Microbial research at the Centre for Applied Mycological Studies.

Globally, increasing pressure is being placed on industries to adapt chemical production processes that result in hazardous waste materials, to more acceptable biotechnological processes, where products are regarded as natural, safe for human and animal consumption and non-destructive to the environment. As a result, the use of micro-organisms such as fungi for industrial processing is becoming more relevant.

The African continent, including South Africa, has a rich diversity of climatic environments ranging from deserts to tropical forests. The unique animal and plant life on the continent is a direct result of evolutionary development through natural selection. Parallel to this, unique micro-organisms are found for which the full potential is not realised. This presents South Africa and the African continent with the opportunity to utilise its microbial resources for industrial exploitation and economic growth.

Countries all over the world have shown renewed interest in the preservation and exploitation of their indigenous micro-organisms and micro-flora. In Africa, however, the micro-flora is threatened by countries conducting studies on African micro-organisms and moving these organisms offshore. Evidence of this is the number of scientific papers on African micro-organisms published by international researchers not situated in Africa.

Locally, young scientists are leaving the country for better opportunities in other parts of the world and mycologists are concerned that basic mycology in South Africa is becoming an extinct discipline.

South Africa, and the rest of Africa, needs a centre of excellence in mycology with the necessary infrastructure and high quality mycological services to establish networks of excellence across the African continent and make an impact on the global stage. In response to this challenge, the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) at the University of Pretoria and the Bio/Chemtek business unit at the CSIR have joined forces by establishing the Centre for Applied Mycological Studies (CAMS).

CAMS aims to build capacity in the study of fungi (mycology) and utilise South Africa's fungal resources to create value within the country. It will strive to maintain local biodiversity (fungi) and protect it against the foreign exploitation. By creating an environment for international collaboration with local institutions - such as CAMS - the benefits of foreign research and development on South African fungi can flow back to the country.

The expertise of FABI in plant biotechnology and the CSIR's ability to develop biotechnologically based industrial processes, make the cooperation in CAMS highly relevant. Their combined culture collections of approximately 29 000 fungi is the largest fungal collection on the African continent, with about 4 500 fungi from food and feed commodities and 24 500 collected mainly from forests. CAMS is in a unique position - as a National Resource Centre - to develop and utilise these collections.

For further details contact Dr Gert Marais tel 012 841 3260.