29 Jul 2015

FABI joins 110th anniversary of the SA National Collection of Fungi

Several FABIans joined in celebrating of the 110th anniversary of the South African National Fungi Collection (PREM). An open day was arranged to mark the anniversary and included a number of presentations by South African mycologists on their contributions to the National Collection of Fungi (NCF) and their knowledge of South African fungal biodiversity. Guests were welcomed by the Curator of the National Collection of Fungi (PREM), Dr Riaana Jacobs, who did her PhD some years ago at FABI. Visitors were given a tour of the Fungarium and shown type specimens of fungi, several supplied by FABI during their long association. Today PREM has more than 61000 specimens and 18000 living cultures dating back to the 1800s.

28 Jul 2015

FMG hosts high level delegation

The Forest Molecular Genetics (FMG) Programme and FABI hosted a visit by a high level delegation, welcoming representatives from several Government departments and industry associations. The FMG Programme is one of the flagship genomics platforms funded by the Department of Science and Technology's (DST) Biotechnology Programme and the visit gave all delegates first hand insight into the research being conducted by the FMG at FABI. The delegates included the Deputy Director General: Technology Innovation of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Dr Mmboneni Muofhe as well as senior representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), the University of Pretoria, Forestry South Africa, Sappi, the ARC and GrainSA. The DST is currently identifying suitable research platforms to fund under the new Bio-Economy Strategy and the FMG’s partnership is held up as one of the most successful partnering of University (academia), industry and Government institutions to conduct world-class scientific research. The guests were welcomed by the University of Pretoria’s Vice Principal for Institutional Planning, Prof Anton Ströh, while the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences was represented by the Deputy Dean of Research and Postgraduate Studies, Prof. FMG Director, Prof.

27 Jul 2015

FABIans present at plant pathology congress in Mexico

The 2015 Plant Pathology Joint Meeting: LV American Phytopathological Society-Caribbean Division (APS-CD); XVIII Latin American Phytopathological Association (ALF) and; XVII International Congress and XLII National Congress of the Mexican Society, was held in Mexico City, D. The four-strong South African contingency (see photo) at the congress included past and present Fabians, Profs Pedro Crous and Terry Aveling, as well as Drs Ewald Groenewald and Lorenzo Lombard. Terry Aveling: "Advances in seed treatment technology" Pedro Crous: "Are cryptic species real? Lorenzo Lombard: "Generic concepts in Nectriaceae" Ewald Groenewald: "Barcoding quarantine fungi: Lessons from the European QBOL project and Q-bank database"

27 Jul 2015

Celebrating the outrageous at SPOOF 2015

The 19th annual meeting of the Society for the Presentation of Outrageous Findings (SPOOF) was held at Uitspan on the LC de Villiers sports ground of the University of Pretoria on July 24. Themed: "If I never became a scientist. Scientists presented their findings of varying absurdity, from the feeding and hoarding habits of a small population of Homo fabiensis to how Google searches revealed South Africans’ collective love for pizza and the attempts of superhero Mad Mike to save the last remaining research group in Africa. Awards were given to: - Andi Wilson for Best Dressed Female - Riaan Swanepoel for Best Dressed Male - The Molecular Plant Pathogen Interactions (MPPI) and Cereal Foliar Pathogen Research (CFPR) groups for the Best Oral Presentation - Bear Attenborough (aka Darryl Herron) for the Best Multimedia Presentation Professor Mike Wingfield congratulated all FABIans for staging another successful and fun SPOOF evening! See more photographs in our Galleries

24 Jul 2015

FABI students help organise the 2015 DuPont Plant Breeding Symposium

After the success of the first DuPont Plant Breeding Symposium hosted in 2014, the University of Pretoria will again be hosting the symposium on 29 September 2015.  The topic for this year’s symposium is "Current innovations in insect resistance management and pest control".  All interested participants are invited to register online to attend or to view faculty, industry and student presentations.  The deadline for Abstract submission is 3 August 2015 and we would like to encourage all FABIans to participate in this symposium.  

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21 Jul 2015

2015 poster on South African forestry pests and diseases released

The 2015 edition of the annual poster on South African forestry pests and diseases has been released as a supplement to the June issue of the SA Forestry Magazine. Copies of the poster can be ordered here.   In addition to the poster, this month's issue of SA Forestry also contains an article (pdf attached) about the recent annual meetings of the Tree Protection Co-operative Program (TPCP) held at the University of Pretoria.

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21 Jul 2015

FABIan making the news

We recently reported on Prof.

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16 Jul 2015

Extraordinary Professor from Australia visits FABI

FABI is thrilled to welcome back Prof. Treena Burgess, a longtime friend and collaborator of FABI, for a three week visit.

16 Jul 2015

FABI student attends the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Germany

Between 28 June to 3 July 2015, FABI PhD student Osmond Mlonyeni had the privilege to attend the 65th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Germany as a Horst Köhler Fellow, following his nomination by the Global Young Academy and Robert Bosch Stiftung.

15 Jul 2015

Grade 9 learners doing work shadowing at FABI

In an effort to better prepare their students for the important decision of choosing subjects for their final three years of school, Woodhill College in Pretoria requires Grade 9 pupils to partake in a work shadowing experience. Two learners from this school, Nadia Santosuosso and Lenschen Greyling with an interest in genetics, joined Danielle Roodt, Andi Wilson and Mariette Ferreira for some hands-on experience in the lab. They had a tour of the FABI facilities, did their own PCR, gel electroph

10 Jul 2015

FABIan presented with a prestigious award

The Director of the Forest Molecular Genetics (FMG) Programme, Prof. Zander Myburg, has been awarded the prestigious TW Kambule – NSTF Award for research and outputs over the last 5-10 years by an individual. The award acknowledges his outstanding overall contribution to forest molecular genetics research, but in particular highlights the recent research from his group which has uncovered the genomic control of wood formation in fast-growing Eucalyptus trees.

9 Jul 2015

FABI Graduate presents a seminar on heliotropism

FABI and the Department of Genetics welcomed plant molecular biologist Dr Nicky Creux who presented a special seminar entitled "The circadium rhythms regulating heliotropism, floral development and pollinator visits in Helianthus".

6 Jul 2015

UP with Science participants in the CTHB present a research project

High school learners from various schools participating in the University of Pretoria’s UP with Science programme presented their mini-research projects to a packed auditorium at Sci-Enza. Under the supervision of Dr Martin Coetzee as well as PhD and MSc students in the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB), six learners investigated the effects of disease and stress on plant life.

1 Jul 2015

Sixth FABI PhD Celebration for 2015

FABI congratulates Jeanne Korsman who presented her prestige seminar entitled "Molecular responses of maize to its foliar pathogen, Cercospora zeina" and passed the oral examination afterward.

30 Jun 2015

Plant pathologist from the University of Copenhagen delivers a lecture at FABI

Prof. David Collinge of the Department of Plant and Environmental Science at the University of Copenhagen presented a special seminar at FABI. His lecture was titled: "From transgenic plants to endophytic fungi: contrasting approaches to disease control in plant".

29 Jun 2015

FABIans Attend the 16th Annual Fusarium Laboratory Workshop in Kansas

Professor Emma Steenkamp and PhD students Darryl Herron and Gerda Fourie attended the 16th Annual Fusarium workshop hosted at Kansas State University in Kansas, USA from 21-26 June 2015.

25 Jun 2015

Special Seminar by French Plant Bacteriologist

Dr. Marie-Agnès Jacques from the French National Institute for Agricultural Research – Institut National de recherché Agronomique (INRA) presented a special seminar at FABI. Her presentation, entitled "Emergence of Xylella fastidiosa in Europe: diversity and biology of the causing agent" described how this bacterium devastated Olive trees in southern Italy following its introduction to Europe.

24 Jun 2015

Fifth FABI PhD Graduate for 2015

FABI would like to congratulate Tania Weller-Stuart on passing her PhD examination. Tania becomes the fifth FABI PhD candidate to pass their exam this year.

22 Jun 2015

A FABIan becomes an Africa Science Leadership Programme Fellow

FABI member, Dr Eshchar Mizrachi is one of twenty outstanding scientists from across Africa to be chosen as a Fellow of the Africa Science Leadership Programme (ASLP). The project, led by FABI’s Prof. Bernard Slippers, a past co-chair of the Global Young Academy, kicked off with a week-long workshop on “Leading a new paradign for African science”.

19 Jun 2015

Chinese Science and Technology Counsellor visits FABI

During the past week, Prof. Mike Wingfield and some senior academic staff members of FABI hosted several members from the Division Science and Technology of the Chinese embassy in Pretoria. The visitors included Councelor Wei Huang, First Secretary Dong Zhang, and Third Secretary ZhongYang Wang.

18 Jun 2015

FABI welcomes DTI delegation

Last week FABI welcomed a visiting delegation from the South African Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the National Research Foundation (NRF). The delegation were briefed how the Institute serves the forestry industry specifically via the Tree Protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP) and how the Technology and Human Resources for Industry Programme – THRIP funding has aided this successful programme over the past 17 years. The DTI has taken over responsibility for the THRIP funding initiative from the National Research Foundation and the team were acquainting themselves first hand with TPCP research activities. THRIP funding forms an important funding stream supporting technology-driven advances for the South African Forestry Industry.

16 Jun 2015

Three FABIans attend the FEMS Microbiology congress in the Netherlands

Two FABI staff members, Profs Fanus Venter and Emma Steenkamp, and PhD student Annie Chan, attended the 6th Congress of European Microbiologists from 7  to 11 of June in Maastricht, the Netherlands. Prof Venter was an invited speaker and participated in the session “The species concept in the genomic era”.

12 Jun 2015

FABI contributes 278 blankets to TuksFM Woolly Winter campaign

The annual FABI Blanket Drive has exceeded the target for 2015 with 278 blankets collected. The blankets were collected in support of Tuks FM’s Woolly Winter campaign. It was handed over to Nadene Kotzé, Tuks FM Marketing and Events Co-Coordinator, by members of the FABI Social Committee chairman, Robert Backer, along with Dorah Mwangola and Miekie Haasbroek. Prof. Noelani van den Berg is the driving force behind this and numerous other FABI charity initiatives.

10 Jun 2015

FABI Hosts Leading Evolutionary Biologist

FABI and the Department of Genetics hosted a joint seminar by Prof. Rees Kassen from the University of Ottawa on evolutionary genetics. Prof Kassen holds the research chair of Experimental Evolution in the Department of Biology’s Centre for Advanced Research in Environmental Genomics. He is also the author of the book ‘Experimental Evolution and the Nature of Biodiversity’.

3 Jun 2015

FABIans participate in the Agri-Food Career Fair & UP Open Day

During the past few weeks the University of Pretoria opened its doors to high school learners in search of their future careers. Many FABI students and staff members participated in two events to share their passion and experiences about a possible career in science.

27 May 2015

International guests of the TPCP visit local forestry companies and research institutions

A group of eminent international researchers attending the Tree Protection Cooperative Programme (TPCP) annual meeting and symposium joined FABI’s Prof. Jolanda Roux, Dr Brett Hurley and Izette Greyling on a field trip to the KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga Provinces to learn more about the plantation forestry industry in South Africa and the associated challenge posed by pests and pathogens.

22 May 2015

Two FABI finalists in the 2014/15 NSTF–BHP BILLITON Awards

During the past week the finalists for the highly-acclaimed 2014/15 NSTF–BHP BILLITON Awards were announced. Two FABI staff members are among the nominees for the 2015 'Science Oscars' recognizing, celebrating and rewarding excellence in Science, Engineering, Technology & Innovation in South Africa.

21 May 2015

The TPCP and CTHB Annual Meetings: highlights of Day 3

The final day of the TPCP and CTHB Annual Meetings continued with presentations on global tree health, and the impacts of trade and human movement on tree health especially dominated the morning’s discussions. Attendees traveled through different times in history as presentations looked back as far as the 1600s, took stock of the present and gazed to the future of tree health in the world.

20 May 2015

The TPCP and CTHB Annual Meetings: highlights of Day 2

Tree health – both of native and non-native trees – depends not only on being able to predict future threats but also being able to respond rapidly to new outbreaks or introductions of pests and pathogens, attendees of the 26th Annual Meeting of the Tree Protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP) and DST/NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) heard today.

18 May 2015

Annual Symposia of the DST/NRF CTHB and the TPCP

Prof. Mike Wingfield predicted “lots of science” would come out of the CTHB symposium during his welcome address, and that was exactly what our visitors got!

15 May 2015

Double PhD Celebration at FABI

FABI would like to congratulate both Mingliang Yin and Stephen Taerum on presenting their prestige seminars and successfully passing their PhD examinations this past week. Minliang’s primary supervisor was Dr. Stephen Taerum was under the primary supervision of Prof. Mingliang is looking forward to return to China to be with his wife and young daughter while Stephen will continue his research activities at FABI.

14 May 2015

FABI professor honoured by the seed industry  

FABI rejoices with Prof. Terry is a seed scientist and conducts research on fungi associated with diseases of seeds.

12 May 2015

FABI researchers unravel Eucalyptus genomics and biology

The journal New Phytologist has published a special online issue celebrating the completion of the Eucalyptus genome published in the prestigious journal Nature in June 2014. Several FABI researchers contributed to eight articles (listed below) in the special issue covering diverse topics such as genome diversity, comparative genomics, carbon allocation, protein evolution, floral development and woody biomass production. Strauss SH, Myburgh AA. Carocha V, Soler M, Hefer CA, Cassan-Wang H, Fevereiro P, Myburg AA, Paiva JAP, Grima-Pettenati J. Kersting AR, Mizrachi E, Bornberg-Bauer E, Myburg AA. Hussey SG, Saïdi MN, Hefer C, Myburg AA, Grima-Pettenati J. Mizrachi E, Maloney VJ, Silberbauer J, Hefer CA, Berger DK, Mansfield SD, Myburg AA. Soler M, Myburg AA, Paiva JAP, Hefer CA, Savelli B, Clemente HS, Cassan-Wang H, Carocha V, Camargo ELO, Grima-Pettenati J. Hudson CJ, Freeman JS, Myburg AA, Potts BM, Vaillancourt RE. Hefer CA, Mizrachi E, Myburg AA, Douglas CJ, Mansfield SD.

11 May 2015

FABI director attends UNFF11 in New York

During the week of 3rd May, FABI Director Mike Wingfield attended and participated in the 11th session of the United Nations Forum on Forests in New York fulfilling part of his responsibilities as current IUFRO President. Photographs include those of IUFRO Executive Director (Alexander Buck), Dr.

11 May 2015

Megan McCaghey from UC Davis joins the maize pathology group at FABI

Visiting RIFA Fellow, Megan McCaghey, hit the ground running after arriving in Pretoria. While at FABI, Megan will be assisting postgraduate students in the MPPI, Seed Science and CFPRG labs, particularly Ncobile Kunene, David Nsibo, and Katrien De Ridder.

8 May 2015

FABI director speaks on global tree health

Prof. A special treat for Mike was to be able to spend time with Dr John Gibbs, one of his first mentors from before he did his Ph.