The CFTPP Team visit the Chinese Embassy
On 28 August, the CERC-FABI Tree Protection Programme members (CFTPP) team, visited the Chinese Embassy in Pretoria.
13 Sep 2019
12 Sep 2019
FABI considers dying trees and fungal biodiversity in Namaqualand
FABI Founder Director Prof. Mike Wingfield and Prof. Pedro Crous, Director of the Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute (WFBI, Netherlands) and also holding a Professorship in FABI at the University of Pretoria spent four days examining diseases of plants in Namaqualand in the Northern Cape Province.
12 Sep 2019
9 Sep 2019
Fourteen FABIans capped at the 2019 Spring Graduation Ceremony
The University of Pretoria conferred 14 postgraduate degrees – eight PhD degrees and six MSc degrees – to FABIans during the Spring Graduation Ceremony on 5 September. Congratulations to these FABIans on their remarkable achievements!
6 Sep 2019
Prof. Martin Coetzee attends the Mycological Society of America (USA) Meeting 2019
Professor Martin Coetzee attended the 87th meeting of the Mycological Society of America (MSA) from 10-14 August in Minneapolis, USA.
6 Sep 2019
FABI features prominently at AgriCAREERSConnect
FABI was prominent at AgriCAREERSConnect, an interactive careers fair at the University of Pretoria’s Future Africa Campus on 5 September.
5 Sep 2019
FABIans “begin afresh” and look forward to sunnier and happier days at the annual Spring Day Tea
FABIans celebrated a colourful yet pensive Spring Day Tea in the FABI Courtyard on 4 September. The FABI Social Club hosts this colourful spectacle every year in celebration of renewal that comes with the end of winter.
5 Sep 2019
MPI Fungal Symposium 2019
Professor Brenda Wingfield had the privilege of attending the MPI Fungal Symposium in Plön, Germany from 2-4 September.
3 Sep 2019
Michel becomes the latest FABIan to fulfil requirements for a PhD
James Michel Tchotet Tchoumi has become the latest FABIan to pass his PhD, fulfilling all the requirements for completing his degree. Michel’s study aimed to establish the identity and host range of Basidiomycetous wood-rot fungi associated with wood rot systems in the GRNP and lay a foundation on which to continue studies to determine the impact of selective harvesting and other anthropogenic impacts on these forests. The specific objectives of his study included assessing the diversity and host affinities of wood-rotting Basidiomycetes associated with declining native trees in timber-harvesting compartments in the GRNP.
26 Aug 2019
CTHB at FABI hosts delegation from the University of Venda
The DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) at the University of Pretoria hosted 28 undergraduate students and staff from the University of Venda (UniVen) on 22 August.
23 Aug 2019
Connecting with FABI friends in Sabah-Malaysia
Professor Mike Wingfield, Founder Director of FABI recently visited Sabah in Malaysia to continue work on tree diseases, especially the devastation that Ceratocytis manginecans has caused to Acacia mangium plantations in the area.
22 Aug 2019
Lori Eckhardt visits FABI
Long-time FABI-collaborator Prof. Lori Eckhardt visited the Institute during August as part of the ongoing research collaboration between FABI and Auburn University.
19 Aug 2019
FABIan highlights challenges to tree-planting initiatives in Malawi in an opinion piece
The 16 August edition of The Nation, a popular daily newspaper in Malawi, includes an opinion piece written by Rachel Mkandawire, a PhD candidate at FABI.
16 Aug 2019
FABI says farewell to Runlei Chang
FABIans gathered to say farewell to Dr RunLei Chang who is returning to China to take up a teaching post at the Shandong Normal University, JiNan City in the ShanDong Province.
15 Aug 2019
West African Science Leadership Programme launched
FABI and Founding-Future Africa Director Prof. Bernard Slippers attended the inaugural West Africa Science Leadership Programme (W-ASLP) leadership training workshop held in Accra, Ghana from 21-23 July.
14 Aug 2019
FABIan invited to write SCION Forest Health news article
FABI PhD candidate Mandy Messal was invited by SCION researchers Mr Andrew Pugh and (former FABIan) Dr Stuart Fraser to write a news article for the monthly SCION Forest Health Newsletter (SCION, New Zealand).
13 Aug 2019
Prof Robin Crewe draws FABIans into the intricacies of bee colonies
Professor Robin Crewe, a world-renowned expert on bees, presented a special seminar on the behaviour of individual members of a bee colony at FABI on 7 August.
12 Aug 2019
CTHB Outreach team participates in another National Science Week
The DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) Outreach Team in FABI geared up once again to participate in the 2019 National Science Week (NSW) which took place from 29 July to 2 August.
7 Aug 2019
A day-long visit to forests of Czech Republic with Prof. Libor Jankovsky
During his recent visit to Europe, Prof Mike Wingfield had the opportunity to meet with colleague Prof. Libor Jankowsky, Dean of Forestry at Mendel University in the Czech Republic.
6 Aug 2019
A brief forest pathology tour of south Estonia
As part of his participation in the 2019 International Forestry Students’ Symposium (IFSS), Prof. Mike Wingfield had the opportunity to visit forest pathology colleagues linked to the Estonian University of Life Sciences in Tartu.
5 Aug 2019
IUFRO President meets with international forestry students in Estonia
FABI Professor and IUFRO President Mike Wingfield participated in the first day of the two-week long International Forestry Student’s Symposium (IFSS) organised annually by the International Forestry Students’ Association (IFSA).
2 Aug 2019
FABI PhD candidate presents a special seminar on how Sirex noctilio sees colour
PhD candidate Quentin Guignard presented a special seminar on the visual system of the European woodwasp, Sirex noctilio, at FABI on 29 July.
1 Aug 2019
FABIans attend the 18th Congress on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions (MPMI)
The biennial Congress on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions (MPMI), hosted by the International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions took place from 14-18 July in Glasgow, Scotland.
30 Jul 2019
FABIans celebrate the prestige seminars of two cassava “musketeers”
FABIans celebrated two prestige seminars on 24 July. Both presentations cast the spotlight on challenges facing cassava-growing countries in Africa.
23 Jul 2019
Significant FABI presence at ESSA Congress
The 21st Congress of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa (ESSA) with the theme “Innovative Entomology” was held in Umhlanga in the KwaZulu-Natal Province from 8-11 July.
17 Jul 2019
FABIans celebrate Arista Fourie’s prestige seminar – the eighth in 2019
FABI congratulates Arista Fourie who fulfilled all the requirements for a PhD degree, the eighth FABIan to reach this milestone in 2019.
16 Jul 2019
Insects on the menu at the FABI Entomology Journal Club social
The Entomology Journal Club (EJC) in FABI is going strong with 25 enthusiastic members and record-breaking attendance at every meeting. This group of enthusiastic researchers meets once every two weeks and is always happy to welcome new members to discuss groundbreaking entomological research.
15 Jul 2019
Modelling Workshop hosted by FABI
FABI hosted a simulation modelling workshop led by two leaders in the field, Dr Serge Savary and Dr Laetitia Willocquet; both senior scientists at the AGIR Research unit of INRA’s Research Centre of Toulouse in France.
10 Jul 2019
FABIans enter the Magic Kingdom at SPOOF 2019
Disney’s Magic Kingdom welcomed FABIans for this year’s annual meeting of the Society for the Presentation of Outrageous Findings (SPOOF). The FABI Social Club worked tirelessly to transform Tuks Monate into a magical wonderland filled with fantastically dressed inhabitants.
9 Jul 2019
4 Jul 2019
FABIans attend the science “Oscars”
A team of ten FABIans including FABI Director Prof. Bernard Slippers attended the 21st annual gala dinner and awards ceremony of the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF). The event, commonly referred to as the “Science Oscars” was held at Emperors Palace on Thursday 27 June.
3 Jul 2019
Professor Mike Wingfield interviewed by China’s biggest daily newspaper
FABI founding Director and current IUFRO President, Professor Mike Wingfield was this past week interviewed by the China People’s Daily, China’s biggest newspaper group.
2 Jul 2019
Zander Myburg wins prestigious Forest Biotechnologist of the Year Award
Professor Zander Myburg, research leader of the Forest Molecular Genetics (FMG) Research Group in FABI was awarded the prestigious Biotechnologist of the Year Award by the Institute of Forest Biosciences (IFB).
2 Jul 2019
FABI Celebrates first publications by students
FABI celebrated the first publication of a paper in an ISI-rated scientific journal by four students in the TPCP and CTHB research groups at a publication party on 27 June.
1 Jul 2019
IFSA South Africa regional meeting in George
The South African Regional Meeting (SARM) of the International Forestry Students’ Association (IFSA) was held during the week of 24 June in George, which is home to the George (Forestry) campus of Nelson Mandela University (previously Saasveld).
27 Jun 2019
Looking into the eyes of the European woodwasp, Sirex noctilio
FABI PhD candidate Quentin Guignard recently returned from a three week visit to the University of Würzburg in Germany where he received training to operate an electroretinogram (ERG).