FMG Team
Academic Staff and Research Leaders Total:2
Prof Eshchar Mizrachi
Prof Sanushka NaidooExternal Research Associates Total:1
Dr Steven HusseyProfessional Support Staff Total:12
Dr Zelda Du Toit-Boshoff
Ms Grieta Mahlangu
Dr Ronishree Mangwanda
Ms Tersia Moabelo
Ms Tsholofelo Modise
Ms Patience Motaung
Ms Aysha Ndou
Ms Thandeka Ngondo
Ms Melissa ReynoldsBiochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology
Precision Tree Breeding Platform Manager
DNA Fingerprinting Platform Manager
Ms Doleen Sehlabane
Ms Nasiphi Siguca
Ms Adri VealeBiochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology
Tissue culture and Plant Transformation Platform Manager
Senior Research Assistant
Industry Secondments Total:1
Dr Marja O'NeillPostdoctoral Fellows Total:2
Dr Myriam Solis
Dr Demissew TeshomeDoctoral Students Total:8
Ms Nkosikhona Hlatshwayo
Mr Sung Hyu Luke Kim
Ms Nadine Kleinhans
Ms Anneri Lötter
Mr Nganea Nangammbi
Ms Ipeleng Randome
Ms Mary Ranketse
Ms Shae SwanepoelMasters Students Total:7
Mr Ryan Bosch
Ms Ruby May Ebbeling
Mr Thembela Lulane
Mx Anicka Nel
Mr Bernard Smit
Ms Hannah Tate
Mr Mondli XabaHonours Students Total:1
Ms Anmari van Buuren New Publications
Solís M, Hammerbacher A, Wingfield M.J, Naidoo S. (2025) Enhancing plantation forest sustainability: A review of Eucalyptus defence mechanisms to foliar fungal pathogens. Current Forestry Reports
10.1007/s40725-024-00243-3
Teshome DT, Zharare GE, Ployet R, Naidoo S. (2024) Molecular mechanisms underlying tree host-pathogen interactions under drought stress and subsequent rewatering in Eucalyptus grandis. Plant Stress
10.1016/j.stress.2024.100697
Solís M, Naidoo S, Wingfield MJ, Joubert J, Hammerbacher A. (2024) First line of defence: Eucalyptus leaf waxes influence infection by an aggressive fungal leaf pathogen. Plant Biology
10.1111/plb.13707
Backer R, Naidoo S, van den Berg N. (2023) The expression of the NPR1-dependent defense response pathway genes in Persea americana (Mill.) following infection with Phytophthora cinnamomi. BMC Plant Biology 23(1):548.
10.1186/s12870-023-04541-z 
Takawira LT, Mounet F, Mizrachi E, Myburg AA, Grima-Pettenati J, Rai A, Dupas A, Ladouce N, Christie N, San Clemente H, Thulloch J, Ployet R, Bachir H, Hussey SG. (2023) Functional investigation of five R2R3-MYB transcription factors associated with wood development in Eucalyptus using DAP-seq-ML. Plant Molecular Biology 113:33-57.
10.1007/s11103-023-01376-y
Anneri Lötter, Tuan A Duong, Julia Candotti, Eshschar Mizrachi, Jill L Wegrzyn, Alexander A Myburg. (2023) Haplogenome assembly reveals structural variation in Eucalyptus interspecific hybrids. GigaScience 12
10.1093/gigascience/giad064
Swanepoel S, Visser EA, Shuey SS, Naidoo S. (2023) The In Planta Gene Expression of Austropuccinia psidii in Resistant and Susceptible Eucalyptus grandis. Phytopathology 113(6):1066-1076.
10.1094/PHYTO-07-22-0257-R
Solís M, Hammerbacher A, Wingfield MJ, Naidoo S. (2023) A robust disease scoring method to screen Eucalyptus for resistance against the aggressive leaf blight pathogen, Teratosphaeria destructans. Plant Disease:1418 - 1424.
10.1094/PDIS-06-22-1347-RE
Teshome DT, Zharare GE, Ployet R, Naidoo S. (2023) Transcriptional reprogramming during recovery from drought stress in Eucalyptus grandis. Tree Physiology
10.1093/treephys/tpad022
Candotti J, Christie N, Ployet R, Mostert-O’Neill MM, Reynolds SM, Neves LG, Naidoo S, Mizrachi E, Duong TA, Myburg AA. (2023) Haplotype mining panel for genetic dissection and breeding in Eucalyptus. The Plant Journal 113:174-185.
10.1111/tpj.16026
Swanepoel S, Visser E, Shuey L, Naidoo S. (2023) The In Planta Gene Expression of Austropuccinia psidii in Resistant and Susceptible Eucalyptus grandis. PHYTOPATHOLOGY
10.1094/PHYTO-07-22-0257-R
Visser EA, Kampmann TP, Wegrzyn JL, Naidoo S. (2022) Multispecies comparison of host responses to Fusarium circinatum challenge in tropical pines show consistency in resistance mechanisms. Plant, Cell & Environment 46(5):1705-1725.
10.1111/pce.14522
Solís M, Wingfield MJ, Hammerbacher A, Naidoo S. (2022) Comparison of the infection biology of Teratosphaeria destructans and Teratosphaeria epicoccoides on Eucalyptus. Plant Disease
10.1094/PDIS-09-21-1877-RE
Messal M, Vivas M, Kemler M, Begerow D, Brachmann A, Witfeld F, Naidoo S, Slippers B. (2022) Fungal Communities of Eucalyptus grandis Leaves Are Influenced by the Insect Pest Leptocybe invasa. Frontiers in Microbiology 13(3:841621)
10.3389/fmicb.2022.841621
Ranketse M, Hefer CA, Pierneef R, Fourie G, Myburg AA. (2022) Genetic diversity and population structure analysis reveals the unique genetic composition of South African selected macadamia accessions. Tree Genetics and Genomes 18(15):12.
10.1007/s11295-022-01543-0
Karannagoda N, Spokevicius A, Hussey SG, Cassan-Wang H, Grima-Pettenati J, Bossinger B. (2022) Eucalyptus grandis AUX/INDOLE‑3‑ACETIC ACID 13 (EgrIAA13) is a novel transcriptional regulator of xylogenesis. Plant Molecular Biology
10.1007/s11103-022-01255-y
Hussey SG. 2022. Transcriptional regulation of secondary cell wall formation and lignification. In: Advances in Botanical Research. Academic Press, Cambridge, MA, pp .
Jackson C, Christie N, Reynolds SM, Marais GC, Tii-kuzu Y, Caballero M, Kampman T, Visser EA, Naidoo S, Kain D, Whetten RW, Isik F, Wegrzyn J, Hodge GR, Acosta JJ, Myburg AA. (2021) A genome- wide SNP genotyping resource for tropical pine tree species. Molecular Ecology Resources
10.1111/1755-0998.13484
Swanepoel S, Oates CN, Shuey SS, Pegg GS, Naidoo S. (2021) Transcriptome analysis of Eucalyptus grandis implicates brassinosteroid signaling in defense against myrtle rust (Austropuccinia psidii). Frontiers in Forests and Global Change 4(200):778611.
10.3389/ffgc.2021.778611
Teshome DT, Zharare GE, Naidoo S. (2020) The threat of the combined effect of biotic and abiotic stress factors in forestry under a changing climate. Frontiers in Plant Science
10.3389/fpls.2020.601009