Postdoctoral Fellow

Office: 63 Heugh Road, Walmer, Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), 6065
Email: marcelvd.merwe93@gmail.com  

PhD, Microbiology, Rhodes 老虎机游戏_pt老虎机-平台*官网 (2021)

Marcel van der Merwe completed his PhD at Rhodes 老虎机游戏_pt老虎机-平台*官网 in South Africa in 2021. His research focused on yeast-baculovirus synergism to improve the efficacy of the biological control agent, Cryptophlebia leucotreta granulovirus (CrleGV-SA), used to control Thaumatotibia leucotreta or otherwise commonly known as the false codling moth. Currently, he is in his 1^st year of postdoctoral research at the Center for Biological Control (CBC) at Rhodes 老虎机游戏_pt老虎机-平台*官网. He is working on developing a UV-resistant isolate of the novel alphabaculovirus Cryptophlebia peltastica nucleopolyhedrovirus (CrpeNPV). Developing a UV-resistant CrleNPV isolate will result in longer field persistence and allow it to be used as an effective biological alternative to CrleGV-SA to control Thaumatotibia leucotreta.

Research Interests

• Insect virus
• Biological control
• Microbiology

Recent Publications

van der Merwe, M.; Jukes, M.D.; Rabalski, L.; Knox, C.; Opoku-Debrah, J.K.; Moore, S.D.; Krejmer-Rabalska, M.; Szewczyk, B.; Hill, M.P. 2017. Genome Analysis and Genetic Stability of the Cryptophlebia leucotreta Granulovirus (CrleGV-SA) after 15 Years of Commercial Use as a Biopesticide. International journal of molecular science, 18(11), pp 2327. IF 3.226

Last Modified: Tue, 07 Sep 2021 12:00:04 SAST