FABI News
21 Sep 2018
FABIans reflect on the applications of Next Generation Sequencing on their research at NGS Information Day
14 Sep 2018
Kenya maize pathology workshop “on the equator” a resounding success
13 Sep 2018
FABI initiative featured in Science Magazine
10 Sep 2018
FABIans present at International Workshop on the Genetics of Tree-Parasite Interactions
7 Sep 2018
Fourteen FABIans capped at UP Spring graduation
Congratulations to 14 FABIans whose degrees were conferred at the Spring graduation of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Pretoria on 4 September.
Research Features
The use of genome data to characterize species and elucidate relationships, particularly between problematic taxa, has become routine practice in bacteria. Recently, researchers from FABI joined in an international effort to describe two novel genera and characterize these within the larger context of the important bacterial group Burkholderia.
A PhD student in FABI, Runlei Chang, has discovered and described 19 new fungal species from China as part of the research for his thesis. These fungi are all associated with conifer-infesting bark beetles and their mites and belong to well-known genera such as Ophiostoma and Leptographium.
Two research papers from FABI were selected as cover stories in two consecutive issues of the international journal, Plant Pathology. The journal is published by Wiley for the British Society of Plant Pathology.
Approaches for characterizing metabolic potential from genomic sequences have previously been predicted to be useful in the description of bacterial taxa. Dr Marike Palmer, has recently employed these approaches for identifying biological processes contributing to the divergence of bacteria with a variety of lifestyles.
Comparative genomics is shaping our notion of what fungal species are. Based on current data, these unique evolutionary units are separated from one another by boundaries that are porous under certain conditions. This affects our expectations regarding their population biology and evolution, and our strategies for recognizing and controlling them.
An aggressive ambrosia beetle and its fungal symbiont that has the potential to kill many tree species, were recently discovered in South Africa. This pest was detected on London Plane trees in the KwaZulu-Natal National Botanical Gardens, Pietermaritzburg. It has since been confirmed in Durban, Hartswater, Bloemfontein, George, Knysna and Johannesburg.
Workshops & Symposia
1-5 October 2018
21-25 May 2018
Advanced Phylogenetics
Workshop 1
2018
New Publications
De Beer ZW. (2018) A tiny beetle and its deadly fungus is threatening South Africa’s trees. The Conversation
https://bit.ly/2F0J2Ln
Benndorf R, Guo H, Sommerwerk E, Weigel C, Garcia-Altares M, Martin K, Hu H, Küfner M, De Beer ZW, Poulsen M, Beemelmanns C. (2018) Natural products from Actinobacteria associated with fungus-growing termites. Antibiotics 7(3):83.
10.3390/antibiotics7030083 
Fru FF, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield MJ, Roux J. (2018) High genetic diversity of Fusarium circinatum associated with the first outbreak of pitch canker on Pinus patula in South Africa. Southern Forest: a Journal of Forest Science
10.2989/20702620.2018.1496312
Bose T, Wingfield MJ, Roux J, Vivas M, Burgess TI. (2018) Community composition and distribution of Phytophthora species across adjacent native and non-native forests of South Africa. Fungal Ecology 36:17-25.
10.1016/j.funeco.2018.09.001https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1754504818301740
Nel WJ, Duong TA, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD, Hammerbacher A, De Beer ZW. (2018) Heterothallism revealed in the root rot fungi Berkeleyomyces basicola and B. rouxiae. Fungal Biology
10.1016/j.funbio.2018.08.006
Baron S, Van der Merwe NA, Maritz-Olivier C. (2018) The genetic relationship between R. microplus and R. decoloratus ticks in South Africa and their population structure. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 129:60-69.
10.1016/j.ympev.2018.08.003
Chang R, Duong TA, Taerum SJ, Wingfield MJ, Zhou XD, Yin M, De Beer ZW. (2018) Ophiostomatoid fungi associated with the spruce bark beetle Ips typographus, including 11 new species from China. Persoonia 42:50-74.
10.3767/persoonia.2019.42.03
Jami F , Marincowitz S, Slippers B, Wingfield MJ. (2018) New Botryosphaeriales on native red milkwood (Mimusops caffra). Australasian Plant Pathology
10.1007/s13313-018-0586-4
Estrada-de los Santos P, Palmer M, Chávez-Ramírez B, Beukes C, Steenkamp ET, Briscoe L, Khan N, Maluk M, Lafos M, Humm E, Arrabit M, Crook M, Gross E, Simon MF, Bueno dos Reis F, Whitman WB, Shapiro N, Poole PS, Hirsch AM, Venter SN, James EK. (2018) Whole Genome Analyses Suggests that Burkholderia sensu lato Contains Two Additional Novel Genera (Mycetohabitans gen. nov., and Trinickia gen. nov.): Implications for the Evolution of Diazotrophy and Nodulation in the Burkholderiaceae. Genes 9(8):389.
10.3390/genes9080389
Laubscher M, Brown K, Tonfack LB, Myburg AA, Mizrachi E, Hussey SG. (2018) Temporal analysis of Arabidopsis genes activated by Eucalyptus grandis NAC transcription factors associated with xylem fibre and vessel development. Scientific Reports 8:10983.
10.1038/s41598-018-29278-w
Naalden D, Haegeman A, de Almeida‐Engler J, Eshetu FB, Bauters L, Gheysen G. (2018) The Meloidogyne graminicola effector Mg16820 is secreted in the apoplast and cytoplasm to suppress plant host defense responses. Molecular plant pathology
10.1111/mpp.12719https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/mpp.12719
Marin-Felix Y, Hernandez-Restrepo M, Wingfield M, Akulov A, Carnegie A, Cheewangkoon R, Gramaje D, Groenewald J, Guarnaccia V, Halleen F, Lombard L, Luangsaard J, Marincowitz S, Moslemi A, Mostert L, Quaedvlieg W, Schumacher R, Spies C, Thangavel R, Taylor P, Wilson A, Wingfield B, Wood A, Crous P. (2018) Genera of phytopathogenic fungi: GOPHY 2. STUDIES IN MYCOLOGY 92:47 - 133.
10.1016/j.simyco.2018.04.002
Burgess TI, Tan YP, Garnas J, Edwards J, Scarlett KA, Shuttleworth LA, Daniel R, Dann EK, Parkinson LE, Dinh Q, Shivas RG, Jami F. (2018) Current status of the Botryosphaeriaceae in Australia. Australasian Plant Pathology
10.1007/s13313-018-0577-5
Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (Euwallacea sp.) and Fusarium dieback (Fusarium euwallaceae)
Tchotet Tchoumi JM, Coetzee MPA, Rajchenberg M, Wingfield MJ, Roux J. (2018) Three Ganoderma species, including Ganoderma dunense sp. nov., associated with dying Acacia cyclops trees in South Africa. Australasian Plant Pathology
10.1007/s13313-018-0575-7
Nicole M. Van Dam, Mesfin Wondafrash, Vartika Mathur , Tom O. Tytgat. (2018) Differences in Hormonal Signaling Triggered by Two Root-feeding Nematode Species Result in Contrasting Effects on Aphid Population Growth. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
10.3389/fevo.2018.00088
Mlonyeni XO, Wingfield MJ, Greeff JM, Wingfield BD, Slippers B. (2018) Genetic diversity of Amylostereum areolatum, the fungal symbiont of the invasive woodwasp Sirex noctilio in South Africa. Forest Pathology :e12449.
10.1111/efp.12449
Tan YP, Shivas RG, Marney TS , Edwards J , Dearnaley J , Jami F , Burgess TI. (2018) Australian cultures of Botryosphaeriaceae held in Queensland and Victoria plant pathology herbaria revisited. Australasian Plant Pathology
Jami F , Marincowitz S, Crous PW, Jacobsohn A, Wingfield MJ. (2018) A new Cytospora species pathogenic on Carpobrotus edulis in its native habitat. FUSE 2
10.3114/fuse.2018.02.03
Wingfield BD, Bills GF, Dong Y, Huang W, Nel WJ, Swalarsk-Parry BS, Vaghefi N, Wilken PM, An Z, de Beer ZW, De Vos L, Chen L, Duong TA, Gao Y, Hammerbacher A, Kikkert JR, Li Y, Li H, Li K, Li Q, Liu X, Ma X, Naidoo K, Pethybridge SJ, Sun J, Steenkamp ET, van der Nest M, van Wyk S, Wingfield MJ, Xiong C, Yue Q, Zhang X. (2018) IMA Genome-F 9 Draft genome sequence of Annulohypoxylon stygium, Aspergillus mulundensis, Berkeleyomyces basicola (syn. Thielaviopsis basicola), Ceratocystis smalleyi, two Cercospora beticola strains, Coleophoma cylindrospora, Fusarium fracticaudum, Phialophora cf. hyalina, and Morchella septimelata. IMA Fungus 9(1):199-223.
10.5598/imafungus.2018.09.01.13
Vacant positions
Programme Manager in Forest Molecular Genetics Programme (FMG), FABI - more information
Application deadline: 10 October 2018
Functional Genomics Technician in Forest Molecular Genetics Programme (FMG), FABI - more information
Application deadline: 10 October 2018
Fingerprinting Research Assistant in Forest Molecular Genetics Programme (FMG), FABI - more information
Application deadline: 10 October 2018
PhD funded by SANBI, based in the Tree Protection Cooperative Programme (TPCP), FABI - more information
Topic: Impact of the polyphagous shot hole borer and its fungal symbiont on indigenous South African trees
Supervisors: Prof. Wilhelm de Beer & Dr Trudy Paap
Application deadline: 2 November 2018 (successful candidates will be notified by early December) - apply online here