Joey Hulbert becomes the first FABIan to complete his PhD in 2020
FABI would like to congratulate Joey Hulbert on becoming the first FABIan to successfully fulfill all requirements for completion of their PhD in 2020.
31 Jan 2020
29 Jan 2020
Tree Planting goes on despite wet conditions
Forty eight students from the Tree Protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP) in FABI braved cool, wet and muddy conditions on the morning of 24 January to replant 1,500 seedlings into potting bags.
27 Jan 2020
PSHB is spreading in the Western Cape
Profs Roets and De Beer confirmed last week that the PSHB outbreak in the Western Cape is expanding.
24 Jan 2020
FABIans attend PAG Conference
The 28th Annual Plant and Animal Genome Conference (PAG XXVIII) was held in San Diego, USA from 11-15 January.
23 Jan 2020
Quentin Guignard wins CTHB-The Conversation writing competition
FABI PhD candidate Quentin Guignard bagged a R30,000 cash prize paid towards attending an international conference of his choice after winning a writing competition held in conjunction with the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) and The Conversation Africa.
22 Jan 2020
FABI mancom members discuss strategy for 2020
Following discussions on the way forward for FABI in 2020, the Tree protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP) management committee members briefed students and staff at the University of Pretoria’s Future Africa campus on 17 January.
22 Jan 2020
FABI focusses on the United Nations 2020 International Year Of Plant Health
The United Nations (UN) has declared 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH-2020). This will be "to raise awareness of the importance and impacts of plant health in addressing issues of global importance, including hunger, poverty, threats to the environment and economic development".
21 Jan 2020
Celebrating the Lunar New Year with Chinese friends
Professor Mike Wingfield, Founding Director of FABI and Prof. Brenda Wingfield (NRF SARCHi Chair in Fungal Genetics) had the honour of being invited by His Excellency Mr Lin Songtian, the Chinese Ambassador to South Africa, to attend a celebration of the 2020 Lunar New Year.
16 Jan 2020
FABIans look forward to outstanding science and exciting developments at 2020 opening and welcome breakfast
FABI will be the place to be in 2020 for plant health research and events marking the United Nation’s International Year of Plant Health (IYPH 2020) said Prof. Bernard Slippers at the Institute’s opening on 13 January.
6 Dec 2019
FABI participates in first annual meeting of the HOMED project
The First Annual Meeting of the HOMED project was held from 27-29 November in Padova, Italy.
6 Dec 2019
Two FABIans awarded the best presentation at the Zoology AGM
The University of Pretoria's Department of Zoology and Entomology held its annual general meeting on 28-29 November.
5 Dec 2019
Fifteen FABI PhDs for the year as Andi Wilson completes her PhD
Andi Wilson has become the 15th FABIan to successfully complete their PhD, thereby closing off a remarkable year for the Institute.
4 Dec 2019
FABIans feature at the French-SA Science and Innovation days
The French-South African Science and Innovation Days was held in the CSIR from 2-3 December.
29 Nov 2019
FABIans present at the Australasian Plant Pathology Society conference
The Australasian Plant Pathology Society (APPS) celebrated its 50th anniversary at their 22nd Biennial conference in Melbourne from 25-28 November. They met up with a number of FABIans at the meeting.
28 Nov 2019
FABI academics end the year on a high
FABI has ended the year on a high with the promotion of staff members and international recognition as leaders in their field.
27 Nov 2019
FABI celebrates 14th PhD success at Miekie Human’s prestige seminar
FABI congratulates Miekie Human, who on 25 November marked the successful completion of her PhD thesis with a prestige seminar.
26 Nov 2019
Book review fun at FABI MMM
As a fun alternative to the usual Monday Morning Meeting (MMM) presentations, FABI Deputy Director Prof. Fanus Venter invited FABIans to present a short review on their favourite books they have recently read at MMM on 25 November.
26 Nov 2019
David Nsibo becomes the 13th FABIan to pass his PhD in 2019
FABI celebrated the completion of the Institute’s 13th PhD candidate in 2019 with David Nsibo successfully defending his PhD on 21 November.
22 Nov 2019
Researchers from 27 countries meet to discuss biological control of forest insect pests
The IUFRO Working Party 7.03.13 meeting on the ‘Biological Control of Forest Insect Pests and Pathogens’ was hosted by FABI from 5-8 November.
22 Nov 2019
FABI hosts the Forest Invasive Species Network for Africa
From 3-5 November, participants from Government research institutes and universities gathered at the University of Pretoria’s Future Africa Campus, for a Forest Invasive Species Network for Africa (FISNA) workshop on the implementation of classical biological control to manage insect pests in plantation forests.
22 Nov 2019
FABI contributes to CIB workshop
FABI’s Dr Trudy Paap and collaborator Dr Alberto Santini (CNR ISPP, Italy) attended and contributed to a workshop on “Frameworks used in Invasion Science” organised by the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology (CIB) in held in Stellenbosch from 11-13 November.
20 Nov 2019
FABIans celebrate the end of a fruitful year at the Institute’s year-end function and awards ceremony
FABI Director Prof. Guests included Vice-Principal for Research and Postgraduate Education at UP Prof. In his address, Prof. Dr Irene Barnes presented a number of awards on the night, with the premium award, FABIan of the Year going to PhD student Stephanie van Wyk. In the new category, Best Postdoctoral Fellow, two awards were given to Dr Marc Bouwer and Dr Victoria Maloney. For their creativity,Prof. Prof.
19 Nov 2019
FABI bioinformatics tool, The RIPper, selected for the PeerJ feature collection
The prestigious PeerJ feature collection highlights novel and innovative developments in the field of biotechnology. The RIPper was chosen for the PeerJ bioinformatics feature collection by senior editors Professors Claus Wilke and Keith Crandall.
19 Nov 2019
FABI students and researchers participate in Biomaker Workshop
What does the average biologist have to do with programming microprocessors? Prof. The GCRF pump-priming funding has allowed Prof. Photo caption: November Biomaker workshop participants.
15 Nov 2019
FABI researchers attend the International Macadamia R&D Conference in China
The annual International Macadamia R&D Conference was held in Lincang City, Yunnan, China from 5-9 November. Macadamia Protection Programme research leader Dr Gerda Fourie and FABI postdoctoral Fellow Dr Arista Fourie joined 300 delegates from 12 countries, consisting mostly of senior researchers, institute directors and consultants.
14 Nov 2019
Congratulation to Mohammad on successfully defending his PhD
FABI congratulates Mohammad Sayari for successfully completing and defending his PhD thesis on 12 November.
13 Nov 2019
Two eminent scientists present special seminars at FABI
Two leaders on biological control presented seminars at FABI on 12 November.
12 Nov 2019
Ambrosia beetle expert presents a special seminar at FABI
A leading expert on ambrosia and bark beetles, Prof. Jiri Hulcr, presented a special seminar at FABI on 1 November.
11 Nov 2019
Fungi for Future project launched at a third primary school
FABI research Fellow Dr Neriman Yilmaz and the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) outreach team recently visited Laerskool Menlopark within the “Fungi for future” Citizen Science project. The project has so far included three schools: Laerskool Menlopark, Nwa’vhangani and Tlakukani Primary Schools.
7 Nov 2019
Rhizobial collection trip with Polish collaborators
Several members of the Rhizobial Research Group (Prof. Emma Steenkamp, Prof. Fanus Venter, Dr Chrizelle Beukes, Juanita Avontuur and Derick Claassens) joined Polish collaborators Prof. Tomasz Stępkowski, Joanna Banasiewicz and Rafał Banasiewicz on a sampling trip to Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal from 27-31 October.
5 Nov 2019
CTHB awards certificates to 13 undergraduate mentees
Thirteen students who completed eight months of mentorship in the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology(CTHB) received their certificates of completion on 1 November at a small ceremony in FABI.
4 Nov 2019
University Vice-Chancellor participates in a fungal citizen science project
University of Pretoria Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof. Tawana Kupe collected soil samples at the Future Africa campus on 30 October as part of a FABI-hosted Citizen Science project “Fungi for Future”.
31 Oct 2019
FABI postdoc attends IUFRO Phytophthora conference in Sardinia
The biennial meeting of the IUFRO’s Working Party 7.02.09 – ‘Phytophthorain Forests and Natural Ecosystems’ was held on the Italian island of Sardinia from 17-25 October 2019.
30 Oct 2019
Biosafety SA and FABI host Women in Biotech panel discussion
Five women led a discussion at FABI on the challenges faced by women in the biotechnology sector on 29 October.
28 Oct 2019
FABIans thank and wish Prof. Lubuma well on his retirement
Former Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Pretoria Professor Jean Lubuma joined FABIans at the Monday morning meeting on 28 October, giving them an opportunity to wish him well on his retirement.
25 Oct 2019
FABI students return from Penn State exchange visit
Two FABI PhD candidates, Benedicta Swalarsk-Parry and Jane Ramaswe recently returned from a three-month exchange visit to Pennsylvania State University. The visit is part of a strategic partnership between the Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiologyin Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) at the University of Pretoria.