Botany & Plant Biotechnology

The Department of Botany & Plant Biotechnology is proud to be one of the few standalone botany departments in South Africa. We offer all the three core disciplines in the field i.e. Plant Taxonomy, Plant Anatomy and Plant Physiology, both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. In addition, we offer applied fields such as biotechnology and molecular biology. Furthermore, we present Life Sciences to BEd students registered in the Faculty of Education. Our research focuses on several aspects including anatomy, biotechnology, chemotaxonomy & ethnobotany, medicinal plants, pre & post-harvest physiology, plant taxonomy, systematics and agro-processing. The Department is host to a SARChI Chair in Indigenous Plant Use (one of three in the faculty) and a Research Centre in DNA Barcoding (one of six in the faculty).

Noticeboard

African Centre for DNA Barcoding
The mission of the African Centre for DNA Barcoding is to fill the knowledge gap and strengthen research frameworks for international, regional and inter-institutional co-operation in Africa, especially within the modern field of DNA technology for biodiversity science – such as DNA barcoding.

Indigenous Plant Use Forum
The IPUF was started to “promote the cultural, socio-economic and scientific benefits to be derived from the sustainable use of the southern African flora”.