Research Group: Antibiotic resistance and emerging pathogens

Group head
Name:	Prof Marthie M Ehlers
E-mail:	[email protected]
Telephone:	012 319 2170

A brief description of research activities:
The research performed in the research group under the supervision of Prof Marthie Ehlers forms part of One Health which is an interdisciplinary field where the Human-Animal-Environmental interfaces of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases are investigated. The research focuses mainly on Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus. aureus [with special emphasis on Methicillin- resistance S. aureus (MRSA)], coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) and Enterococcus species implicated in human and animal infections and diseases. The genetic versatility of the staphylococci has facilitated the evolution of many virulent and antibiotic resistance strains, resulting in a major and constantly changing clinical challenge. Continuous surveillance in clinical settings as well as from animal and water samples forms a crucial part of this research to determine the identity of circulating clonal complexes. Diverse genotyping techniques are implemented to monitor the emergence of specific epidemic and pandemic clonal complexes while whole genome sequencing analysis is used to elucidate the unique antibiotic resistance and virulence profiles of these pathogens. This research envisages to determine the potential public health risk and to provide a better understanding of the interplay between; ecology, evolutionary dynamics and natural selection in the prediction and prevention of outbreaks of infectious diseases. On-going research on cystic fibrosis has been expanded and collaboration with the University of Maastricht, the Netherlands has been established in 2016. The main focus was on the antibiotic resistance and virulence characteristics of S. aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in CF patients. This has now been expanded to investigate the role and expression of relevant virulence genes during the infection process. The research has been expanded to include other respiratory conditions such as bronchiectasis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Microbiome and metagenomic studies are underway in 2017. A metabolomics approach will be used to determine the most dominant metabolites which provide insight into the most active pathways in these polymicrobial infections. The various research projects fall within the research scopes of the Animal Zoonotic diseases-, Genomics- and Institute of Cellular and Molecular Medicine Institutional research themes of the University of Pretoria and the UP Water Institute/ Rand Water Public Health Chair.

Group members:
Name	Position	Qualification(s)	e-mail address
Prof MM Ehlers	Group leader	PhD + Post-doctoral	[email protected]
Dr MM Kock	Co-leader	PhD + Post-doctoral	[email protected]

Postgraduate students:
Name	Position	Qualification(s)	e-mail address
Mr J Bolukaoto	PhD student	MSc degree	[email protected]
Ms T Goolam-Mahomed	PhD student	MSc degree	[email protected]
Ms T Hamiwe	PhD student	MSc degree	[email protected]>
Ms R Naidoo	PhD student	MSc degree	[email protected]
Dr S Ogundare	PhD student	MSc degree	[email protected]
Mr T Mashe	PhD student	MSc degree	[email protected]
Dr V Ueckermann	PhD student	MSc degree	[email protected]
Mrs D Gado	PhD student	MSc degree	[email protected]
Dr C van Wyk	PhD student	PhD degree	[email protected]
Ms C Koekemoer	MSc student	BSc Hons degree	[email protected]
Mr T Duba	MSc student	BSc Hons degree	[email protected]
Mrs K Addison	MSc student	BSc Hons degree	[email protected]
Ms R Mogale	MSc Student	BSc Hons degree	[email protected]
Ms K Gama	MSc student	BSc Hons degree	[email protected]
Mr J Makumbi	BSc Hons student	BSc degree	[email protected]
Mr B Mynhardt	BSc Hons student	BSc degree	[email protected]

Post-graduate students graduated in the past 5 years:
Name	Degree	Date of qualification
Ms K Gama	BSc Hons degree	2018
Ms T Hamiwe	MSc degree	2018
Ms L Maboko	MSc degree	2018
Ms R Naidoo	MSc degree	2018
Mr J Steyn	MSc degree	2018
Mr S Redelinghuys	PhD degree	2018
Ms R Mogale	BSc Hons degree	2017
Ms MB Motsei	BSc Hons degree	2017
Mrs KL Addison	BSc Hons degree	2017
Mr JE Louw	MSc degree	2017
Ms M Potgieter	MSc degree	2017
Mr JT Sethowa	MSc degree	2017
Dr T Schmidt	PhD degree	2017
Ms C Koekemoer	BSc Hons degree	2016
Mr J Steyn	BSc Hons degree	2016
Ms R Naidoo	BSc Hons degree	2016
Ms K Moloto	BSc Hons degree	2016
Ms N Pruis	BSc Hons degree	2016
Ms S Majola	BSc Hons degree (Cum laude)	2016
Mr R Schwim	MSc degree (Cum laude)	2016
Ms HS Jung	MSc degree (Cum laude)	2016
Mr N Schoonraad	MSc degree (Cum laude)	2016
Ms W Strasheim	MSc degree (Cum laude)	2016
Ms T Goolam Mahomed	MSc degree (Cum laude)	2016
Ms M Lowings	MSc degree (Cum laude)	2016
Mrs T Adelowotan	PhD degree	2016
Ms T Hamiwe	BSc Hons degree	2015
Ms T Mhlafu	BSc Hons degree	2015
Ms S Humby	BSc Hons degree	2015
Mr R dos Santos	MSc degree	2015
Mr Osizigbo	MSc degree	2015
Ms M de Jesus	MSc degree	2015
Ms I Barakzai	MSc degree	2015
Ms A Salawu	MSc degree	2014
Mr S Redelinghuys	MSc degree	2014
Ms T Maphanga	MSc degree	2014
Ms I Rukasha	MSc degree	2014
Ms M Potgieter	BSc Hons degree	2014
Ms HS Jung	BSc Hons degree (Cum laude)	2014
Ms M Lowings	BSc Hons degree	2014
Mr R Schwim	BSc Hons degree	2014

National and international collaborations:
National:
Prof R Green	HOD of Paediatrics, University of Pretoria
Prof A Goga	Department of Paediatrics, University of Pretoria
Prof A Stolt	Internal Medicine, University of Pretoria
Prof L M McGaw	Par Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pretoria
Prof R Masekela	University of KwaZulu Natal
Prof R Peters	Anova
Dr J Thomas	NICD
Dr A Smith	NICD
Dr M Alley	NICD
Prof FO Fasina	Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria
International:
African working group on Staphylococci
Prof R Peters	Maastricht University, the Netherlands
Prof J Pitout	Calgary University, Canada
Prof Val Robertson	Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Zimbabwe
Prof Robert A Kingsley	Quadram Institute Bioscience, United Kingdom
Dr. Sekesai Zinyowera	National Microbiology Reference Laboratory, Ministry of Health and Child Care, Zimbabwe

Visiting guests:
Prof Johnn Pitout: From the University of Calgary, Canada and Extraordinary Professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology, UP, visited the department from 3 to 11 September 2018.

NRF rated members of the group:
Prof MM Ehlers: C3 rated scientist.

Updated 13/02/2019

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