EPPI Team
Academic Staff and Research Leaders Total:1
Prof Sanushka NaidooExternal Research Associates Total:1
Ms Nomathemba MajolaProfessional Support Staff Total:3
Dr Ronishree Mangwanda
Ms Adri VealeBiochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology
Tissue culture and Plant Transformation Platform Manager
Dr Avhashoni ZwanePostdoctoral Fellows Total:3
Dr Myriam Solis
Dr Demissew Teshome
Dr Erik VisserDoctoral Students Total:2
Mr Lihan Esterhuizen
Ms Shae SwanepoelMasters Students Total:10
Mr Ryan Bosch
Ms Ruby May Ebbeling
Ms Bianca Hattingh
Ms Valencia Mogashoa
Mr Tebogo Molemela
Mr Tshoganyetso Motete
Mx Anicka Nel
Mr Sean Schultze
Mr Michal Slupski
Mr Bertus van RooyHonours Students Total:2
Mr Kaliwe Sindazi
Ms Itha WesselsNew Publications
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 
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
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
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
Oates C, Denby K, Myburg A, Slippers B, Naidoo S. (2020) Insect egg‐induced physiological changes and transcriptional reprogramming leading to gall formation. Plant, Cell & Environment
10.1111/pce.13930
Mhoswa L, O'Neill M, Makobatjatji MM, Oates CN, Payn KG, Slippers B, Myburg AA, Naidoo S. (2020) A Genome-Wide Association Study for resistance to the insect pest Leptocybe invasa in Eucalyptus grandis reveals genomic regions and positional candidate defence genes. Plant & Cell Physiology (pcaa057)
10.1093/pcp/pcaa057
du Toit Y, Coles DW, Mewalal R, Christie N, Naidoo S. (2020) eCALIBRATOR: A Comparative Tool to Identify Key Genes and Pathways for Eucalyptus Defense Against Biotic Stressors. Frontiers in Microbiology 11:216.
10.3389/fmicb.2020.00216
Messal M, Slippers B, Naidoo S, Bezuidt O, Kemler M. (2019) Active fungal communities in asymptomatic Eucalyptus grandis stems differ between a susceptible and resistant clone. Microorganisms 7(10):375.
10.3390/microorganisms7100375
Visser EA, Wegrzyn JL, Steenkamp ET, Myburg AA, Naidoo S. (2019) Dual RNA-Seq Analysis of the Pine-Fusarium circinatum Interaction in Resistant (Pinus tecunumanii) and Susceptible (Pinus patula) Hosts. Microorganisms 7:315.
10.3390/microorganisms7090315
Solís M, Salas A, Lagos C, Valenzuela S, Emhart V, Fernández M. (2019) De Novo Transcriptome Assembly of Eucalyptus nitens and the Expression of R2R3-MYB Genes in Response to Cold Acclimation in Eucalyptus Spp.. Plant Molecular Biology Reporter 37(4):376–388.
10.1007/s11105-019-01160-7
Naidoo S, Slippers B, Plett JM, Coles D, Oates CN. (2019) The road to resistance in forest trees. Frontiers in Plant Science 10:273.
10.3389/fpls.2019.00273
Backer R, Naidoo S, van den Berg N. (2019) The NONEXPRESSOR OF PATHOGENESIS-RELATED GENES 1 (NPR1) and Related Family: Mechanistic Insights in Plant Disease Resistance. Frontiers in Plant Science 10:102.
10.3389/fpls.2019.00102
Myriam Solís. 2019. Sensibilidad de Botrytis cinera a Switch en viveros forestales . Editorial academica española.
Visser EA, Wegrzyn JL, Myburg AA, Naidoo S. (2018) Defence transcriptome assembly and pathogenesis related gene family analysis in Pinus tecunumanii (low elevation). BMC Genomics 19:632.
10.1186/s12864-018-5015-0
Naidoo S, Christie N, Acosta JJ, Mphahlele MM, Payn KG, Myburg AA, Külheim C. (2018) Terpenes associated with resistance against the gall wasp, Leptocybe invasa, in Eucalyptus grandis. Plant, Cell & Environment 41(8):1840-1851.
10.1111/pce.13323
McTaggart AR, Shuey LS, Granados GM, du Plessis E, Fraser S, Barnes I, Naidoo S, Wingfield MJ, Roux J. (2018) Evidence that Austropuccinia psidii may complete its sexual life cycle on Myrtaceae. Plant Pathology 67:729-734.
10.1111/ppa.12763
Zwart L, Berger DK, Moleleki LN, Van der Merwe NA, Myburg AA, Naidoo S. (2017) Evidence for salicylic acid signalling and histological changes in the defence response of Eucalyptus grandis to Chrysoporthe austroafricana. Scientific Reports 7:45402.
10.1038/srep45402
Tobias PA, Christie N, Naidoo S, Guest DI, Külheim C. (2017) Identification of the Eucalyptus grandis chitinase gene family and expression characterization under different biotic stress challenges. Tree Physiology 37(5):565-582.
10.1093/treephys/tpx010
Marsberg A, Kemler M, Jami F, Nagel JH, Postma-Smidt A, Naidoo S, Wingfield MJ, Crous PW, Spatafora J, Hesse CN, Robbertse B, Slippers B. (2017) Botryosphaeria dothidea: A latent pathogen of global importance to woody plant health. Molecular Plant Pathology 18:477–488.
10.1111/mpp.12495
Oates CN, Denby KJ, Myburg AA, Slippers B, Naidoo S. (2016) Insect gallers and their plant hosts: From omics data to systems biology. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 17(11):1891.
10.3390/ijms17111891
Roux J, Granados GM, Shuey L, Barnes I, Wingfield MJ, McTaggart AR. (2016) A unique genotype of the rust pathogen, Puccinia psidii, on Myrtaceae in South Africa. Australasian Plant Pathology 45:645-652.
10.1007/s13313-016-0447-y