Dr Maretha O'Kennedy

Background

Dr Maretha O’Kennedy is a Specialist Scientist in cereal transgenics at CSIR Biosciences. Her key competence focuses on cereal genetic engineering to improve nutritional quality and disease resistance.

Research interests

Genetic engineering of cereal food crops (maize, pearl millet and sorghum) using Agrobacterium- and biolistic-mediated transformation to confer mainly fungal resistance and improved nutritional quality. Senior Scientist participating in the Africa Biofortified sorghum project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Successful application of a South Africa-UK Science Networks Exploratory visit (October 2008) to fund five senior scientists to visit Prof Peter Beyer, Dr Paul Fraser at the Royal Holloway, University of London, Prof Peter Shewry at Rothamsted Research and Prof David Baulcombe at the University of Cambridge.

International and national activities and collaboration:

Scientific coordinator of European Commission funded project entitled: “Genetic enhancement of nutritional quality of grain sorghum” (project number ICA4-CT-2000-30033) with partners from the UK, Israel, Ghana and Belgium.

Partner in two additional international funded European Commission INCO-DEV 5th framework contracts ERBIC18-CT98 0316 and ICA4-CT-2000-30034 entitled: Genetic enhancement of pearl millet for downy mildew resistance” and “Genetic improvement of maize to enhance food safety by introducing resistance to Fusarium moniliforme/verticillioides”, respectively. Collaboration with partners from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Israel, Italy, Ghana, Zambia, as well as ARC and University of Pretoria in South Africa.

Scientific coordinator of a South African National Research Foundation (NRF) Innovation fund project entitled: “Genetic engineering of maize for increased tolerance to pests and pathogens indigenous to South Africa”, August 2002 – July 2005, collaborating with the University of Cape Town, University of Pretoria, and the Agricultural Research Counsel – Grain Crops Institute (ARC-GCI).

Senior Scientist participating in the Africa Biofortified sorghum project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Successful application of a South Africa-UK Science Networks Exploratory visit (October 2008) to fund myself and four accompanying senior scientists to visit Prof Peter Bramley and Dr Paul Fraser at the Royal Holloway, University of London, Prof Peter Shewry at Rothamsted Research and Prof David Baulcombe at the University of Cambridge.

Contact information

Dr Maretha O’Kennedy, Tel: +27 12 841 2535, Fax: +27 12 841 3651