FABI News
3 Jul 2025
FABI is serie-ous too
FABIans once again got the opportunity to share which TV series they really enjoyed watching over the past year.
20 Jun 2025
Strengthening mycology in South Africa: FABI hosts NICD researchers
FABI recently hosted a meeting to establish linkages between medical mycologists and those working mainly on fungi in the environment.
19 Jun 2025
FABIans conquer the 2025 Comrades Marathon
FABI is proud of Steven Shange and Josias Letaoana who conquered the gruelling Comrades Marathon.
13 Jun 2025
Science, culture, and collaboration: Mycobiomics Meeting at FABI
International visitors attending the Mycobiomics meeting at FABI also had a chance to go on several tours on the UP campus and visit the Pilanesberg National Park.
12 Jun 2025
FABI hosts an international Mycobiomics meeting highlighting global advances in fungal research
FABI recently hosted 40 international researchers from seven countries, where the team celebrated a successful 'Mycobiomics' project.
FABI in a nutshell
Research Features
Review emphasizes the importance of understanding the genetics of sex determination for effective genetic pest management in insects.
Eleven new Penicillium and Talaromyces species discovered in South African culture collections.
A new study reveals the presence of Mycotoxins in Eastern Cape maize in South Africa.
Eurotiales update: FABIans Prof. Cobus Visagie and Dr Neriman Yilmaz and their collaborators have published a review of recently described Eurotiales species, including the economically important Aspergillus, Penicillium, Paecilomyces and Talaromyces.
Da Vinci's Yeast: FABIans Prof. Cobus Visagie, Dr Neriman Yilmaz, and their collaborators have recently described and named a newly discovered yeast species of the famous Italian painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect Leonardo da Vinci.
The potential economic impact of the PSHB invasion in South Africa has been calculated to be a massive R275 billion over the next ten years, if nothing is done to stop the spread of this invasive beetle. Researchers from FABI collaborated with Stellenbosch University ecologists and economists to model the unmitigated economic impact of this invasion.
A recently published paper in the journal Current Forestry Reports documents a collaboration between an international team of forest pathologists and invasion scientists. Led by Dr Trudy Paap, the authors present a framework for conceptualizing and managing invasive forest pathogens.
A recently published review article by Dr Andi Wilson in a special issue of the journal 'Microbiology & Molecular Biology Reviews' provides details of the genes that are essential to the sexual cycle in filamentous Ascomycete fungi and further describes their functions in a variety of model and non-model species.
Penicillium section Canescentia re-evaluated and five new species described from the fynbos biome in South Africa.
In November 2019, the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology hosted a workshop on ‘Frameworks used in Invasion Science’. The workshop led to a NeoBiota special issue on this theme, and includes a review by FABI researchers and international colleagues, exploring frameworks in the context of forest pathology.
A doctoral study in FABI confirms for the first time the presence of Xylosandrus crassiusculus, a polyphagous ambrosia beetle and its fungal symbiont, Ambroseilla roeperi, in three provinces in South Africa. The authors warn that this beetle species could be a threat to native and plantation trees.
A review on invasive gall-forming wasps that threaten non-native Eucalyptus plantations by researchers in the TPCP appears in Agricultural and Forest Entomology. They profile several species of likely Australian origin that have established on non-native Eucalyptus plantations globally and discuss various challenges to their management.
A study in the TPCP confirms the identity of seven novel fungal species associated with Dendroctonus valens, the red turpentine beetle. The study follows on surveys on the fungal associates of the beetle in China and North America. Results from this work appear in Persoonia.
A postdoctoral study in the TPCP describes two novel Huntiella species in the African clade, bringing the number of known species in the genus to 31. Though closely related, the two species display different mating systems. Outcomes from this study appear in the journal MycoKeys.
A review of the invasion history and global management strategies of Eucalyptus snout beetles in the Gonipterus scutellatus species complex by researchers in the TPCP appears in the Journal of Pest Science.
In a collaborative venture with Dr Jos Houbraken (Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, the Netherlands), Prof. Cobus M Visagie, Dr Neriman Yilmaz (both from FABI) and others have recently completed and published a major study updating the taxonomy of the Eurotiales.
A study in the Forest Molecular Genetics (FMG) Programme at FABI interrogates the benefits of implementing genomic selection for growth and wood quality traits in an established Eucalyptus grandis breeding programme in South Africa. Outcomes from this study appear in an article.
The first study on alternative weed and cultivated hosts of Spongospora subterraneaf. sp. subterranea (Sss), in southern Africa identifies two species as ideal trap crops for rotation with potatoes. The study also introduces three new families to the known hosts of Sss in the region.
A consortium of microbiologists from around the globe, FABI included, is pushing for an overhaul in how scientific names are assigned to uncultivated bacteria and archaea. Despite their ecological, agricultural and medical importance, these organisms traditionally have not been recognized by the international body governing the nomenclature of prokaryotes.
Professor Cobus Visagie is a researcher in the Applied Mycology group at FABI. One of the group’s research goals is to discover fungal diversity in South Africa, and Cobus’ research is strongly focussed on the economically important genera Aspergillus, Penicillium and Talaromyces.
Postdoctoral research by Dr Norman Muzhinji in the Potato Pathology Programme at the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) sheds light on the genetic structure and diversity of Spongospora subterranea f. sp. subterranea in four potato-growing regions in South Africa, providing valuable insights on its management.
An MSc study by Kira Lynn in the RGE-FABI Tree Health Programme at the University of Pretoria has described a new Fusarium species, Fusarium rekanum sp. nov., associated with Euwallacea perbrevis, an ambrosia beetle species infesting Acacia crassicarpa plantations in Riau, Indonesia.
FABI postdoctoral Fellow Dr Andi Wilson has established a CRISPR-Cas9-based genome editing protocol for use in Huntiella omanensis, a tree-inhabiting fungus belonging to the Ceratocystidaceae family.
Research undertaken as part of a PhD study by Molly Malefo at the University of Pretoria’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute sheds more light on the role of protease inhibitors in plants under drought stress.
The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) has funded a postdoctoral research project dedicated to monitoring plant health in botanical gardens and arboreta across South Africa. Two postdoctoral Fellows at the University of Pretoria’s Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute have held these fellowships.
The first comprehensive study mapping the distribution and genetic diversity of invasive Eucalyptus insect pests in sub-Saharan Africa confirms the presence of five major foliage-feeding species in 14 countries. The results of this study have implications on the quarantine, future research and management of these pests on the continent and beyond.
Dr Joey Hulbert broke new ground when he became the first candidate at the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute to complete a PhD study incorporating citizen science. Citizen science is an approach that involves members of the public as active participants in scientific research.
FABI technology unravels the genetics behind fungal genome evolution The RIPper is a bioinformatics tool for the for quantifying genome-wide RIP mutations in fungal genomes. The strength of this software lies in the automation of laborious techniques to study the mutation process called Repeat-Induced Point mutations (RIP). The RIPper applies these technique
With the increased availability in genome data, inferences regarding evolutionary relationships among taxa can now be performed on a genome-wide scale. But it is widely accepted that not all parts of such massive datasets support the same evolutionary hypothesis. Because of this, a group of researchers at FABI recently investigated the effect of this.
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.
Plastids play an integral role in wood formation, and yet they are routinely ignored in the study of xylogenesis in forest trees. Desre Pinard and Dr Eshchar Mizrachi have published a review highlighting the unique biology of plastids in wood, suggesting that a new type of plastid, the xylopast, exists.
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.
The Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer is an ambrosia beetle native to Southeast Asia. In 2017 this pest was detected in South Africa. Its presence has since been confirmed in all provinces except Limpopo. The beetle has a symbiotic relationship with the fungus Fusarium euwallaceae, which causes branch die-back and death of susceptible trees.
Pest/Pathogen of the Month: October
Scientific name: Cercospora zeina Crous & U.Braun
Common names: Gray leaf spot
In Africa, Cercospora zeina is the predominant causal pathogen of gray leaf spot disease of maize. This fungus is a threat to food security, since it can cause severe yield losses on both small-holder and large-scale farms. The foliar symptoms caused by this fungus are tan to gray rectangular lesions that are restricted within veins of maize leaves. After consuming its “maize meal” inside the leaf, the fungus bursts out of the leaf stomata with a fresh set of spores to infect the next leaf. Many things still puzzle scientists about this fungus, such as the questions “Where did it come from?” and “How has it moved around Africa?” Gray leaf spot disease was first reported in the 1980’s in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Reports of the disease have since emerged from other maize producing countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Could this be due to international and local trade of maize material that may contain infected leaf sheaths and ear husks, or has it been hiding in a wild grass species? Molecular analysis has shown C. zeina to have high genetic diversity in Africa and that it undergoes cryptic sex. No one has yet observed its sexual stage, but we suspect that this contributes to its high diversity and aggressiveness. Clearly, there is need to design and employ integrated pathogen management strategies to limit its reproduction and dispersal to ensure optimal maize production and food security in Africa and globally.
Pest/Pathogen of the Month: August
Scientific name: Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib) de Bary.
Common names: white mold, cottony root, watery soft rot, stem rot, drop, crown rot and blossom blight.
Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary is an Ascomycete fungus in the order Helotiales. This species is a multi-host necrotroph that infects more than 400 plant species, with lettuce, sunflower, canola and sugar bean being of economic importance to the South African agriculture industry. Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is characterized by the production of long-term survival structures called sclerotia which form an important part of the infection cycle. These structures can lay dormant in the soil for up to 8 years until environmental conditions become conducive for germination. Carpogenic germination of sclerotia results in the formation of a sexual structure (the apothecia) at soil level, which releases millions of ascospores that start the infection cycle. Myceliogenic germination forms hyphae and mycelium that results in direct sub-terrain infection of host plants, although this is limited to a radius of about 2 cm around the sclerotia. Signs and symptoms of disease depend on the host plant infected and can include water-soaked lesions or dry lesions on stems, leaves, fruits, or petioles. The presence of white fluffy hyphae on the host surface during high humidity forms the basis of the name “white mold” that refers to the disease.
Photograph:Sclerotia (black structures) mixed in with soybean (Photo by Lisa Rothmann, taken from The South African Sclerotinia Research Network (SASRN) website)
Pest/Pathogen of the Month: September
Scientific name: Spongospora subterranea f. sp.subterranea (Sss)
Common names: Powdery scab of potato
Powdery scab, caused by the obligate plant pathogen Spongospora subterranea f. sp. subterranea (Sss), is an unsightly blemish disease on potatoes and is a major problem in the potato industry worldwide. Powdery scab is identified by purple-brown pimple-like lesions that rupture the tuber periderm, creating powdery filled lesions. The powdery mass consists of masses of sporosori (collections of resting spores). These resting spores are highly resistant to unfavourable environmental conditions, allowing the pathogen to survive in the soil for over 50 years. The presence of these lesions reduces quality and marketability of seed tubers or tubers intended for consumption, causing major yield losses in potato production. This plant pathogen is also responsible for causing two other diseases, namely root infection and root galling, which also lead to yield reductions. Powdery scab disease is most severe in fields when the soil temperature is cool (9-17 °C) and has a high water content. Although infection occurs under cool and wet conditions, diseases have been recorded in hot and dry climates too, especially where irrigation is applied. The host range of Sss is broad as it infects plant species belonging to at least 26 families. Many weeds and commercial crop species have been confirmed to be alternative hosts of Sss. Powdery scab is difficult to successfully control due to the pathogen’s ability to form resting spores and the scarcity of resistant cultivars. No single control method can completely control Sss, however, an integrated management approach is advised for management of Sss.
Pest/Pathogen of the Month: July
Scientific name: Teratosphaeria destructans
Common names:
Teratosphaeria destructans is one of the most devastating pathogens to Eucalyptus forestry. It causes severe shoot and leaf blight on young Eucalyptus plantation trees and was, until recently, only known from South East Asia. In South Africa, T. destructans was first discovered in the KwaZulu-Natal Province by the FABI team in 2015. It has subsequently also spread to plantations of E. grandis and its hybrids in other sub-tropical parts of the country. Some good news is that the South African T. destructans population consists of a single genotype and mating type. This indicates that sexual reproduction is currently not possible and that the pathogen most likely entered South Africa as a single introduction. Care should be taken not to introduce the opposite mating type or additional genotypes.
Photo credit: https://www.fabinet.up.ac.za/index.php/news-item?id=274
New Publications
Msweli D, Geerts S, Nndanduleni M, Paap T. (2025) Evaluation of phosphite to protect a South African Proteaceae from Phytophthora root rot. Journal of Plant Pathology
10.1007/s42161-025-01945-8 
Dewing C, Yilmaz N, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield BD, Visagie CM. (2025) Capturing the fungal diversity hidden in Eastern Cape dairy pastures. Mycological Progress 24(1):38.
10.1007/s11557-025-02059-2
Nel WJ, Duong TA, Fell S, Herron DA, Paap T, Wingfield MJ, de Beer ZW, Hulcr J, Johnson AJ. (2025) A checklist of South African bark and ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae, Platypodinae). Zootaxa 5648(1):1-101.
10.11646/zootaxa.5648.1.1
Dewing C, Yilmaz N, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield BD, Visagie CM. (2025) Capturing the fungal diversity hidden in Eastern Cape dairy pastures. Mycological Progress 24:38.
10.1007/s11557-025-02059-2
Chang R, Yan Z, Jiang J, Wang Y, Si H, Bose T, Miao C. (2025) Four novel endolichenic fungi from Usnea spp. (Lecanorales, Parmeliaceae) in Yunnan and Guizhou, China: Taxonomic description and preliminary assessment of bioactive potentials. MycoKeys 118:55–80.
10.3897/mycokeys.118.155248