EPPI Team
Academic Staff and Research Leaders Total:1
Prof Sanushka NaidooExternal Research Associates Total:1
Ms Nomathemba MajolaProfessional Support Staff Total:3
Dr Ronishree Mangwanda
Ms Adri VealeBiochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology
Tissue culture and Plant Transformation Platform Manager
Dr Avhashoni ZwanePostdoctoral Fellows Total:3
Dr Anneri Lötter
Dr Myriam Solis
Dr Demissew TeshomeDoctoral Students Total:7
Mr Lihan Esterhuizen
Ms Nadine Kleinhans
Mr Faranani Lishivha
Mr Tshoganyetso Motete
Ms Bianca Prozesky
Mr Sean Schultze
Ms Shae SwanepoelMasters Students Total:11
Mr Ryan Bosch
Ms Tshiamo Lesedi
Ms Amahle Mkhwanazi 
Ms Valencia Mogashoa
Mr Tebogo Molemela
Mx Anicka Nel
Ms Ayanda Phulula
Ms Sinenhlanhla Shongwe
Mr Kaliwe Sindazi
Mr Michal Slupski
Mr Bertus van RooyHonours Students Total:1
Mr Daniel BeereNew Publications
Motete T, Solís M, Hammerbacher A, Naidoo S. (2026) Gene expression profiling in Eucalyptus associates Phenylpropanoid resistance to Teratosphaeria destructans. Plant Pathology
10.1111/ppa.70207
Swanepoel S, Naidoo S. (2026) A weighted gene co-expression network analysis characterises the common defence responses of Eucalyptus to diverse biotic challenges. Scientific Reports 16:5387.
10.1038/s41598-025-32699-z
Vincent C, Singh A, Michalczyk GZ, Lane SL, Kaur R, Gill AR, Dziedzic N, De Silva K, Cho A, Cardoso AA, Alade DO, Tejera-Nieves M, Sharkey TD, Schmiege SC, Pelech E, Locke AM, Leisner CP, Teshome DT. (2025) Importance of measuring and reporting environmental conditions across plant science subdisciplines. Plant Physiology 199(2)
10.1093/plphys/kiaf405
Solís M, Hammerbacher A, Wingfield MJ, Naidoo S. (2025) Transcriptional responses of Eucalyptus to infection by an aggressive leaf blight pathogen reveal the role of host secondary metabolites during pathogen germination. Plant Molecular Biology 115
10.1007/s11103-025-01625-2
Lötter A, Bruna T, Duong TA, Barry K, Lipzen A, Daum C, Yoshinaga Y, Grimwood J, Jenkins JW, Talag J, Borevitz J, Lovell JT, Schmutz J, Wegrzyn JL, Myburg AA. (2025) A haplotype-resolved reference genome for Eucalyptus grandis. G3 Genes|Genomes|Genetics
10.1093/g3journal/jkaf112
Solís M, Hammerbacher A, Wingfield M.J, Naidoo S. (2025) Enhancing plantation forest sustainability: A review of Eucalyptus defence mechanisms to foliar fungal pathogens. Current Forestry Reports
10.1007/s40725-024-00243-3
Teshome DT, Zharare GE, Ployet R, Naidoo S. (2024) Molecular mechanisms underlying tree host-pathogen interactions under drought stress and subsequent rewatering in Eucalyptus grandis. Plant Stress
10.1016/j.stress.2024.100697
Solís M, Naidoo S, Wingfield MJ, Joubert J, Hammerbacher A. (2024) First line of defence: Eucalyptus leaf waxes influence infection by an aggressive fungal leaf pathogen. Plant Biology
10.1111/plb.13707
Backer R, Naidoo S, van den Berg N. (2023) The expression of the NPR1-dependent defense response pathway genes in Persea americana (Mill.) following infection with Phytophthora cinnamomi. BMC Plant Biology 23(1):548.
10.1186/s12870-023-04541-z 
Anneri Lötter, Tuan A Duong, Julia Candotti, Eshschar Mizrachi, Jill L Wegrzyn, Alexander A Myburg. (2023) Haplogenome assembly reveals structural variation in Eucalyptus interspecific hybrids. GigaScience 12
10.1093/gigascience/giad064