FABI had the pleasure of hosting Prof. Yuichi Takikawa (Shizuoka University), Dr Kazutaka Kido (Shizuoka University), Dr Ayako Furutani (Ibaraki University) and Dr Koji Azegami (NARO Institute of Vegetable and Tea Science) for three days during the past week. Prof. Takikawa and his colleagues have a joint bilateral collaborative project with Profs Teresa Coutinho and Stephanus Venter’s Phytobacteriology Research group in FABI. The research focuses on determining the genetic diversity of a population of Pantoea ananatis strains from different hosts and geographical locations. A research symposium was hosted and the group was joined by Mr Shigeki Omura and Ms Tamami Yoshimoto from the Japanese Embassy in South Africa. The meetings were very successful and FABI looks forward to expanding the collaborations in the foreseeable future.
Photo: (Back) Dr Azegami, Prof. Takikawa, Prof. Coutinho, Prof. Venter. (Front) Dr. Furutani and Dr. Kido.