Thuso Mudau

About

Thuso was born and bred in South Africa (Limpopo). She completed her BSc in Biochemistry and Microbiology (2022) and her BSc Hons in Biochemistry (2023) from the University of Venda, South Africa. Her BSc Hons research was titled “Investigating the antimicrobial activity of Staphylococcus epidermidis on TiO2 NPs”. Under the supervision of Dr Tugizimana, her MSc research focuses on metabolomics work involving the use of machine learning-based computational and bioinformatics tools to comprehensively and functionally characterize the phytochemical space of microbial plant biostimulants in maize plants. Microbial plant biostimulants caught my attention as they are extensively used in agricultural industries, owing to their ability to improve plant growth and productivity. However, these products are still relatively new and their mechanism of action remains enigmatic but analysing both molecular and cellular levels of microbial plant biostimulants using computational and bioinformatics tools will provide insights into how these biostimulants affect crop’s metabolic process and overall health. Through this research, I seek to unlock a better understanding of specific compounds within these products, their mechanism of action and also the best way to use them in agricultural industries.