The University of KwaZulu Natal, hosted the joint biannual conferences of South African Genetics Society and the South African Society for Bioinformatics (SAGS-SASBI) in Durban from the 20th to 23rd of September 2016. Drs Aletta Bester-van der Merwe and Clint Rhode led the large Stellenbosch contingent from the Molecular Breeding and Biodiversity (MBB) group, including three PhD-, five MSc and three Hons-candidates. All students presented oral- and/or poster presentations resulting in a total of 12 conference contributions. Kelvin Hull (BScHons candidate) won the best student poster award for his work on forensic identification of commercially exploited sharks. Both Drs Bester-van der Merwe and Rhode were re-elected to the South African Genetics Society's Executive Committee as Marketing and Communication officer and Treasurer respectively. Simo Maduna, a PhD candidate also involved in shark genetics research, was elected as student representative.
Back: Kelvin Hull (Hons), Gibbs Kuguru (MSc), Tassin Jackson (Hons), Rozane Badenhorst (MSc)
Front: Francois Jenkins (MSc), Ruth Dale Kuys (PhD), Marioné Niemandt (MSc), Simo Maduna (PhD), Melt Hugo (Hons), Dr Clint Rhode, Dr Aletta Bester-van der Merwe, Khethani Mhelembe (PhD)
