Dr Sanushka Naidoo

Department of Genetics

[email protected] 

Pathogen Defences in Forest Trees

Sanushka Naidoo completed her undergraduate and honours degrees in Cell and Environmental Biology at the University of KwaZulu Natal. 

She moved to the University of Stellenbosch to complete her MSc degree in Plant Biotechnology, following which she worked at the University of Cape Town as the Microarray Scientific Officer. She accepted a PhD position at the University of Pretoria in the Department of Plant Science, during which she accepted a lectureship in the Department of Genetics.

Dr Sanushka Naidoo is currently a Senior Lecturer and the programme leader of the Eucalyptus and Pine Pathogen Interactions (EPPI) group at FABI. She has a Y2 NRF rating.

IRT-related research projects

The recently released genome sequence of Eucalyptus grandis, coupled with data from high-throughput transcriptome technologies, are being used to elucidate plant-pathogen interactions and promote gene discovery in forest tree species. Projects undertaken by EPPI aim to (i) ascertain the molecular basis of disease responses in Eucalyptus to a canker pathogen Chrysoportheaustro africana and (ii) determine the molecular defence mechanisms of E. grandis against the gall wasp Leptocybe invasa. 

Key Publications

Naidoo, S., Fouché-Weich, J., Law, P., Denby, KJ, Marco, Y, Berger, DK (2011) A Eucalyptus bacterial wilt isolate from South Africa is pathogenic on Arabidopsis and manipulates host defences. Forest Pathol. 41: 101-113

Naidoo, S., Murray, S.L., Denby, K.J., Berger, D.K. (2007) Microarray analysis of the Arabidopsis thaliana cir1 (constitutively induced resistance 1) mutant reveals candidate defence response genes against Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato DC3000. SA J Bot. 73: 412-421

Naidoo, S, Denby, KJ, Berger, DK (2005) Microarray experiments: Considerations for experimental design. SA J Sci. 101, 347-354