Genetics and the Institute for Plant Biotechnology (IPB)

WC Botes: President of the Southern African Plant Breeding Association; chairperson of the organising committee for the 8th SAPBA Symposium (March 2010 – Spier, Stellenbosch); member of the executive committee of the International Triticale Association; member of Subcommittee of the Advisory Committee for Genetically Modified Organisms (Department of Agriculture); member of the SU E-learning advice committee; member of the Crop Production Program committee.

Prof D Brink: Member of the management committee of the Aquaculture Association of Southern Africa; member of the National Aquacultural Committee; director of AquaNutro (Pty) Ltd; director of Overstrand Local Economic Development Agency (OLEDA) Bpk.

Prof JT Burger: Advisory committee for Genetically Modified Organisms (Department of Agriculture); board of trustees of PlantBio; advisory committee of Cape Biotech (national biotechnology innovation centers); technical committee of Winetech; steering committees of the International Council for Virus Diseases of Grapevine and the International Grapevine Genome Programme.

Dr R Roodt-Wilding: South African Genetics Society executive committee (Vice President); Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Program committee coordinator.

Prof L Warnich: Subcommittee of the Advisory Committee for Genetically Modified Organisms (Department of Agriculture); Executive committee of the Southern African Society for Human Genetics; Control Board of GENRED (Centre for Human Genetics Research and Education, Faculty of Health Sciences), Faculty Committee.

Prof J Kossmann: Technical committee of Winetech; technical committee of Deciduous Fruit Producers Trust (DFPT); chairperson of the organising committee for the 2nd Tropical Crop Biotechnology Conference (July 2009 - Kruger National Park); organizing committee for the 35th Annual Conference of the South African Association of Botany (January 2009 - Stellenbosch).

Dr JR Lloyd: organizing committee for 35th Annual Conference of the South African Association of Botany (January 2009 - Stellenbosch).

Dr P Hills: organizing committee for the 35th Annual Conference of the South African Association of Botany (January 2009 - Stellenbosch).

Community interaction

Staff of the Department was involved as evaluators during the Eskom Expo at Paul Roos Gymnasium in Stellenbosch, and visited schools to promote Genetics as subject. Dr MG Zaahl organised a “Molecular Biology is Fun” open day for schools to which Grade 11 and 12 learners from schools in the Western Cape were invited. Dr Zaahl and students assisted the Dorothea School for mentally impaired learners by doing administrative work, helping with a soup kitchen on Fridays and fundraising. Staff members are also involved in community service projects organised by the University, such as the Winter Week for Natural Sciences and the University Open Day. Willem Botes, Henzel Saul and Louise van der Merwe of the plant breeding laboratory once again displayed the latest Triticale cultivars and answered questions on the propagation of this crop at various farm workers’ and producers’ days in the Western Cape. In this way producers and farm workers were directly reached and exposed to the latest research in the field. The Division of Aquaculture is extensively involved in community interactions through the establishment and training of small farmers in various provinces, including the Western Cape, Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. An Agricultural Cooperative, Hands-on Fish Farmers Co-op, has been established in the Western Cape, incorporating a total of 35 small-scale farmers, and the model is being expanded to seven other provinces. Various community development projects have been initiated, including an abalone farm in Hondeklip Bay and freshwater fish production (tilapia and catfish) at Jozini, KZN.

www.sun.ac.za/genetics

www.sun.ac/ipb