Me Jane Bredenkamp
MSc Student
Molecular Plant-Pathogen Interactions
Research Interests
I have recently completed my Honours degree in Genetics at the University of Pretoria where I focused on the contribution
of the moderately penetrant breast cancer susceptibility gene, PALB2, to breast cancer in South African families. I chose to expand my research focus by completing a Masters degree
in Plant Biotechnology.
Currently, I am involved in a project investigating plant-pathogen interactions, and more specifically, host defense
responses to the pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum. R. solanacearum is the causal agent of bacterial wilt disease and results in large economic losses of crops such as
Eucalyptus. It is a soil-borne pathogen that infects plants through wounds in the roots. I will make use of a previously established A. thaliana-R. solanacearum African
pathosystem developed by Joanne Fouche-Weich (2004). Research in this area can contribute to the development of effective control strategies to R. solanacearum as well as
furthering our understanding of disease resistance in plants.
