I joined FABI in 2021 during my BSc Hons Microbiology degree under the supervision of Professor Emma T. Steenkamp and co-supervision of Professor Brenda D. Wingfield, after completing a dual major BSc Genetics and Microbiology undergraduate degree in 2020. My honours research, conducted within the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Plant Health Biotechnology (CPHB) and the Tree Protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP), focused on developing a CRISPR-Cas9 mediated gene knockout system to functionally characterize virulence genes in Fusarium circinatum.
For my MSc in Microbiology, I expanded on my CRISPR work and successfully integrated a CRISPR-Cas13 transcript editing system in Fusarium circinatum—the first report of this system in a filamentous fungus. This achievement demonstrated the feasibility of RNA-targeting CRISPR applications in fungal research and provided a foundation for future transcriptome engineering approaches.
For my PhD, my research focuses on optimizing genetic transformation systemsand developingnovel molecular diagnosticsfor F. circinatum. This includes the development of amarker-free selection system using PyrG to improve genetic transformation efficiency, as well as a comparative analysis of CRISPR-Cas9 and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation methods in F. circinatum. Additionally, I am exploring the application of a CRISPR-Cas13 system as an in-field molecular diagnostic tool, aiming to improve rapid and accurate detection of this pathogen.
My work contributes to advancing fungal genetic engineering methodologies and enhancing disease management strategies in forestry through improved diagnostic technologies
Marx B, van Dijk A, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. (2026) Breaking the mould: Cellulose in the cell walls of the Ophiostomatales. Fungal Biology Reviews 10.1016/j.fbr.2026.100489
van Dijk A, Wilson AM, Marx B, Hough B, Swalarsk-Parry BS, De Vos L, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD, Steenkamp ET. (2025) CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing reveals that the Pgs gene of Fusarium circinatum is involved in pathogenicity, growth and sporulation.. Fungal Genetics and Biology 10.1016/j.fgb.2025.103970
Wilson A, van Dijk A, Marx B, du Plessis D, Terblanche G, Bornman S, Wilken PM, Duong TA, De Fine Licht HH, Wingfield BD. (2025) Extracting Protoplasts from Filamentous Fungi Using Extralyse, An Enzyme Used in the Wine Industry. Current Protocols 10.1002/cpz1.70122
Aylward J, Wilson AM, Visagie CM, Spraker J, Barnes I, Buitendag C, Ceriani C, Del Mar Angel L, du Plessis D, Fuchs T, Gasser, K, Krämer D, Li W, Munsamy K, Piso A, Price J-L, Sonnekus B, Thomas C, van der Nest A, van Dijk A, van Heerden A, van Vuuren N, Yilmaz N, Duong TA, van der Merwe NA, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. (2024) IMA Genome – F19: A genome assembly and annotation guide to empower mycologists, including annotated draft genome sequences of Ceratocystis pirilliformis, Diaporthe australafricana, Fusarium ophioides, Paecilomyces lecythidis, and Sporothrix stenoceras. IMA Fungus 10.1186/s43008-024-00142-z