Tersia Conradie

Postdoc Apr 2021 -

Environmental Microbiology, Stellenbosch University

I am currently a postdoctoral researcher in the field of microbial ecology, environmental microbiology.

My current research focuses on different crop rotations methods used in the agricultural sector of South Africa, with specific focus on maize and wheat, and how this might have an influence on the microbiome and overall soil health. Techniques used in this project include molecular biology, next generation sequencing (NGS) or high-throughput amplicon sequencing, and processing of these data generated with Mothur and R (some bioinformatics).

As a side project, I am also working closely with Geology in identifying the microbiome of natural hotsprings situated in the Western Cape of South Africa with different manganese concentrations.

The project of my PhD was on the isolation of a difficult to culture phylum (Acidobacteriota) and identifying novel species, as well as a general distribution pattern of this phylum in fynbos soils of the Western Cape of South Africa. We also looked at the effect of agriculture and seasonal variations on the distribution and relative abundance of the Acidobacteriota within these soils using high-throughput sequencing.

Stellenbosch University 2018 - 2021

Field of study: Microbiology
Degree: Ph.D

Stellenbosch University 2015 - 2017

Field of study: Microbiology
Degree: MSc

Stellenbosch University 2014 - 2014

Field of study: Microbiology
Degree: BSc Honours

Stellenbosch University 2011 - 2013

Field of study: Molecular biology and biotechnology
Degree: BSc