PhD student
I completed my BSc undergraduate degree in Human Genetics (2016) at the University of Pretoria. After my undergraduate degree, I had the privilege of doing an internship with the Department of Science and Technology/ National Research Foundation in 2017. I was assigned to the Plant Pathology Department at the University of Pretoria. I assisted Dr René Carlson with pathogenicity trials involving (L.) Moench under infection in the presence of Plant-Growth-Promoting-Rhizobacteria (PGPR).
I joined the Avocado Research Programme (ARP) and FABI for my honours degree (Microbiology), and my project was titled: Profiling the Polygalacturonase inhibitors in Persea americana in response to the pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi, under the supervision of Noëlani van den Berg. Recently, I have completed my MSc (Microbiology) in the ARP, and my dissertation was titled: Genetic structure analysis and assessment of susceptibility to Fusarium euwallaceae of popular avocado cultivars. Recently, I worked as a Research Assistant in the ARP.
Currently, I am a PhD candidate in the ARP.
Wienk, R., Miyambo, T., van den Berg, N. Profiling the polygalacturonase inhibitors in Persea americana in response to the pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi. Proceedings of the 51st Congress of the Southern African Society for Plant Pathology, 20-24 January 2019, Club Mykonos, Langebaan, South Africa (Poster).
3rd Best Poster at the 51st Congress of the Southern African Society of Plant Pathology (SASPP), 20 - 24 January, 2019.
DST/NRF Internship Programme 2017/2018 - University of Pretoria, Plant Pathology Department.
Assisting Dr René Carlson with pathogenicity trials involving Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench under Fusarium pseudograminearum infection in the presence of Plant-Growth-Promoting-Rhizobacteria (PGPR).
The Southern African Society for Plant Pathology (SASPP).
South African Society for Microbiology (SASM).
van der Nest MA, Steenkamp ET, De Vos L, Wienk R, Swart V, van den Berg N. (2024) Complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the white root rot pathogen Dematophora necatrix (Xylariaceae: Xylariales). Mitochondrial DNA Part B: Resoures 10.1080/23802359.2024.2403411
Wienk R, Mostert‑O’Neill M, Abeysekara N, Manosalva P, Freeman B, van den Berg N. (2022) Genetic diversity, population structure and clonal verification in South African avocado cultivars using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. Tree Genetics and Genomes 10.1007/s11295-022-01573-8
van den Berg, N, Swart, V, Backer, R, Fick, A, Wienk, R, Engelbrecht, J, Prabhu, SA. (2021) Advances in understanding defense mechanisms in Persea americana against Phytophthora cinnamomi. Frontiers in Plant Science 10.3389/fpls.2021.636339