TPCP Team
Group Leaders
Prof Bernard SlippersUP Research Leaders Total:16
Prof Irene Barnes
Prof Martin Coetzee
Prof Tuan Duong
Prof Almuth Hammerbacher 
Prof Brett Hurley
Prof Tjaart Krüger
Dr Thabiso Motaung Motaung
Prof Sanushka Naidoo
Prof Emma Steenkamp
Prof Noelani van den Berg
Prof Albe van der Merwe
Prof Fanus Venter
Prof Cobus Visagie
Dr Markus Wilken
Prof Brenda Wingfield
Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology
DST / NRF SARChI Chair in Fungal Genomics
Prof Mike WingfieldExternal Research Associates Total:10
Prof Jeremy Allison
Dr Chrizelle Beukes
Dr Wubetu Bihon
Prof Treena Burgess 
Dr ShuaiFei Chen
Prof Pedro Crous
Dr Jeff Garnas
Dr Ilaria Germishuizen
Dr Carlos Rodas
Prof Jolanda RouxResearch Fellows Total:7
Dr Janneke Aylward
Dr Tanay Bose
Dr Lieschen De Vos
Dr Gudrun Dittrich-Schroder
Dr Trudy Paap
Dr Michelle Schroder
Dr Neriman YilmazPostdoctoral Fellows Total:5
Dr Felipe Balocchi
Dr Mesfin Gossa
Dr Privilege Makunde
Dr Nam Pham
Dr Ariska van der NestDoctoral Students Total:38
Ms Omotayo Adegeye
Mr Harm Barten
Mr Johannes Christoff Joubert
Ms Claudette Dewing
Ms Firehiwot Eshetu
Mr Lihan Esterhuizen
Ms Caitlin Gevers
Ms Ginna M. Granados
Mr Mathew Harris
Mr Darryl Herron
Ms Vaylen Hlaka
Ms Sithembile Kunene
Ms Frances Lane
Mr GuoQing Li
Ms WenWen Li
Ms Kira Lynn
Ms Mabodiba Maake
Mr Mkhululi Maphosa
Mr Sicelo Masuku
Mr Lazarus Mavima
Ms Pfano Mbedzi
Mr Tshepo Joseph Mmushi
Mr Siphephelo Phungula
Ms Jenna-Lee Price
Ms Jane Baile Ramaswe
Ms Manchela Francinah Ratsoma
Ms Luki-Marie Scheepers
Mr Preston Shaw
Ms Nomfundo Shinga
Ms Myriam Solis
Ms Benedicta Swalarsk-Parry
Ms Cheyenne Theron
Mr Garyn Townsend
Ms Melandre Van Lill
Ms Nicole van Vuuren
Ms Lente van Zyl
Mr Edwin WanjofuMasters Students Total:36
Ms Jade Ashmore
Mr Adam Bazerbachi
Mr Callin Ceriani
Ms Deanné Du Plessis
Mr Taygen Fuchs
Mr Johan F. Griesel
Mr Christiaan Grobler
Mr Lehlohonolo Hlahane
Ms Zimazile Jazi
Ms Marizanne Jones
Mr Harris Keetse
Mr Nigel Kombora
Mr Kyle Leeuwendaal
Ms Chulumanco Majavu
Ms Idea Makowe
Ms Nomaswazi Maseko
Ms Ongeziwe Mbhele
Ms Kiara Munsamy
Ms Ruth Nante
Ms Anja Piso
Ms Lizzy Ramela
Ms Boitshoko Mercia Rammuki
Ms Vera Röder
Mr Alinaswe Selebi
Mr Drake Slabbert
Mr Michal Slupski
Mr Hannes Strydom
Ms Taponeswa Tasiya
Mr Grant Terblanche
Ms Elmarie van der Merwe
Ms Alida van Dijk 
Mr Bertus van Rooy
Ms Sumari Venter
Ms Anien Viljoen
Mr Nkhoye ZondoHonours Students Total:4
Ms Janie Coetzer
Mr Kyle Craninx
Ms Jennifer Gomes de Freitas 
Ms Jemma SmithNew Publications
Marais I, Buitendag C, Duong TA, Crampton BG, Theron J, Kidanemarium D, Berger DK. (2024) Double-stranded RNA uptake for the control of the maize pathogen Cercospora zeina. Plant Pathology Online first:1-11.
10.1111/ppa.13909
van Heerden A, Pham NQ, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ, Muro Abad JI, Durán A, Wilken PM. (2024) LAMP assay to detect Elsinoë necatrix; an important Eucalyptus shoot and leaf pathogen. Plant Disease
10.1094/PDIS-01-24-0086-RE
Silva GA, Oliveira MES, Rêgo GMS, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ, Ferreira MA. (2024) Chrysoporthe brasiliensis sp. nov. pathogenic to Melastomataceae in southeast Brazil. Fungal Biology
10.1016/j.funbio.2024.04.001
Van Lill M, Venter SN, Muema EK, Palmer M., Beukes CW, Chan WY, Steenkamp ET. (2024) SeqCode facilitates naming of South African rhizobia left in limbo. Systematics and Applied Microbiology 47(2-3):126504.
10.1016/j.syapm.2024.126504 
Dankie VN, Steenkamp ET, De Vos L, Swalarsk-Parry BS, Dewing C, Fru F, Wilken PM, Mchunu NP, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ, van der Nest MA. (2024) Growth, pathogenicity and sexual fertility of the African tree pathogen Ceratocystis albifundus. Journal of Plant Pathology :1-11.
10.1007/s42161-024-01634-y
Hiroyuki S, Marincowitz S, Roux J, Paap T, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ. (2024) A new genus and species of Cryphonectriaceae causing stem cankers on plantation eucalypts in South Africa. Plant Pathology :1-14.
10.1111/ppa.13883
Mapfumo P, Buthelezi S, Archer E, Swanevelder DZH, Wilken PM, Creux N. (2024) In-field climatic factors driving Sclerotinia head rot progression across different sunflower planting dates. Plant Pathology
10.1111/ppa.13873
Tarigan M, Wingfield MJ, Jami F, Marpaung YMAN, Duran A, Pham NQ. (2024) Pathogenicity of Chrysoporthe deuterocubensis on eucalypts in Indonesia. Southern Forests: a Journal of Forest Science
10.2989/20702620.2023.2279054
Caballol M, Serradó F, Barnes I, Camarero JJ, Valeriano C, Colangelo M, Oliva J. (2024) Climate, host ontogeny and pathogen structural specificity determine forest disease distribution at a regional scale. Ecography :e06974.
10.1111/ecog.06974
MISEV Consortium, Motaung T. (2024) Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles (MISEV2023): From basic to advanced approaches. Journal of Extracellular Vesicles 13(2):e12404.
10.1002/jev2.12404
Pham NQ, Suzuki H, Duong TA, Wingfield BD, Barnes I, Duran A, Wingfield MJ. (2024) Cryptic sexual reproduction in an emerging Eucalyptus shoot and foliar pathogen. Plant Pathology
10.1111/ppa.13876
Francinah M. Ratsoma, Nthabiseng Z. Mokoena, Quentin C. Santana, Brenda D. Wingfield, Emma T. Steenkamp, Thabiso E. Motaung. (2024) Characterization of the Fusarium circinatum biofilm environmental response role. Journal of Basic Microbiology 00(00):1-16.
10.1002/jobm.202300536
Morrison EW, Duong TA, Garnas JR. (2024) A high-quality draft genome sequence of Neonectria faginata, causative agent of beech bark disease of Fagus grandifolia. Microbiology Resource Announcements
10.1128/mra.01048-23
Fitza KNE, Allison J, Slippers B, Chingandu N, Reed SE. (2024) Diversity and potential sources of introduction of the Beech leaf nematode (Litylenchus crenatae< mccannii) to Ontario, Canada. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology
De Vos L, van der Nest MA, Santana QC, van Wyk S, Leeuwendaal KS, Wingfield BD, Steenkamp ET. (2024) Chromosome-level assemblies for the pine pitch canker pathogen Fusarium circinatum. Pathogens 13(1):70.
10.3390/pathogens13010070
Chen BY, Wu WX, Chen SF. (2024) Wide distribution of Teratosphaeria epicoccoides and T. destructans associated with diseased Eucalyptus leaves in plantations in Southern China. Microorganisms 12:129.
10.3390/microorganisms12010129
Crous PW, Costa MM, Kandemir H, Vermaas M, Vu D, Zhao L, Arumugam E, Flakus A, Jurjević Ž, Kaliyaperumal M, Mahadevakumar S, Murugadoss R, Shivas RG, Tan YP, Wingfield MJ, Abell SE, Marney TS, Danteswari C, Darmostuk V, Denchev CM, Denchev TT, Gené J, Etayo J, Gunaseelan S, Hubka V, Illescas T, Jansen GM, Kezo K, Kumar S, Larsson E, Mufeeda KT, Piatek M, Rodriguez-Flakus P, Sarma PVSRN, Stryjak-Bokacka M, Torres-Garcia D, Vauras J, Acal DA, Akulov A, Alhudaib K, Asif M, Balashov S, Baral H-O, Baturo-Cieśniewska A, Begerow D, Beja-Perreira A, Bianchinotti MV, Bilański P, Chandranayaka S, Chellappan N, Cowan DA, Custódio FA, Czachura P, Delgado G, De Silva NI, Dijksterhuis J, Dueñas M, Eisvand P, Fachada V, Fournier J, Fritsche Y, Fuljer F, Ganga KGG, Guerra MP, Hansen K, Hywel-Jones N, Ismail AM, Jacobs CR, Jankowiak R, Karich A, Kemler M, Kisło K, Klofac W, Krisai-Greilhuber I, Latha KPD, Lebeuf R, Lopes ME, Lumyong S, Maciá-Vicente JG, Maggs-Kölling G, Magistà D, Manimohan P, Martín MP, Mazur E, Mehrabi-Koushki M, Miller AN, Mombert A, Ossowska EA, Patejuk K, Pereira OL, Piskorski S, Plaza M, Podile AR, Polhorsky A, Pusz W, Raza W, Ruszkiewicz-Michalska M, Saba M, Sánchez RM, Singh R, Śliwa L, Smith ME, Stefenon VM, Strašiftáková D, Suwannarach N, Szczepańska K, Telleria MT, Tennakoon DS, Thines M, Thorn RG, Urbaniak J, van der Vegte M, Vasan V, Vila-Vićosa C, Voglmayr H, Wrzosek M, Zappelini J, Groenewald JZ. (2023) Fungal Planet description sheets: 1550-1613. Persoonia 51:280-417.
10.3767/persoonia.2023.51.08
Wilken PM, Lane FA, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. (2023) Unidirectional mating-type switching is underpinned by a conserved MAT1 locus architecture. Fungal genetics and Biology (103859)
10.1016/j.fgb.2023.103859
Schertler A, Thines M, Dawson W, van Kleunen M, Kreft H, Pergl J, Pyšek P, Weigelt P, Winter M, Seebens H, Wingfield MJ, Reino L, Lenzner B, Dellinger S, Moser D, Bufford JL, Ghelardini L, Santini A, Capinha C, Monteiro M, Essl F. (2023) Biogeography and global flows of 100 major alien fungal and fungus-like oomycete pathogens. Journal of Biogeography
10.1111/jbi.14755
van der Merwe E, Slippers B, Dittrich-Schröder G. (2023) Mechanical egg activation and rearing of first instar larvae of Sirex noctilio (Hymenoptera: Siricidae). Insects 14(12):931.
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/14/12/931
Wingfield MJ, Marincowitz S, Barnes I, Tarigan M, Solís M, Duran A, Pham NQ. (2023) First report of phyllode rust on Acacia crassicarpa outside its native range. Forest Pathology
10.1111/efp.12839
Rakubu IL, Katumanyane A, Hurley BP. (2023) Host-foraging strategies of five local entomopathogenic nematode species in South Africa. Crop Protection 176:106525.
10.1016/j.cropro.2023.106525
Barten H, Schröder ML, Slippers B, Howe AG, Lawson SA, Hurley BP. (2023) Reproductive compatibility of a newly imported Australian population of the biocontrol agent Anaphes nitens with an existing South African population. Biological Control 187:105403.
10.1016/j.biocontrol.2023.105403
Pham NQ, Duong TA, Wingfield BD, Barnes I, Duran A, Wingfield MJ. (2023) Characterisation of the mating-type loci in species of Elsinoe causing scab diseases. Fungal Biology 127:1484–1490.
10.1016/j.funbio.2023.11.003
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
Rakubu IL, Katumanyane A, Hurley BP. (2023) Screening five local entomopathogenic nematode species for their virulence against pupae of the Eucalyptus snout beetle, Gonipterus sp. n. 2, under laboratory conditions . Crop Protection 176:106500.
10.1016/j.cropro.2023.106500
Granados GM, Rodas CA, Vivas M, Wingfield MJ, Barnes I. (2023) Patterns of Dothistroma septosporum conidial dispersal in Colombian Pinus tecunumanii plantations. Forest Pathology (00):e12834.
10.1111/efp.12834
Bose T, Hammerbacher A, Spies CFJ, Coutinho TA. (2023) Phytophthora: an underestimated threat to agriculture, forestry, and natural ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa. Mycological Progress 22:78.
10.1007/s11557-023-01926-0
Wilson AM, Coetzee MPA, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. (2023) Needles in fungal haystacks: Discovery of a putative a-factor pheromone and a unique mating strategy in the Leotiomycetes. PLOS One 18(10):e0292619.
10.1371/ journal.pone.0292619
Visagie CM, Magistà D, Ferrara M, Balocchi F, Duong TA, Eichmeier A, Gramaje D, Aylward J, Baker SE, Barnes I, Calhoun S, De Angelis M, Frisvad JC, Hakalova E, Hayes RD, Houbraken J, Grigoriev IV, LaButti K, Leal C, Lipzen C, Ng V, Pangilinan J, Pecenka J, Perrone G, Piso A, Savage E, Spetik E, Wingfield MJ, Zhang Y, Wingfield BD. (2023) IMA genome-F18 - The reidentification of Penicillium genomes available in the NCBI and draft genomes for Penicillium species from dry cured meat, Penicillium biforme, P. brevicompactum, P. solitum, and P. cvjetkovicii, Pewenomyces kutranfy, Pew. tapulicola, Pew. kalosus, Teratosphaeria carnegiei, and Trichoderma atroviridae SC1. IMA Fungus 14(21)
10.1186/s43008-023-00121-w