That’s the message from the former President of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), Dr Ronald Atlas who recently visited the University of Pretoria’s Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology.

Dr Atlas obtained his MS and PhD degrees from the Rutgers the State University and a DSc (honoris causa) from University of Guelph. He regularly advises the US government on policy issues related to the deterrence of bioterrorism.

“The atmosphere of the students at UP is inspiring. The first time that I came here was in 1996 and the quality of students has improved,” said Dr Atlas. According to Dr Atlas, South Africa is not lacking in quality when it comes to microbiology, the field of his expertise.

What is of note though is the quantity; the continent is falling short with the numbers of leading experts produced in comparison to those from first world countries.

“South Africa has the infrastructure that is conducive to the promotion of science. It can perhaps be described as competitive, especially in the field of microbiology,” concluded Dr Atlas who had been actively teaching undergraduate students at the University during his seven week visit.