Nicholas Le Maitre

I have always had a strong desire to understand the mechanisms underlying the incredible diversity in plant and animal life that we see around us in the natural world every day. Molecular Biology and genetics are my primary fields of interest. After my Honours degree I decided to focus more on applied science topics which I why I moved to plant genetics for my Masters degree, where we investigated the various pathotypes of wheat rust fungi affecting cereal production in the Western Cape. After finishing my Master's degree I worked for two years in order to make myself more financially secure. Subsequently, I began my PhD, at Stellenbosch University, entitled: "Phylogenetics and transcriptional regulation of anthocyanin synthesis in the genus Erica". We generated a comprehensive phylogeny of the entire Erica genus using conventional sequencing approaches targeted to the nuclear ITS cassette and four chloroplast genes. Using the phylogeny we began the second phase of the project, using Next Generation Sequencing, conventional sequencing, transcriptomics and qRT-PCR to find polymorphisms responsible for variation in floral colour observed within a species complex that may play a role in diversification and speciation. On completion of my PhD, I immediately continued with a Post Doctoral Fellowship in the same laboratory where we used the methodology from my PhD and expanded it across the Erica genus, including nearly 30 species or subspecies where colour shifts have occurred. We showed conclusive evidence that these colour shifts and associated changes in a suite of characteristics are involved in speciation. Using RT-qPCR and UPLC-MS/MS we identified the molecular changes that have putatitively caused these changes and showed that they conform to accepted theories of evolution. I am currently busy with a second Post Doctoral Fellowship at the University of the Free State where my main focus is on introgression of introduced Celtis species with native Celtis africana and whether this presents a threat to our native biodiversity.