Primary Supervisor
Co-Supervisor
Primary Supervisor
Professor
My research programme focuses on plant pathogenic bacteria. The hosts include Eucalyptus, native and stone fruit trees, maize, bananas, tomatoes and to a lesser extent potatoes. The programme has four areas of interest:
identification and characterisation of new and emerging bacterial diseasesunderstanding how bacteria, not generally considered to be primary plant pathogens, cause symptoms in their hostsdetermining the role played by abiotic and biotic factors in disease outbreaks caused by opportunistic bacterial plant pathogensinvestigating how bacterial pathogens that typically infect herbaceous plants adapt and infect woody hosts The approaches we use to achieve these goals are diverse. They include multilocus sequence analysis and typing, genomics, metagenomics and transcriptomics. Currently we focus on five pathogens, viz. Pantoea ananatis, Pseudomonas syringae, Ralstonia solanacearum, R. pseudosolanacearum and Xanthomonas vasicola. Our ultimate aim is facilitate in the development of novel approaches for disease control, diagnostic, tracking and improving quarantine regulations.
Knoppersen RS, Bose T, Coutinho TA, Hammerbacher A. (2025) Inside the Belly of the Beast: Exploring the Gut Bacterial Diversity of Gonipterus sp. n. 2. Microbial Ecology 10.1007/s00248-025-02524-1
Coutinho TA, van der Waals JE. (2024) Historical perspective on 120 years of agriculture: Highlights from research published in the SAJS. South African Journal of Science 10.17159/sajs.2024/18965
Liakos C, Ibanez V, Lebre P, Derie ML, van der Waals JE, du Toit L, Dutta B, Kvitko B, Cowan D, Coutinho TA. (2024) The Bacterial and Viral Communities Associated with OnionBacterial Bulb Rot. Phytobiomes Journal 10.1094/PBIOMES-11-23-0121-R
Gush SL, Lebre P, Coutinho TA, Cowan D, van der Waals JE. (2024) Disentangling Shifts in the Soil Microbiome of Potatoes Infected with Rhizoctonia solani Anastomosis Group 3-PT in Search of Potential Biocontrol Agents. Phytobiomes Journal 10.1094/PBIOMES-06-23-0046-R
Coutinho TA, Carstensen G, Venter SN, Chen SF, Tarigan M, Wingfield MJ. (2024) Bacterial community in apparently healthy and asymptomatic Eucalyptus trees and those with symptoms of bacterial wilt. Journal of Plant Pathology 10.1007/s42161-024-01697-x
Gush S, Lebre P, Coutinho TA, Cowan DA, van der Waals JE. (2024) Disentangling shifts in the soil microbiome of potatoes infected with Rhizoctonia solani Anastomosis Group 3-PT in search of potential biocontrol agents. Phytobiomes Journal 10.1094/PBIOMES-06-23-0046-R
Theron E, Bophela K, Bisschoff J, Shin G, Coutinho TA, van der Waals JE. (2023) Survey of Soft Rot Pectobacteriaceae Infecting Potatoes in South Africa. Potato Research 10.1007/s11540-022-09598-1
Bose T, Hammerbacher A, Spies CFJ, Coutinho TA. (2023) Phytophthora: an underestimated threat to agriculture, forestry, and natural ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa. Mycological Progress 10.1007/s11557-023-01926-0
Theron, E., Bophela, K.N., Bisschoff, J., Shin, G., Coutinho, T.A., van der Waals, J.E.. (2022) Survey of Soft Rot Pectobacteriaceae Infecting Potatoes in South Africa. Potato Research 10.1007/s11540-022-09598-1
Khanal M, Timilsina S, Bhatta BP, Bophela K, Coutinho T, Cochran K, Malla S. (2022) Pseudomonas uvaldensis sp. nov., a bacterial pathogen causing onion bulb rot. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 10.1099/ijsem.0.005311
Co-Supervisor