Ms Cassandra Schoeman
| PhD student | |
Department |
|
Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology |
|
| This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
Research Profiles
My Supervisor/s
| Primary Supervisor | |
| Eshchar Mizrachi | |
Co Supervisor |
|
| Tuan Duong |
I completed my BSc (Hons) in Genetics at the University of Pretoria, in the Tree Protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP) of FABI. My Honours project was titled “Effector proteins and their potential role in host specificity of Ceratocystis species”. The aim of this project was to determine if candidate effector proteins identified in two closely-related Ceratocystis species, C. fimbriata and C. manginecans, play a role in host specificity.
I am currently doing my Masters degree in Genetics, in the Forest Molecular Genetics (FMG) research group, under the primary supervision of Prof. Eshchar Mizrachi and co-supervision of Dr. Danielle Roodt. The title of my project is “Transcriptomic analysis of the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterial-cycad symbiosis”. The focus of this project is to investigate the interactions involved in forming this ancient symbiosis, a relationship that is absent from all other gymnosperms.
Current research
Conferences
The evolution of phosphorous-mining roots in Fynbos angiosperms
C. B. Schoeman, T. A. Doung, P. M. Maistry, Y. Van de Peer & E. Mizrachi
UP 2024 Plant Genomics and Evolution Symposium
University of Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa
2024
Oral presentation
Convergent co-option of plant nutrient and symbiosis genes in cycad-cyanobacterial symbioses
C. B. Schoeman, D. Roodt, D. Pinard, A. Blair, O. Bezuidt, T. Makhalanyane & E. Mizrachi
UP 2023 Plant Genome Evolution and Polyploidy Symposium
University of Pretoria
Pretoria, South Africa
2023
Oral presentation
The Encephalartos natalensis-cyanobacterial coralloid root partnership for nitrogen acquisition
C. B. Schoeman, D. Roodt, D. Pinard, A. Hammerbacher, T. Makhalanyane & E. Mizrachi
SASBi-SC/SAGS BIO2022 joint conference
Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study
Stellenbosch, South Africa
2022
Oral presentation
Scholarships
2022-2025: NRF-DAAD Doctoral Scholarship
2020-2021: UP Postgraduate Bursary for Masters and Doctoral students
2019: National Research Foundation (NRF) Grantholder-linked Bursary
My Journal Articles
| Publication |
|---|
| Chang J, Duong TA, Schoeman C, Ma X, Roodt D, Barker N, Li Z, Van de Peer V, Mizrachi E. (2023) The Genome of the King Protea, Protea cynaroides. The Plant Journal 113:262-276.
10.1111/tpj.16044 |