Postdoctoral Fellow
The focus of my research is to identify, characterise and study the evolution of a special group of soil bacteria. These bacteria (informally referred to as 'rhizobia') can enter into a symbiotic interaction with legumes, where they fix atmospheric nitrogen for the plant and receive photosynthetic products in return. The most obvious result of the interaction is the formation of nodules by the plants (predominantly on the roots, but sometimes also on the stem), in which the rhizobia are housed. In South Africa we have a large diversity of legumes, the most well-known of which is most probably rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis). During my time in FABI I have been involved in showcasing how unique South African rhizobia are in both the alpha-rhizobia (e.g., from the genera Bradyrhizobium and Mesorhizobium) as well as the beta-rhizobial genus Paraburkholderia.
I have moved to Scotland in 2022 where I now work as a Research Scientist on Beneficial Plant- Microbe Interactions at the James Hutton Institute. My current research scope has expanded to also include crop legumes such as clover and bean. I remain involved with several rhizobial projects at FABI and also act as a co-supervisor to a number of PhD students.
Maake MM, Beukes CW, van der Nest MA, Avontuur JR, Muema EK, Stepkowski T, Venter SN, Steenkamp ET. (2025) Argyrolobium legumes from an African centre of endemism associate with novel Bradyrhizobium species harbouring unique sets of symbiosis genes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 10.1016/j.ympev.2025.108471
Mavima L, Steenkamp ET, Beukes CW, Palmer M, De Meyer SE, James EK, Venter SN, Coetzee MPA. (2025) Estimated timeline for the evolution of symbiotic nitrogen fixing Paraburkholderia. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 10.1016/j.ympev.2025.108447
Rouws L, Barauna A, Beukes C, Rouws JRC, de Faria SM, Gross E, dos Reis Junior FB, Simon MF, Maluk M, Odee DW, Fordeyn S, Kenicer G, Young JPW, Reis VM, Zilli J, James EK. (2024) Soil characteristics drive contrasting patterns of association between symbiotic rhizobia of endemic and widespread Mimosa species in Brazil. Applied Soil Ecology 10.1016/j.apsoil.2024.105741
Van Lill M, Venter SN, Muema EK, Palmer M., Beukes CW, Chan WY, Steenkamp ET. (2024) SeqCode facilitates naming of South African rhizobia left in limbo. Systematics and Applied Microbiology 10.1016/j.syapm.2024.126504
Belles-Sancho P, Beukes C, James EK, Pessi G. (2023) Nitrogen-fixing symbiotic Paraburkholderia species: Current knowledge and future perspectives. Nitrogen 10.3390/nitrogen4010010
Maluk M, Giles M, Wardell GE, Akramin AT, Ferrando-Molina F, Murdoch A, Barros M, Beukes C, Vasconcelos M, Harrison E, Daniell TJ, Quilliam RS, Iannetta PPM, James EK. (2023) Biological nitrogen fixation by soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.), a novel, high protein crop in Scotland, requires inoculation with non-native bradyrhizobia.. Frontiers in Agronomy 10.3389/fagro.2023.1196873
Claassens R, Venter SN, Beukes CW, Stępkowski T, Chan WY, Steenkamp ET. (2023) Bradyrhizobium xenonodulans sp. nov. isolated from nodules of Australian Acacia species invasive to South Africa. Systematic and Applied Microbiology 10.1016/j.syapm.2023.126452
Francina L. Bopape, Chrizelle W. Beukes, Kopotsa Katlego, Ahmed I. Hassen, Emma T. Steenkamp, Eastonce T. Gwata . (2022) Symbiotic Performance and Characterization of Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp.) Rhizobia Occurring in South African Soils. Agriculture
Wanjofu EI, Venter SN, Beukes CW, Steenkamp ET, Gwata ET, Muema EK. (2022) Nodulation and Growth Promotion of Chickpea by Mesorhizobium Isolates from Diverse Sources. MDPI-Microorganisms
Mavima L, Beukes CW, Palmer M, De Meyer SE, James EK, Maluk M, Muasya MA, Avontuur JR, Chan WY, Venter SN, Steenkamp ET. (2022) Delineation of Paraburkholderia tuberum sensu stricto and description of Paraburkholderia podalyriae sp. nov. nodulating the South African legume Podalyria calyptrata. Systematic and Applied Microbiology 10.1016/j.syapm.2022.126316