Alida van Dijk

Plant path, mycology, and CRISPR nerd 🌱🧬| PhD candidate at @Fabiteam1 🔬 | Lover of all things fungi 🍄 | She/her 🏳️‍🌈 Opinions are my own.

[Alida van Dijk @AlidavanDijk4]

So excited that my first FIRST author article is out! 🥳

We used CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to uncover the role of the Pgs gene in Fusarium circinatum—a major pine pathogen. 🌲🧬

Read more: https://t.co/q36mzvPzYk

🧵👇

[FABI @Fabiteam1]

🪲 FABI Friday Feature
Meet Nudaurelia clarki – the Pine Emperor Moth. Native to southern Africa, this moth is both beautiful and destructive. Its larvae feed gregariously on pine needles, causing severe defoliation.
#FABIFriday #Entomology

[FABI @Fabiteam1]

🌿 FABI Friday Feature
This week we spotlight Austropuccinia psidii – the rust fungus behind Myrtle Rust, a serious threat to Myrtaceae species. #FABIFriday

[Claudette Dewing @cdewing47]

Our paper is out!
🧫 #Pseudopithomyces toxicarius was identified - causal agent of facial eczema in 🐄 🌍
📊 Several other species & known #mycotoxin producers were also identified

🔗 https://t.co/hXZu072Kgs

@mycobiomics @Fabiteam1

[New Phytologist @NewPhyt]

Silent invaders: the hidden threat of asymptomatic phytobiomes to forest biosecurity

Tanney et al. @fabiteam1

📖 https://t.co/XuzW6HU5iB

[Bernard Slippers @bernardslippers]

Silent invaders: The hidden threat of asymptomatic phytobiomes to forest biosecurity
Tanney, Kemler, Vivas, Wingfield, Slippers
New Phytologist - Wiley Online Library https://t.co/dLYBJ6S6Iv
@Fabiteam1 @UPnasagric @NewPhyt

[Bernard Slippers @bernardslippers]

Advancing forest pathology: the need for community‐driven molecular experimental model systems - Oostlander, Fleißner & Slippers - New Phytologist - Wiley Online Library https://t.co/0UQodtMeUK @AnneOostlander @Fabiteam1 @UPnasagric @uptuks @tuBraunschweig

[FABI @Fabiteam1]

For this week’s #FABIFridayFeature, we’re highlighting Botrytis cinerea - a necrotrophic fungus causing grey mould in 200+ dicot plants, including lemons 🍋. It leads to petal necrosis, premature flower drop, and rind distortion.
#PlantPathology #Botrytis

[Patrick Hsu @pdhsu]

What if we could universally recombine, insert, delete, or invert any two pieces of DNA?

In back-to-back @Nature papers, we report the discovery of bridge RNAs and 3 atomic structures of the first natural RNA-guided recombinase - a new mechanism for programmable genome design

[National Research Foundation of South Africa @NRF_News]

The NRF’s 2026 Master’s and Doctoral Funding call is available here: https://t.co/bFUXeC3fug

It is compulsory for applicants to consult the NRF’s official documents (Framework, Application, and FAQ Guides) before posting queries or submitting applications.

[New Phytologist @NewPhyt]

Forest pathology molecular model system

Oostlander et al. @a_oostlander @bernardslippers @fabiteam1

📖 https://t.co/He6TVAzn73

[Tropical Plant Clinic & Research Lab @ClinicPlant]

“If it is worth sequencing 🧬, it is worth keeping it 🧫” (@CobusVisagie2). Excellent presentation on the importance of culture collections and their connection to Plant diagnostic clinics. Congratulations to the @Fabiteam1 group for their efforts to preserve fungi and make reference strains accessible to scientists working on different fields of #planthealth

#TPCP2025 #foresthealth #fungi

@UPTuks @icpp2023 @ippcnews @IUFROdivision7 @MSAFungi @plantdisease

[Alida van Dijk @AlidavanDijk4]

A thought-provoking panel discussion wraps up #TPCP2025 Day 2: exploring the complexities of building sustainable, effective partnerships between government, industry, and academia to protect forest health.
@Fabiteam1 @ICFR_SA @ForestrySa @WitsGCI @DLRRD_za

[FABI @Fabiteam1]

"Keep collecting and preserving."
Prof Cobus Visagie @CobusVisagie2 emphasises the importance of studying fungi. Having access to cultures is becoming increasingly important! 🍄
#TPCP2025 #TreeHealth #Forestry @GrainSA

[FABI @Fabiteam1]

Day 2 of the #TPCP2025 meeting is kicked off by Dr Ilaria Germishuizen @IlariaG68 @ICFR_SA! She gave an overview of remote sensing based research for forest management. 🌲
She emphasised the importance of collaboration, it is the key to the future! 🤝
#TreeHealth #Forestry

[Alida van Dijk @AlidavanDijk4]

Prof. @SteenkampEmma presents on SIGS (spray-induced gene silencing) for managing Fusarium circinatum in nurseries - exploring innovative, targeted strategies to protect young pines from this devastating pathogen. #TPCP2025 #Fusarium #TreeHealth #SIGS #FABI

[FABI @Fabiteam1]

Ms Brittney-Aidan Jamieson gives a speed talk on the development of an effective screening protocol for Quambalaria eucalypti. 🌿
#TPCP2025 #TreeHealth #Forestry

[Alida van Dijk @AlidavanDijk4]

I've been part of the diagnostic clinic for 4 years, and it's incredible to see how it's grown. Dr. @nel_wilma shared how this work - field visits, lab processing, and diagnostics - helps detect current and emerging pests & diseases. Proud to be part of it! #TPCP2025 #TreeHealth

[Alida van Dijk @AlidavanDijk4]

"Forest pests and pathogens know no boundaries.”
Prof. @IreneBarnes19 Barnes & Prof. @leptograph share lessons from the RGE-FABI Tree Health Programme: collaboration is key, monitoring is vital, and sharing tools & tech accelerates impact. #TPCP2025 #TreeHealth #FABI

[FABI @Fabiteam1]

Dr Sam van Holsbeeck @HolsbeeckSam, from the University of the Sunshine Coast, sharing his insights into solutions for priority plant pest and pathogen management in Australian forestry plantations. 🌲 #TPCP2025 #TreeHealth #Forestry

[FABI @Fabiteam1]

Prof. Brett Hurley @bphurley4, professor at the University of Pretoria, giving his talk on global perspectives on biocontrol agents in plantation forests at the annual #TPCP2025 meeting. 🌲
#TreeHealth @CropWatchAfrica