The Discipline of Plant Pathology is currently conducting a number of research projects. Below is some of their latest research projects and publications.
Mastitis in Dairy Cows
Prof Mark Laing is presently conducting studies to utilize bacteriophages to combat mastitis in dairy cows.
Staphyloccocus aureus can infect the udders of cows, causing mastitis. This costs the dairy industry millions of rands every year.
Worse still, the antibiotics being used to control mastitis are not working against resistant Staph aureus strains.
This project is about finding beneficial viruses that infect and kill Staph aureus strains on cows, to provide an alternative treatment technology.
Watch this video below and see what alternative for antibiotics Prof Laing is working on.