributions and not to mention some amazing parties! As we bid goodbye and thanks to the team of yester-year - we say hello to a group of young scientists who have no idea what they are letting themselves in for! Here are the members of the Social club for 2011!

 

 

 

Angelica Marsberg (The Captian of this crazy crew)

Hey there!  My name is Angelica, but call me Angie for short.  I am currently doing my MSc in Genetics, focusing on fungal endophytes in Syzigium cordatum, or Waterberry for those who just went "Huh?"  When I'm not in the lab, I enjoy doing artsy things, being creative (and sometimes dangerous!) in the kitchen and the odd bit of ice skating when I get the chance.  I love animals especially horses and my 6 dogs and my cheeky African grey!  I enjoy reading the odd book but I am NOT, without a doubt, a fan of Robert Pattinson a.k.a Edward Cullen, or anything related to the Twilight saga... If you want to torture me, tie me up and make me watch the movies or read me the books!

Smile and let the whole world wonder why :)

Amy Wooding

Hi! I’m Amy, or Kaptein, Amz, Blondie, Shakira....whichever feels right to you. I am researching
the population dynamics of the wasp Sirex noctilio (not sthe stinging kind) and its’ fungus friend
Amylostereum. I hope that my work will help in making this insect less of a pest in South Africa.
When I’m not in the lab you can find me gallivanting around campus, or indulging in some of my less
professional past times. My interests include scuba diving, spending time with family and friends,
anything involving the beach, and of course, SCIENCE (Nerds rule!).

 Tracy Hall

Are you looking at me (Tracy)?? Yes, this is normal when you spend so much time with CMW 10134!!! This fungus has got me so hypnotized that I’m sequencing its genome, one base at a time!! Yes people a single base at a time. In my free time, I re-align my eyes to focus on series and other cool stuff beginning with a “C”, like sokkie sokkie and 30 seconds, not to mars.  I grew up in sunny Richards Bay, KZN where traffic is never a problem. So acclimatizing to the concrete and cars was quite a process in first and second year. But I’m proud to say that I have transformed (competent cells as well as myself), and now love it here. I play with DNA in the Shaw lab and don’t really look like this....c“,)

Gabrielle Carstensen

Hi, my name is Gabrielle but most people call me Gaby (I’m the not so fluffy one in
the photo). The gorgeous boy in the photo is my pet dwarf rabbit. I am currently in
my second year of Masters working on bacterial endophytes in three indigenous
plant species from the genus Pavetta. For the non-microbiologists, I work on bacteria
that live inside of plants and I’m particularly looking at a genus of tree that has dark
bacterial-filled nodules on their leaves. My favourite thing to do when I’m not living it
up at university or practicing my cocktail making skills is to go to the Kruger National
Park and to find leopards. I’m glad to be a part of this crazy crew and I look forward
to a year of fun fun fun!

Phia van Coller

Hi, my name is Phia, but the government knows me as prisoner fsp34. My research got me caught in
this dream world of constructing a genetic linkage map for the pine pathogen, Fusarium circinatum.
This can then be used for all sorts of super cool genetic analyses like the pathogenicity of the
terrorist. In my free time I like to do nothing seeing as I struggle to move with all these chains on. I
do appreciate the fresh air, people playing me music and watching the animals around me dance to
it. I wish I were that cool.

Feel free to tickle my toes...

 

Anandi Reitmann

Confused?! Jip! That's how an average Genetics student looks at the beginning of their Masters am I am no different.  The aim of the next two years I guess is to change THAT expression into something more enlightening!  My name is Anandi Reitmann and I'm trying to understand something about the secret weapons Phytophthora cinnamomi uses against its oh-so-vulnerable plant victims.. So far I definitely suspect  biological warfare.. hmmm..  Apparently 'Anandi' means 'happy' in Hindi - therefor I am obligated to be so and I try my best!  Other than that I am around..watching series..kyering..camping..and stuff.. :)

Rynier Lourens

Hey there my name is Rynier and my friends affectionately call me skapie. Yes it is
because of the natural curly hair. I’m currently in the first year of my MSc in the fruit tree
biotechnology programme. My research focuses on isolating and characterising the NPR1
gene in Eucalyptus and Avocado, a gene that you might call a master regulator of plant
defence. When I’m not busy with “geek speak”, I love being outdoors doing anything from
skiing, wakeboarding and scuba diving to mountain biking and gym and everything in
between.

Points to ponder ???

Why is it that doctors call what they do "practice"?
If you throw a cat out a car window does it become kitty litter? (cruel I know)
Is it true that cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste funny?
If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?

Ronel Viljoen

Hello... I am the member of the plant virology group that suffers from a severe identity crisis. Most
of my days are spent pondering on the inner workings of Liberibacters, a group of bacteria... See
where I’m going with this? I enjoy long walks on the beach, reading poetry and the number 42.
I strive towards perfect curves (Real-time) and flawless sequence data. When I’m not dwelling
amongst the inhabitants of the ninth floor I may be found being sociable with FABIans.

 

Monique Heystek

My name is Monique Heystek. I’m just the normal kind of plant scientists which implies occasionally
talking to myself, my plants and various pieces of lab equipment. My Masters project (under lead of
prof. Berger) involves helping maize plants formulate a game plan to overcome their worst enemy – the
fungal pathogen Cercospora zeina – just so that we can cut down the plants and eat their maize. Which
reminds me of my favourite quote: “Don’t take life too seriously – it’s not permanent”. When I’m not
busy setting up the fungi and plants against each other I also enjoy chasing campus pigeons, waving at
automatic shop doors and learning isiZulu.

Linda Ndove


I'm Linda, Mikateko, Charmaine Ndove (You are welcome to choose the name that will be easier for you to pronounce). from Malamulele in Lompopo province. I am a MSc student in Microbiology. My project focuses on Botryosphaeriaceae spp. that bother the yellow wood trees in South Africa. When I'm not in the lab, I like watching movies and spending time with friends.

Tuan Duong

Hi everyone. My name is Tuan. I am currently busy doing my Ph.D in fungal genetics. Besides working in the lab, I like dancing and photography but my Ph.D has gotten the better of me. So I am out of those hobbies at the moment. I am still surfing, reading and watching them once in a while, striving not to be outdated :) I am the only Vietnamese student in the FABI family (even though most the kids I met called me Chinese man) therefore I am in the red list and need to be protected.

Caryn Oates

Hi everyone, I’m Caryn. I’m an insectophobe who’s now working on Eucalyptus and a wasp pest.
When not in the lab, I can normally be found with my nose stuck in a novel, bullying other people
into running around a hockey field, blowing something up on my xbox or jolling with my amigos. I
have also been known to enter gyms (for the man-candy, not the exercise). My favourite time of
year is when Grey’s Anatomy, Gossip Girl and Desperate Housewives are all on in the same week.
I try to live by this quote: “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you
come alive, because what the world needs are people who have come alive”.

Tondani Kone

 

The Love Guru can be found in his temple, Temple Alpha, on the 6th floor of the Agric building, surrounded mostly by females. Like all Gurus, you can identify him by a beard and shaved head. He has a deep knowledge on mating of Fusarium fungi, more specifically, Pick-up lines (in layman's term, pheromones and their receptors) used by these bad boys. Before all this, Guru Tondani had a premonition, what he saw was so amazing but we won’t go into it; however that was the beginning of his quest for deeper understanding of how Fusarium ‘get it on’. Using ancient secret techniques, known as PCR and Sequencing, he learnt the ability to read and understand the language of Fusarium. Occasionally, the great Guru visits the famous "square" mountains of Hatfield where he obtains the ability to increase and reduce some of his basic skills. It’s not yet confirmed if this is just a myth or not, but some people say he has the powers to control things with nothing but a play station joystick. When Guru was asked what he plans to do for the social club, his answer was of great wisdom and enigmatic, he said "like all Gurus (and some bosses and politicians) I shall sit and do nothing and call it meditating"
 
Guru has not said a word since then....        

 

Gina Shin

Hi, I’m Gina! I am working on phytopathogenic bacterium called Pantoea anantis
but often I am occupied with creation work of mutant eppies and PCR tubes J I have
a serious difficulty of waking up in the morning so if you see my by 10, I am early!
(Shhhhh! But I strive to be here for FABI meetings). Whether I am in the lab or not, I
enjoy Nintendo-ing, drawing crazy cartoons (they say) and reading novels.

Christina Selowa

Hi there,my name is Christina Selowa but some people call me Chrissy or Tina, you can choose one it doesn't matter. I'm from Bolobedu(boloba thaba) in Limpopo. I'm doing MSc in Boitechnology and my study focuses on PR proteins in banana. I love spending time with my family and friends. If i'm not busy, you will find me playing with the kidz because kidz are all right.

Silvia Mausse Sitoe

 

My name is Sílvia, a MSc. student from Mozambique. I have been working on diseases of
Eucalyptus in Mozambique. I like to work in the lab and try to found out which fungus species
I can get from my samples. When I am out of the lab, I like to go to the cinema, restaurants,
gardens and of course to do window shopping in the malls. This year, I am a social club
member and I hope to enjoy every moment there.

 

Melissa Simpson

 

 

Hey there I’m Melissa, or Mel for short. I am currently in my second year of masters in genetics.
My project involves using short sets of repetitive DNA sequences to tell closely related species apart from each other.
Besides being in the lab most days I am also learning a Japanese martial art. When I have time off I enjoy cooking, baking, reading and spending time at home in Durban with my family.
 
Mmatshepho Phasha
 

 
Hallo “world”! My name is Mmatshepho, they really call me that (with all the ‘ems and aychs’). I do my
MSc research in the Microbiology and Plant Pathology department focusing on some aspects of the
genome of the pine Pitch canker fungus (Fusarium circinatum). When I am not in the lab I do lots of
reading, talk shows, music and talking. When I get an opportunity to do lots of travelling with fun-people
I do it! It’s just refreshing………

 

 

FABI