Congratulations to all the FABI graduates that were capped at the University of Pretoria ’s Autumn graduation in May. Five doctoral and 20 M.Sc. were conferred on the FABIans while 20 B.Sc. Hons graduates who completed their research projects were also capped. FABI congratulates all the graduates on their remarkable achievements! Listed below are the graduates with their thesis and dissertation titles: PhD Dr Juanita Avontuur Thesis: Genome-based systematics of Bradyrhizobium and its species Supervisor: Prof. ET Steenkamp Co-supervisors: Prof. MPA Coetzee , Prof. SN Venter External co-supervisor: Prof. TM Stepkowski (Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland) Dr Julia Candotti Thesis: Haplogenome analysis and genetic dissection of growth and wood property traits in Eucalyptus urophylla x E. grandis hybrids Supervisor: Prof. AA Myburg Co-supervisors: Prof. E Mizrachi , Prof. S Naidoo , Prof. T Duong Dr Nam Pham Thesis: Discovery of the cause and relevance of a serious new Eucalyptus foliar disease in Indonesia Supervisor: Prof. MJ Wingfield Co-supervisors: Prof. I Barnes , Prof. BD Wingfield Dr Lazarus Takawira Thesis: Inferring secondary cell wall-related R2R3-MYB transcription factor gene targets in Eucalyptus grandis using DNA affinity purification sequencing Supervisor: Dr SG Hussey Co-supervisors: Prof. E Mizrachi, Prof. AA Myburg Dr Marthin Tarigan Thesis: Emerging pathogens of Eucalyptus and Acacia plantation forestry in Indonesia Supervisor: Prof MJ Wingfield Co-supervisor: Prof I Barnes MSc (* with distinction) Derick Claassens Dissertation: Diversity of diazotrophic bacteria associated with Eucalyptus and Acacia trees Supervisor: Prof. ET Steenkamp Co-supervisor: Prof. SN Venter Ruby Ebbeling* Dissertation: Precision phenotyping of pines for resistance against Fusarium circinatum Supervisor: Prof. S Naidoo Co-supervisor: Dr EA Visser Lihan Esterhuizen * Dissertation Detection of Phytophthora root rot in Eucalyptus trees using hyperspectral leaf reflectance Supervisor: Prof. A Hammerbacher Co-supervisors: Prof. B Slippers , Dr T Bose , Dr AS Bosman Bianca Hough * Dissertation: Genomic characterisation of mycoviruses associated with members of Ceratocystidaceae Supervisor: Dr DA Read Co-supervisor: Prof. BD Wingfield Marisca Hough Dissertation: Comparing a pathogenicity effector gene family from two Cercospora species by Agroinfiltration into tobacco Supervisor: Prof. DK Berger Luke Kim Dissertation: CRISPR gene editing of glucuronoxylan methyltransferase genes in Populus tremula x alba hybrids to alter xylan properties for woody biomass processing Supervisor: Prof. AA Myburg Co-supervisors: Prof. E Mizrachi, Dr VJ Maloney Daniella Krämer* Dissertation: Characterization of hybridization events between three closely related species of Ceratocystis Supervisor: Dr PM Wilken Co-supervisors: Prof. ET Steenkamp, Prof. BD Wingfield Lindokuhle Masimula Dissertation: Characterization of selected rhizobia as potential inoculants for crop legumes in South Africa Supervisor: Dr EK Muema Co-supervisors: Prof. ET Steenkamp, Prof. SN Venter, Dr CW Krynauw Kayla Midgley* Dissertation: Identification and expression analysis of Phytophthora cinnamomi CRN effector genes during infection of Persea americana (Mill.) Supervisor: Dr V Swart Co-supervisor: Prof. N van den Berg Monique Muller* Dissertation: Population genetic analysis and evolutionary history of the pine needle pathogen, Dothistroma pini Supervisor: Prof. I Barnes Co-supervisor: Prof. MJ Wingfield Tiphany Nkomo Dissertation: Exploring the mycorrhizal interactions and deciphering the fungal diversity associated with orchid hybrids from the genus Epidendrum Supervisor: Prof. A Hammerbacher Co-supervisors: Prof. BD Wingfield, Dr T Bose Jostina Rakoma Dissertation: Structure of the mating-type locus in ambrosial and asexual Ceratocystidaceae species Supervisor: Dr PM Wilken Co-supervisor: Prof. BD Wingfield Claire Randolph* Dissertation: A population genetics study of Fusarium euwallaceae in South Africa Supervisor: Prof. I Barnes Co-supervisor: Dr T Paap Lebone Sebapu Dissertation: Novel markers for inference of species boundaries in Ceratocystis fimbriata sensu lato Supervisor: Prof. A Duong Co-supervisor: Prof. BD Wingfield Preston Shaw * Dissertation: Alternative splicing in the fungal plant pathogens Ceratocystis fimbriata and C. eucalypticola Supervisor: Dr A Duong Co-supervisors: Prof. B Slippers, Prof. BD Wingfield Elmarie van der Merwe* Dissertation: Development of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing tools for the insect pest Sirex noctilio Supervisor: Dr G Dittrich-Schröder Co-supervisor: Prof. B Slippers Jan van der Westhuizen Dissertation: Supervisor: Prof. J Vorster Co-supervisor: Prof. K Kunert Alida van Dijk * Dissertation: Development of CRISPR-Cas systems for genome and transcriptome editing in Fusarium circinatum Supervisor: Prof. ET Steenkamp Co-supervisors: Prof. BD Wingfield, Dr AM Wilson Alishia van Heerden * Dissertation: Characterisation of the melanin biosynthesis gene cluster and its application in species identification Supervisor: Dr PM Wilken Co-supervisors: Prof. MJ Wingfield, Prof. BD Wingfield Melandré van Lill * Dissertation: Prediction of key phenotypes of Mesorhizobium based on genome sequences Supervisor: Prof. SN Venter Co-supervisor: Prof. ET Steenkamp External co-supervisor: Dr CW Krynauw (The James Hutton Institute, United Kingdom) Sumari Venter Dissertation: Differential gene expression linked to parasitic and mycetophagous forms of Deladenus siricidicola in culture Supervisor: Prof. B Slippers Co-supervisor: Ms A Postma Hons Adam Bazerbachi Simone Bence Matthew Bennet Jessica Berry Marcelle Booysen Simoné Bornman Jana Botes Jessica Coetzee Sapphire de Zoete Vicki Hurwitz Michelle Kretzschmar Anthea le Roux Tshwanelo Mashimbye Goitseona Modisane Phenyo Mokgadi Sophie Nyoni Grant Terblanche Ipeleng Pooa Tanya Pretorius Bernice Small Faan Smit James Smith Alexander Sotiralis Hanneke van Loggerenberg