Prof Bitty Roy from the Institute of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Oregon, is on a two day visit to FABI, where she will also present a special seminar. Apart from presenting the seminar, Bitty made time for individual and group discussions with several staff members and students in FABI, which were both enjoyable and enlightening.
It is with great sadness that we heard of the untimely death of Dr. Below a list of publications co-authored by Robert and colleagues in FABI: De Beer ZW, Begerow D, Bauer R, Pegg GS, Crous PW, Wingfield MJ. Schäfer AM, Kemler M, Bauer R, Begerow D. Begerow D, Schäfer AM, Kellner R, Yurkov A, Kemler M, Oberwinkler F, Bauer R.
The Spring Graduation Ceremony of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science took place on Thursday 4 September. PhD Dr Bertha-Lucia de Castro - Diseases of coffee with particular references to those affecting stems and roots in Colombia Dr Nanette Christie - Transcriptional regulation underlying the quantitative genetic response of maize to grey leaf spot disease Dr Steven Hussey - Functional genomics of NAC transcription factor SND2 regulating secondary cell wall biosynthesis in Arabidopsis and Eucalyptus Dr Matome Makgopa - Production and characterization of trangenic Arabidopsis and soybean (Glycine max (L. Dr Celia Martins - Characterizing four cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L. Dr Michael Mbenoun - Diversity, ecology and taxonomy of tree infecting Ceratocystis species in Africa Dr Divine Shyntum - Characterising the Type VI secretion system in Pantoea ananatis MSc (* with distinction) *Marike du Plessis - Phylo- and comparative genomics of the Pantoea core genome *Arista Fourie - Distinguishing between cryptic species in the Ceratocystis fimbriata sensu lato species complex Tracy Godlonton - Mating locus structure and a gene duplication in Ceratocystis species *Miekie Haasbroek - Characterization of Exserohilum turcicum isolates within South African maize production areas Mkhululi Maphosa - Identification of unique genes in the genome of Fusarium circinatum and the development of a robust diagnostic technique using these sequences Dora Ngoepe - Genotyping-by-sequencing of sweet-stem and grain sorghum for genetic mapping *Desre Pinard - Genome-wide analysis of carbohydrate active enzyme diversity and expression in Eucalyptus grandis *Anandi Reitmann - ldentification of pathogenicity genes in Phytophthora cinnamomi Rynhard Smit - Evaluation of Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA and Simple Sequence Repeat markers in Moringa oleifera (Iam. Ariska van der Nest - Comparative study of Epicoccum sorghinum in southern Africa Ida van Jaarsveld - Basal prometer landscape in Eucalyptus grandis: Annotation of distal transcription start sites and core prometer usage *Febe Wilken - Establishment of a compatible pathosystem between Eucalyptus nitens and Phytophthora cinnamomi to determine host transcriptional responses *Amy Wooding - Sex determination and symbiont transmission in the Sirex-Amylostereum mutualism More photos of the graduation in the gallery.
The 1st of September traditionally heralds the arrival of Spring in South Africa.
During the past week the first National Research Foundation (NRF) ratings for 2014 were released.
Every year the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD), in partnership with the Innovation Hub and strategic partners, hosts the Biotech Fundi awards. The 2014 awards were held at a gala dinner at the Innovation Hub precinct, on Thursday night 21 Aug. - Gauteng University registered Post Graduate Student - Excellent academic performance, (80% or more average academic marks) - Research that will lead to biotechnology knowledge, product or service (according to OECD definition) - Cutting edge research addressing a national priority challenge Steven was awarded a Biotech Fundi globe trophy, a certificate, a R5 000 cash prize, course attendance and training at DNAbiotec to the value of R10 000, and a trip to attend the Agricultural Bioscience International Conference (ABIC2014) in Saskatoon, Canada, in October 2014. Another FABIan, Drew Behrens (Bottom photo), won top student award among the 10 UP students who received GDARD bursaries in 2013. FABI also congratulates UP researcher Prof.
The second beginners microscopy course for 2014 was hosted on 15 August in the FABI microscope room.
Members of the MPPI group (Prof Dave Berger, Ncobile Kunene, Elelwani Ramulifho) went out of their comfort zone recently to attend a workshop in Pietermaritzburg on “The role of technology and research in improving food security of smallholders and emerging farmers”, organized by the KwaZulu-Natal Agricultural Union (KWANALU) and the University of Missouri (MU), USA. The workshop was highly inclusive with talks by the farmers themselves on their experiences, as well as NGO’s, GrainSA, commercial farmers, seed companies, Universities, ARC, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, including the MEC, and even a TV journalist from Ghana. Photos (Top) Prof Dave Berger with the KWANALU and University of Missouri team (Bottom) MPPI members with some of the local maize farmers
Drs Cristina Marques and Catarina Gonclaves visited FABI from 12 to 13 August to discuss future collaborations with FABI's Forest Molecular Genetics (FMG) and Tree Protection Cooperative Programme (TPCP). Photos Top: Drs Catarina Gonclaves and Cristina Marques (2nd and 3rd from left) with staff from FABI Biocontrol Centre (left to right: Ms Samantha Bush, Mrs Marlene Harney and Mr Joseph Khadile) Bottom: Prof Mike Wingfield, Drs Catarina Gonclaves and Cristina Marques, Prof Bernard Slippers, Drs Jeff Garnas and Brett Hurley.
In this free webinar for researchers at the University of Pretoria, Prof Zander Myburg and Marja O'Neill of the Forest Molecular Genetics (FMG) research group in FABI, will give a short presentation on "High-throughput SNP genotyping for marker assisted breeding in Eucalyptus. Date: Thursday, August 14th Time: 2:00 PM SAST, 60 minutes Venue: your office You can register online here.
During the past week 15 FABIans, several ex-FABIans, and many collaborators of FABI participated in the 10th International Mycological Congress (IMC) in Bangkok, Thailand. For many of the FABIans attending IMC10, it was their first visit to Bangkok, an exciting, interesting city of contrasts. INVITED SPEAKER 3. ORAL PRESENTATIONS (*Presentations by individuals from elsewhere, where FABIans were co-authors) 3. 4. 4. 5. *6. *8. *SS3 Draginja Pavlic-Zupanc (ARC-PPRI, Pretoria) - Cryptic diversity and distribution of phytopathogenic species in the Neofusicoccum parvum / N. SS3 Irene Barnes - New invasions of the needle blight pathogen Dothistroma septosporum in Colombia *SS3 Yuho Ando - Phylogenetic relationships in the Grosmannia piceiperda complex SS6 Stephen Taerum - Origin and diversity of the fungus Leptographium procerum associated with the red turpentine beetle in China SS7 Riikka Linnakoski - Phylogenetic relationships between species in the Ophiostoma clavatum complex POSTER PRESENTATIONS (*Presentations by individuals from elsewhere, where FABIans were co-authors) 2. 2. 3. *3. *3. 3. 4. 4. 5. 5. 5. *5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. *6. 8.
The 10th International Mycological Congress (IMC) is currently (3-8 August) taking place in Bangkok, Thailand. The first keynote speaker of the meeting was Prof Pedro Crous, extraordinary professor at the University of Pretoria and director of the CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre in the Netherlands, with the topic "Linking life". In the background to the scientific sessions, other significant meetings are taking place. A full programme of the meeting can be viewed here, and the abstracts are available in the attached pdf.
The 18th annual meeting of the Epsilon Chapter of the Society for the Presentation of Outrageous Findings (SPOOF) was held in FABI on Friday the 25th of July. See more photographs and a sample of video clips in our galleries.
In May 2013 the Myrtle rust pathogen, Puccinia psidii, was detected for the first time in South Africa (on a non-native, ornamental tree, Myrtus communis). The second confirmed report of P. We encourage all foresters, conservation workers, farmers and any interested person, especially in the Wolkberg/Tzaneen areas, to keep their eyes open for the Myrtle rust pathogen. If you think that you have seen the disease, or need more information on it, please contact Prof Jolanda Roux at FABI immediately.
A team of researchers linked to the Tree Protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP) at FABI attended the biennial Forest Science Symposium held at Hilton College in the Natal Midlands on the 29th and 30th July. The photograph shows (Clockwise from top) Iain Thompson (consultant), Julian Chan (ICFR), Craig Norris (NCT), Bernard Slippers (TPCP/FABI), Jolanda Roux (TPCP/FABI) and Andrew Morris (ICFR) in a meeting to discuss opportunities to control the new Acacia mearnsii rust disease that appeared in plantations for the first time in 2014.
Teddy Amuge, Esther Masumba and Inosters Nzuki are PhD students registered at the University of Pretoria but based at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Kenya. Photo L-R (Back) Prof Zander Myburg, Dr Albe van der Merwe, Dr Morag Ferguson, Melissa Reynolds, Prof Dave Berger.
Tondani Kone, one of the students in the TPCP programme, just heard that he passed his MSc.
Marike du Plessis received the results of her MSc thesis examination last week.
This morning at the Monday Morning Meeting, Prof Mike Wingfield, director of FABI, welcomed and introduced Ms Kabelo Nzima to FABIans. Tel. E-mail: kabelo. Office: Merensky Library, Level 5 Photo: Mike Wingfield introducing Kabelo Nzima to FABI staff and students
Earlier this year, we reported here on a book on mushroom stamps collected by the late Prof Wally Marasas, that was published by CBS in the Netherlands with Prof Mike Wingfield as co-author.
This week Ariska van der Nest received the reports of her MSc examiners which were very positive about her thesis, and informing her that she passed with a good mark.
UP with Science – What did your steak have for lunch? This year the annual science enrichment program, UP with Science, that takes place during the winter school holidays, was a great success. The Plant Science Department hosted one of the projects entitled, “What did your steak have for lunch? The conclusion at the end of the project was that GMO food is a reality and a dire need in the world to feed all the hungry people. The project was led by Johan Liversage and his team at the Plant Science Department, that consisted of Ncobile Kunene, Kirsty Botha, Molly Malefo, Tintswalo Maluleke and Tshepang Khahlu. - information provided by Johan Liversage Photos The Plant Science group in the laboratory - (Back) Thabang, Rian, Lexi, (Front) Jeanette, Mathabang. The group outside the SciEnza centre.
Several newspapers published feature articles on the NSTF awards of last week, where Prof Brenda Wingfield won an award for her outstanding contribution to science, engineering, technology and innovation (SETI) through research capacity development over the last five to ten years.
During the past week Dr Lucy Moleleki, leader of the Bacterial Genomics and Host Pathogen Interactions research group in FABI, was informed by the editor of the British based journal, Plant Pathology, that a photograph from a paper by one of her students, Eddy Onkendi, has been selected to feature on the cover of the August 2014 issue.
On Thursday Nanette Christie (née Coetzer) gave her PhD prestige seminar and subsequently passed her PhD oral examination. Coetzer N, Myburg AA, Berger DK.
FABI was once again in the limelight at last night's 2013/14 NSTF-BHP Billiton gala dinner and awards ceremony. Read more on Brenda's award in today's Mail and Guardian or look at the complete list of winners in the NSTF-BHP Billiton Awards eNewsletter (attached). Photo: Prof Wingfield with her trophy, together with Dr Steve Lennon (left), group executive of Eskom, and Minister Naledi Pandor of the Department Science and Technology (right).
The Tree Protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP) in FABI has a 25 year long history of close collaboration with members of the South African Forestry Industry.
Six faculty and student members of the Centre of Excellence for Tree Health Biotechnology traveled to the University of Venda the week of 22 June, and then north to the Tshikundamalema region of the Limpopo province.
On Friday Steven Hussey presented his PhD prestige seminar that was followed by his oral examination. Photo: Steven just after presenting his Prestige Seminar together with his external examiner, Prof Carl Douglas (left), and his supervisors, Prof Zander Myburgh and Dr Eshchar Mizrachi (far right). PUBLICATIONS Hussey SG, Mizrachi E, Creux NM, Myburg AA. Hussey SG, Mizrachi E, Spokevicius AV, Bossinger G, Berger DK, Myburg M. Myburg AA, Grattapglia D, Tuskan GA, Hellsten U, Hayes RD, Grimwood J, Jenkins J, Lindquist E, Tice H, Bauer D, Goodstein DM, Dubchak I, Poliakov A, Mizrachi E, Kullan ARK, Hussey SG, Pinard D, Van der Merwe K, Singh P, et al.
Since the establishment of FABI in 1998, the institute has been involved in various collaborations with China and Chinese scholars. Over the years, FABI's involvement in China has also been generously supported by both the Chinese and South African governments (via the National Research Foundation). Photos Top: Prof Mike Wingfield welcomes Counselor Wei Huang (left) and Second Secretary HongBo Ren (right) of the Division Science and Technology at the Chinese Embassy, to FABI. Bottom: (Back row) Dr Shuaifei Chen (Chinese leader of the CFTPP at CERC, China, and honorory lecturer in FABI), Ms Feifei Liu (PhD Student), Mr Mingliang Yin (PhD student), Mr Runlei Chang (PhD student), Mr Stephen Taerum (Phd Student), MS Gabrielle Carstensen (PhD student), Mr HongBo Ren, Dr Wilhelm de Beer (Leader of Chinese projects in FABI).
During a recent visit to Shanghai, China, team members of FABI who attended the 13th International Conference on Plant Pathogenic Bacteria (ICPPB), also made use of the opportunity to visit the offices of FuturaGene Biotechnology, a company specializing in genetically enhanced woody crops for plantations and biofuels. Photo: Profs Xudong Zhou, Ian Toth, Teresa Coutinho, Fanus Venter and Dr James Zhang.
Several staff and student members of FABI attended the 13th International Conference on Plant Pathogenic Bacteria (ICPPB) that was held in Shanghai, China, from the 8th to 13th June 2014. ORAL PRESENTATIONSCarstensen GD, Venter SN, Chen SF, Wingfield MJ, Coutinho TA. Du Plessis M, Steenkamp ET, Coetzee MPA, Coutinho TA, Venter SN. Mosina G, Tanui C, Coutinho T, Moleleki L. Sibanda S, Shyntum D, Theron J, Coutinho TA. POSTERSCarstensen GD, Venter SN, Wingfield MJ, Coutinho TA. Sibanda S, Pretorius R, Moleleki L, Theron J, Coutinho TA. Weller-Stuart T, Toth I, Theron J, Coutinho TA. Shin G, Coutinho TA, Venter SN. PHOTOFrom left to right: Phattie Sibanda, Fanus Venter, Tania Weller-Stuart, Teresa Coutinho, Gabrielle Carstensen, and Lucy Moleleki.
On 19 June 2013 a correspondence piece, entitled Young scientists: Public engagement should start early, written by Prof Bernard Slippers of FABI, was published in Nature. Is it pure coincidence then that one year later, on June 19th 2014, a meeting was called in FABI with the improvement of science communication as its theme? 1) The presentation of science communication workshops by PUB officials to FABI staff and students. The meeting has certainly served to enthuse the FABIans present to become more involved in science communication, and we look forward to collaborating with PUB to achieve this goal. Photo: Attendees of the FABI-PUB meeting about science cummunication.
We congratulate Prof Zander Myburg and several other members of the FMG (Forest Molecular Genetics) Research Group in FABI with the publication of the first full research article from FABI to appear in the prestigious journal Nature. Eucalyptus grandis is one of the most widely planted commercial forestry crops globally and is grown mainly for timber, pulp and paper production, but increasingly also for “chemical cellulose” – a form of pure cellulose that is used in a wide variety of industrial products from textiles to pharmaceuticals. The project to sequence the Eucalyptus grandis genome involved 80 researchers from 30 institutions across 18 countries. South Africa’s Department of Science and Technology (DST), together with forestry companies Sappi and Mondi, supported Prof Myburg and his team by funding the construction of the genome map used as a scaffold for genome assembly, as well as the sequencing of expressed genes used for annotation of the genome. Photo: A Eucalyptus grandis tree and the University of Pretoria authors on the Nature article. Other publications from the FMG group related to the Eucalyptus genome can be viewed here.
As her thesis title states, Amy's project investigated the “Sex determination and symbiont transmission in the Sirex-Amylostereum mutualism”. For her experimental chapters she worked on collections from two distinct regions. The second and third research chapters of Amy’s MSc focused on South African populations of S. Through this thesis Amy made an exceptional contribution to the knowledge in the field. We congratulate Amy and wish her well for her PhD at Auburn University in the USA. Supervisors: Bernard Slippers, Jaco Greeff, Brett Hurley, Jeff Garnas, Mike Wingfield
