CenGen - Plant & Pathogen Genomic Services

CenGen offers various genomics-related services to plant breeders, producers and agricultural-related industries. The focus is to implement and utilise high-throughput molecular technologies in various applications involving crop and horticultural plants as well as fungi (e.g. wheat, barley, maize, grapevine, citrus, deciduous fruit- and nut trees, truffles and a range of plant pathogens).

We are flexible in terms of experimental layout and sample size and customise projects according to every client’s needs.

Applications Include:

Cultivar identity determinations and purity testing using DNA fingerprinting techniques
Confirmation of the presence or absence of specific genes to assist in selection of breeding lines (marker-assisted selection)
Confirmation of species’ identity (e.g. for truffle production)
CenGen is also engaged in Research and Development by means of our involvement in various academic research projects in which we develop many of the tools we apply to the benefit of the industry

Latest News, Events & Articles

What pecan is this? Detective CenGen “Holmes” comes to Prieska

For research scientists, a “quick fix” is basically a foreign concept. Research and development takes time, and often a project runs over multiple years before an answer (and a scientific publication) is reached. Therefore, when we get to put our applied science coats on it is very satisfying when we are able to provide a… Read More »

Plant breeders from Africa celebrated

The Southern African Plant Breeders’ Association (SAPBA) has recently announced the twenty most influential plant breeders in Africa for 2020. We are proud to be able to say that some of our long standing colleagues and collaborators have been included in this list (available for download below). Congratulations to all and thank you for the… Read More »

From wine grape protoplasts to wheat genes – changing gears after a very successful study

In January 2021, Ms Shannon Derman will join CenGen as part of the wheat gene cloning team. Shannon recently completed her master’s degree at Stellenbosch University under the supervision of Prof Melané Vivier at the Institute for Wine Biotechnology (IWBT). During the course of her project, “Protoplast-based biotechnology methods for Vitis vinifera”, she gained valuable experience… Read More »

White headed wheat = smiling scientists

For crop producers the presence of any disease is a dreaded and much unwelcome situation. But for researchers like us, disease is the one thing that you want most in a disease resistance trial. In fact, most trials are inoculated with the pathogen in question to ensure that resistant and susceptible plants in the trial… Read More »

Pruning out the genetics of plums

We are always excited when we get requests for something “new” that we haven’t worked on before. One such request was from Provar, an independent cultivar evaluation company, who wanted to see whether there was a genetic reason for low fruit set observed in some local Japanese plum orchards. Together with Carl Hörstmann, we could determine… Read More »

DIPLOMICS connects SA Agri-industry with Omics

CenGen gratefully acknowledges the role that the DIPLOMICS network plays in strengthening our service capacity to the SA Agri-industry. They recently filmed footage at our laboratory and at our collaborators at SABBI and Sensako to create a profile of CenGen as part of the DIPLOMICS Network Partner Profile Series. Please click on the link below… Read More »

Surveying Ramularia (in the lab)

At CenGen we strive towards doing relevant research that can be applied directly to benefit the agricultural industry. One such project is the development of a molecular tool for the rapid identification of the seed borne fungus Ramularia collo-cygni (Rcc). This will enable producers to make quick decisions about the treatment of their barley fields.… Read More »

No lockdown on knowledge transfer

With the COVID pandemic and the ensuing lockdown, many events had to be postponed or even cancelled. In other cases, innovativeness and technology made it possible for the event to continue, albeit in a different format. September usually is one of the busiest months at CenGen, with field trials, producers’ days and meetings at the… Read More »

Budding new intern technician joins CenGen on Spring day

On September 1st, with snow-capped mountains in the background, Benny Leriba has put down his roots in Worcester to work at CenGen as an intern, sponsored by the South African Cultivar & Technology Agency (SACTA). Already on his first day he had to spring into action with Alana showing him the ropes on entering accessions… Read More »