UP part of global research team to present the first image of Sagittarius A*

Astronomers have unveiled the first image of the supermassive black hole at the centre of our own Milky Way galaxy. The announcement was made at simultaneous press conferences around the world. Professor Roger Deane, an Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria and Director for the Centre of Astrophysics at the University of Witwatersrand and Wits Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr Iniyan Natarajan, were part of this global collaboration with the Event Horizon Telescope team. They are the only two African-based representatives who are part of the global team of more than 300 astronomers.

Technology

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Research Matters shows how the University of Pretoria creates a world of answers by highlighting some of our most impactful and innovative research, all of which addresses society’s most pressing concerns in order to transform lives and communities.

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International Year of Plant Health (Part 4): What are we doing about it?

The research team at FABI, under the leadership of Prof Wilhelm de Beer, is engaging with various government agencies, municipalities and industries to advise on policy and strategy, and to secure funding for research projects.

A healthy tree is lush and green. The work that researchers at FABI do is to ensure that we have healthy trees for a healthy environment, ecosystem, and food supply.

In the process, they have established a research network including academics from seven other universities who will collaborate on various aspects of the PSHB invasion in the different regions.

Projects that are fully funded at present include the monitoring and impact on avocados (Prof Noelani van den Berg), macadamias (Dr Gerda Fourie), pecans (Prof Wilhelm de Beer), botanical gardens (Dr Trudy Paap and Dr Mesfin Gossa), and forestry crops (Dr Trudy Paap and others from the Tree Protection Cooperative Programme).

Ongoing projects that are partially funded include an assessment of the impact of PSHB on native trees and forests in the Southern Cape. This involves Profs Wilhelm de Beer, Francois Roets (Stellenbosch University), and Martin Hill (Rhodes University).

Envisaged projects include an exploration of biological control options and assessments of PSHB’s impact on native forests in KwaZulu-Natal, with funding committed by the Department of Environmental Affairs. In addition, the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality has committed to supporting two projects on the impact and management of PSHB in urban forests. These projects will be launched in 2020.