Prof Frances Siebert

Forbs (indigenous wildflowers in the herbaceous vegetation layer) are the most species-rich plant growth form in Africa, where they have various important ecological functions and ecosystem services to offer. The ability of forbs to tolerate natural disturbances such as fire and herbivory, as well as physiological stressors like drought and frost, has shaped their exceptional functional diversity, particularly in below-ground organism types. In my research I study the ecological significance of forbs – from their importance as medicinal and food plants to humans, livestock and game, to their contribution to the below-ground carbon pool in support of global grassland ecosystem conservation.

Prof Jonathan Taylor

The development of the microscope in the mid-1600s for the first time revealed a microscopic world. Microscopy was integral to the development of science, and with technological advances in microscopy it was discovered that one rather remarkable group of algae, the diatoms, construct their intricate cell walls from silica. These single-celled photosynthetic organisms have been the subject of detailed study since the 1830s. In my work I continue to describe and document diatom species from central and southern Africa and use them as environmental indicators of the impact of water quality.

Prof Tiny du Toit

Professor Tiny du Toit's inaugural lecture details his academic journey and future vision in AI, particularly artificial neural networks (ANNs). He recounts his transition during his PhD to automating ANN construction, leading to the development of the AutoGANN system. His postdoctoral work underscores his dedication to advancing AI applications across various fields. Looking ahead, Prof Du Toit aims to improve neural network accessibility, incorporate advanced AI tools in education, and address AI ethics issues. His vision emphasises AI as a means to enhance academic and industrial efforts, fostering innovative and responsible technological integration in society.

Prof Thekiso Seretlo

The lecture first looked at the Persian origins of algebra from Mohamed Kawarizmi in the 9th century and the development into abstract or modern algebra in the 19th century. The classification of finite simple groups, a theorem that took over 150 years to develop, was eventually finished in 1984. Finite simple groups can be classified into four types, namely cyclic groups of prime order, alternating groups of a degree greater than 4, groups of Lie type, and the 26 sporadic groups. The largest sporadic group is the Monster, of the order of about 8 x 1053 . From the finite simple groups there was an investigation into maximal subgroups of finite simple groups. Some of these maximal subgroups were group extensions, and Bernd Fischer developed a method called Clifford Fischer to compute the character tables of these groups. These were of split and non-split extensions, where the base was an elementary abelian group. Lastly, we looked at split extensions, where the base was non-abelian. A definition of three group generations and methods to compute them was given, and lastly the definitions of codes and designs and three methods to compute them was given.

Prof Mulunda Mwanza

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites that are produced by filamentous fungi such as Fusarium, Aspergillus and Penicillium. They are produced in certain environmental conditions such as nutrient availability, stress, temperature, humidity and pH that determine the production conditions . Among the most important mycotoxins are aflatoxins, fumonisins, DON and ochratoxin. The fungi and mycotoxins cause negative effects in plants, animals and humans. Environmental variabilities and mainly climate change have an effect on fungal occurrence and mycotoxin production. This has been demonstrated in our study over years.