Ms Wilma Nel



PhD student

Department
FABI
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Research Profiles

My Files

My Supervisor/s

Primary Supervisor
Tuan Duong

Co Supervisor
Wilhelm de Beer
Mike Wingfield

I completed my undergraduate BSc. Microbiology degree in 2014 at the University of Pretoria. I then continued at the University of Pretoria and completed my BSc. (Hons) Microbiology degree in 2015 under the supervision of Prof. Wilhelm de Beer and Dr. Tuan Duong at FABI. The work I was doing during my honours project focussed on bettering our understanding of seemingly fungicolous Ophiostomatalean species. During this work we isolated single cultures from Ophiostoma-like fruiting bodies occurring on aged Termitomyces combs, cultivated by fungus-growing termites. After phylogenetic analysis was performed on these isolates, we found that they likely represent new Ophiostoma species that we are currently in the process of describing for publication.

 

In 2016, I started my MSc. Microbiology degree still at FABI under the primary supervision of Prof. Wilhelm de Beer along with a co-supervisory panel consisting of Dr. Tuan Duong, Prof. Mike Wingfield, Prof. Brenda Wingfield, and Dr. Almuth Hammerbacher. The focus of my MSc project is on the plant pathogen Thielaviopsis basicola (Microascales:Ceratocystidaceae). This fungus causes the disease commonly known as black root rot on many plant species and has posed serious problems to some agricultural industries. The largest part of my research is currently focussed on the taxonomy and phylogenetics of the species, but it also includes aspects such as mating behaviour, pathogenicity and population biology. 

Memberships

South African Society for Plant Pathology (SASPP)

South African Society for Systematic Biology (SASSB)

International Mycological Association (IMA)

The Mycological Society of America (MSA)

South African Association of Botanists (SAAB)

African Mycological Association (AMA)

 

Conferences

Presentations

50th Anniversary Congress of the South African Society of Plant Pathology (SASPP) 2017

Title: Multigene sequence analyses reveal a new genus and a new species in a globally important, multi-host root pathogen

Authors: W.J. Nel, T.A. Duong, B.D. Wingfield, M.J. Wingfield, Z.W. de Beer

South African Society for Systematic Biology (SASSB) 2017

Title: Multigene sequence data reveals that the root rot pathogen Thielaviopsis basicola constitutes two sister species in a new genus

Authors: W.J. Nel, T.A. Duong, B.D. Wingfield, M.J. Wingfield, Z.W. de Beer

South African Association of Botanists (SAAB) Conference 2018

Cryptic heterothallic mating system discovered in the important root pathogens previously known as Thielaviopsis basicola (Award: Best lightning presentation)

Authors: W.J. Nel, T.A. Duong, A. Hammerbacher, B.D. Wingfield, M.J. Wingfield, Z.W. de Beer

Posters

50th Anniversary Congress of the SASPP (2017)

Title: Fungiculous species of Ophiostomatales, including three new species from  Termitomyces fungus combs

Authors: W.J. Nel, T.A. Duong, M. Poulsen, D. Aanen, S. Vreebrug, Z.W. de Beer

The 29th Fungal Genetics Conference 2017

Title: The important root rot pathogen Thielaviopsis basicola shown to be heterothallic

Authors: W.J. Nel, T.A. Duong, B.D. Wingfield, M.J. Wingfield, A. Hammerbacher, Z.W. de Beer

XIX International Botanical Congress 2017

Title: A new genus and sister species described for the globally important, multi-host root pathogen, Thielaviopsis basicola

Authors: W.J. Nel, T.A. Duong, B.D. Wingfield, M.J. Wingfield, Z.W. de Beer

Genome Research Institute (GRI) Symposium 2017

Genome sequencing reveals the root pathogens, previously known as Thielaviopsis basicola, to possess the genes required for heterothallic mating

Authors: W.J. Nel, T.A. Duong, A. Hammerbacher, B.D. Wingfield, M.J. Wingfield, Z.W. de Beer

SAAB Conference 2018

A new genus and sister species for the globally important, multi-host root pathogen, Thielaviopsis basicola (Award: Runner-up best poster)

Authors: W.J. Nel, T.A. Duong, B.D. Wingfield, M.J. Wingfield, Z.W. de Beer

International Mycological Congress (IMC) 2018

Taxonomy and mating strategy of Thielaviopsis basicola, a globally important pathogen of agricultural crops

Authors: W.J. Nel, T.A. Duong, A. Hammerbacher, B.D. Wingfield, M.J. Wingfield, Z.W. de Beer

Co-authored contributions

Combined Congress of the Entomological and Zoological Societies of Southern Africa (ESSA/ZSSA) 2017

Title: A survey of entomopathogenic Beauveria spp. in South African plantations

Auhtors: Z.W. de Beer, H. de Bruin, W.J. Nel, B. Slippers

SAAB Conference 2018

First report of the polyphagous shothole borer (PHSB) and its fungal symbiont in South Africa

Authors: T. Paap, Z.W. De Beer, D. Migliorini, W.J. Nel, M.J. Wingfield

Subspecies of the Dutch Elm Disease fungus cannot be distinguished based on multigene sequences

Authors: F. Mthunzi, R. Chang, W.J. Nel, Z.W. de Beer

My Galeries

Berkeleyomyces

My Journal Articles

Export to RIS
Publication
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 122(11):1031-1040. 10.1016/j.funbio.2018.08.006
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 PDF
Paap T, de Beer ZW, Migliorini D, Nel W, Wingfield MJ. (2018) The polyphagous shot hole borer (PSHB) and its fungal symbiont Fusarium euwallaceae: a new invasion in South Africa. Australasian Plant Pathology 10.1007/s13313-018-0545-0 PDF
Nel WJ, Duong TA, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ, De Beer ZW. (2018) A new genus and species for the globally important, multi-host root pathogen Thielaviopsis basicola. Plant Pathology 67:871-882. 10.1111/ppa.12803