AOAC Africa Section‘s Shandry Mmatsetshaba Tebele, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Cape Town, has been recognised on a global scale with the AOAC / EUROFINS “Testing for Life“ award, which was presented at this week’s AOAC INTERNATIONAL Annual Meeting and Exposition in New Orleans, USA.
Shandry‘s entry was selected ahead of strong competition from candidates worldwide. It recognises her research to investigate the plant microbiome of resurrection plants under abiotic stresses, so as to identify microbes that can confer drought tolerance to the host plant.
She explains: “My interest involves understanding the tripartite interactions of plants, soil, and microbes, which may ultimately be leveraged to improve tolerance in drought–sensitive crops and improve food security. My passion for science has been driven by promoting sustainable agriculture through the implementation of innovative strategies. I’m excited to receive the AOAC/Eurofins Foundation “Testing for Life” Student Award at the 2023 AOAC INTERNATIONAL Annual Meeting and Exposition in New Orleans. It is remarkable for my research work to be internationally recognised by AOAC International and I’m grateful for this opportunity.“
Congratulating Shandry for her achievement, AOAC Africa President Winta Sintayehu said: “First and most important, huge congratulations to Shandry from everyone at AOAC Africa for this great achievement - we are all very proud of her. AOAC Africa is committed to giving all possible help and support to our young scientists - after all, our continent has the world‘s youngest population, and if we are not developing our future talent we are short-changing ourselves. That is why AOAC Africa will continue to put our young scientists at the forefront of the Section‘s future development plans. Well done, Shandry; and I hope you serve as an inspiration to others in our region!“
Adding his own compliments, AOAC INTERNATIONAL Executive Director Dave B. Schmidt said: “We are thrilled to have Shandry with us in New Orleans to accept her award, and we congratulate her on her impressive achievement!"
From L to R: AOAC Past President Owen Fraser, Shandry Mmatsetshaba Tebele, AOAC Africa President Winta Sintayehu
