Dr Fanele Mnguni

About

I am a bacteriologist exploring fungal 'omics. My academic interest is mainly in the plant-microbe interactions, with a keen interest in the genomics side of it all. My current research focuses on understanding the biosynthetic gene clusters responsible for producing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that serve as repellents and attractants, produced by Fusarium species in relation to theEldana saccharina pest. These volatile compounds may encourage insects to bore into sugarcane stalks, creating entry points for infection. Recent findings indicate that F. sacchari and F. pseudonygamai produce volatile compounds that show promise as biocontrol agents for the E. saccharina pest. This work is funded by the South African Sugarcane Research Institute (SASRI). I previously was a PhD student here at the University of Pretoria, working on bacterial genomics of onion opportunistic species causing onion bulb rot.

Highlights

Articles

Mnguni, F.C., Shin, G.Y., du Toit, L.J., Derie, M.L. and Coutinho, T.A., 2025. Ewingella allii sp. nov. isolated from a diseased onion plant in the Columbia Basin of Washington State, USA. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, 118(8), p.115.

Mnguni, F.C., Shin, G.Y., Aegerter, B.J., Toit, L.J.D., Derie, M.L. and Coutinho, T.A., 2025. Draft genome sequences of Rahnella perminowiae, R. aceris, and R. aquatilis isolated from onion bulbs (Allium cepa L.) displaying symptoms of bacterial rot.Journal of Plant Pathology, pp.1-5.

Mnguni, F.C., Padayachee, T., Chen, W., Gront, D., Yu, J.H., Nelson, D.R. and Syed, K., 2020. More P450s are involved in secondary metabolite biosynthesis in Streptomyces compared to Bacillus, Cyanobacteria, and Mycobacterium.International journal of molecular sciences, 21(13), p.4814.