Research theme

Microbial ecology and fungal taxonomy

Research overview

Our interest is in the diversity and structure of microbial communities from soil, with a special interest in the soil microbial communities of the fynbos biome.  We aim to understand the effect of change brought about by anthropogenic activities on the soil communities of native as well as agricultural soil and the effect this have on the soil processes and ecosystem services.

Main projects 

• The role of the microbiome in agricultural systems.
• Nature-based solutions for sustainable agriculture.
• The ecology of Botrytis in the blueberry industry.
• Discovery of novel antifungals from natural environments.
• Fungal communities indoor air.
• Novel microbial species from natural environments.