Ms Benedicta Swalarsk-Parry

I joined FABI in 2014 to study an Honours degree in Microbiology. My honours project focused on the detection of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with different phenotypic traits of two important plant pathogens in the Fusarium fujikuroi species complex, Fusarium circinatum and Fusarium temperatum. For my MSc, I further identified a QTL associated with growth of Fusrium circinatum.

In my PhD I will be sequencing 106 Fusarium circinatum genomes to use for a Genome Wide Association study.

B.Sc Microbiology from University of Pretoria (2010 - 2013).B.Sc (Hons) Microbiology from Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria (2014). Project title: Detection of quantitative trait loci associated with various phenotypic traits in Fusarium circinatum and Fusarium temperatum. Supervisors: Prof Emma Steenkamp and Dr. Lieschen De Vos.MSc in Microbiology from Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria (2015-2017). Dissertation title: Characterization of a growth QTL in Fusariumcircinatum.Supervisors: Dr. Lieschen De Vos, Prof Emma Steenkamp, and Prof Brenda Wingfield. Ph.D. in Microbiologyfrom Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria (2017- Ongoing). Thesis title: A CRISPR approach to studying genes involved in phenotypic traits of F. circinatum and F. temperatum. Supervisors: Prof Emma Steenkamp, Dr. Lieschen De Vos, and Prof Brenda Wingfield.

Mentorship

B.Sc genetics (2nd year) student Lindokuhle Nkambule in the CTHB mentorship programme (2015).B.Sc genetics and biotechnology (3rd year) student Meta Leshabane in the CTHB mentorship programme (2016).B.Sc Biochemistry (2nd year) student Sade Magabotha in the CTHB mentorship programme (2017-2018).B.Sc Microbiology (3rd year) student Ropafadzai Jawa in the CTHB mentrship programme (2019).Intern at FABI Kekgotswe Nakana (2021)MSc Microbiology student Vinolia Danki (2021 - present) Co-Supervisor

B.Sc (Hons) Genetics student Mancha Mabaso (2017).B.Sc (Hons) Genetics student Caitlyn Fourie (2020).B.Sc (Hons) Microbiology student Alida van Dijk (2021).M.Sc Microbiology student Alida van Dijk (2022)

Junior Tukkie Student Society (2012-2013) Deputy student project Manager (2013)Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender HIV/AIDS Awareness and Education (2012)HIV/AIDS counsellor at Student Clinic (2013)CTHB Mentorship Programme Committee (2015-Present)(TAG-C-TV) Take A Girl Child to Varsity (2016-Present)

First Author

Swalarsk-Parry BS, L de Vos, BD Wingfield, A Hammabacher and ET Steenkamp (2017) Comparative growth study of Fusarium circinatum and Fusarium temperatum on host-plant derived media. In South African Society of Plant Pathology, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa.

Swalarsk-Parry BS, ET Steenkamp, A Hammabacher, BD Wingfield, and L de Vos (2018) Association of a quantitative trait locus with growth of Fusarium circinatum. In International Congress of Plant Pathology, Boston, USA.

Swalarsk-Parry BS, L de Vos, BD Wingfield, A Hammabacher and ET Steenkamp (2018) Characterization of a growth QTL in Fusarium circinatum. In South African Society for Microbiology, Muldersdrift, Gauteng, South Africa.

Swalarsk-Parry BS , van der Nest MA, De Vos L , Santana QC, Wingfield BD, Steenkamp ET(2022) GWAS for identifying genes associated with virulence in F. circinatum.In 31st Fungal Genetics Conference, Pacific Grove, California, USA.

Co-Author

Soal, N.C, E.T. Steenkamp, A. Fourie, L. de Vos, B.S. Swalarsk-Parry, B.D. Wingfield and M.A. van der Nest (2018) Identification of genes associated with growth rate in Ceratocystis albifundus, using Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS). In South African Association of Botanists, Pretoria, South Africa.

Soal, N.C, E.T. Steenkamp, A. Fourie, L. de Vos, B.S. Swalarsk-Parry, B.D. Wingfield and M.A. van der Nest (2018) Genome wide association study (GWAS) to identify genes associated with mycelial growth rate in the plant pathogen Ceratocystis albifundus. In South African Society for Microbiology, Muldersdrift, Gauteng, South Africa.

De Vos L, B.S Swalarsk-Parry, M.A van der Nest, D.A Herron, E.T Steenkamp and B.D Wingfield (2019) Genetic investigations into pathogenicity and growth of a South African population of Fusarium circinatum. In 30th Fungal Genetics Conference, Pacific Grove, California, USA.

University of Pretoria Ph.D. Student Bursary (2019)University of Pretoria Study Abroad Bursary (2019)University of Pretoria Ph.D. Student Bursary (2018)National Research Foundation Study Abroad Bursary (2018)National Research Foundation Scarce skills Doctoral Scholarship (2017-2020)National Research Foundation Scarce skills Masters Scholarship (2016)National Research Foundation Honours Innovation Award (2014)

2016: Getting the message to the public (FABI)

2017: Getting the message to the public (FABI)

2017: Mentorship (FABI)

2019: Getting the message to the public (FABI)

Fusarium laboratory workshop – 2016

Agricultural Research Council Mycology workshop - 2015

Advanced phylogenetics Workshop – 2017

Genomics Workshop - 2017

Ms Benedicta Swalarsk-Parry

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