Page 89 - University of Pretoria Research Review 2017

Foreword
Introductory Messages
DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE
FABI, forests and fungi
FABI, FORESTS AND FUNGI
PEOPLE AND CONTEXTS
HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
PLANET AND SUSTAINABILITY
Awards
Lead Researchers
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In 2017 the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) stood at the verge of its 20th anniversary (1998-2018). A celebration symposium was planned to follow in January 2018, themed The Road to Research Excellence, an event that would attract research collaborators, alumni, postgraduate students, members from the forestry industry and government, and
foreign delegates – a reflection of FABI’s national and international footprint and impact.
FABI presents a unique structure within the University: while closely linked to academic departments, it is
a postgraduate institute that makes possible the collaborative, interdisciplinary space for experimenting with techniques and in frontier fields to drive research and excellence. It also has the critical mass to engage with and impact on both academic networks and non- academic stakeholders in government and industry. By the end of 2017, FABI had a staff and student complement of more than 200, and over 420 master’s and doctoral students had graduated over the 20-
year period. Also significant is that among FABI’s lead researchers are a number of highly rated NRF scientists, including A-rated scientists, and who are positioned in the top 1% of scientists globally.
At the forefront of research on pests and diseases of plants and trees relevant to Africa, FABI researchers are recognised for building research capacity and networks, and developing new innovations for pest and pathogen management.
Recently, through the application of biotechnology and bioinformatics, and systems genetics, major breakthroughs have been published in high-impact international journals, including Science and Nature, and in 2017, in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America (PNAS). These breakthroughs are of direct relevance to forest and plantation health, and to economic development.
Wilhelm de Beer