Dr Mathabatha Evodia Setati
Nominee's Province:
Western Cape
Project Name/Description:
DECORATED SETATI RESEARCHES MICROBIAL ECOLOGY OF VINEYARD
Dr Mathabatha Evodia Setati was a runner-up in the Distinguished Researchers Natural (Physical and Life) and Engineering Sciences category in the 2018 South African Women in Science Awards. Mathabatha Evodia Setati is a senior researcher at the Institute for Wine Biotechnology in the Department of Viticulture and Oenology at Stellenbosch University. Setati’s research focuses on the microbial ecology of the vineyard and the wine fermentation ecosystem, exploring how these are influenced by different farming practices. She also investigates microbial diversity and dynamics during fermentation, and how they contribute to the chemical and sensorial properties of wine. Her findings will contribute towards identifying the key parameters that can be manipulated to enhance the activities of desirable indigenous microbiota, and may help winemakers to manage natural/spontaneous fermentations better. With an NRF C3 rating, Setati is the author of 24 peer-reviewed articles, including papers in leading international journals such as PLOS One, Frontiers in Microbiology, International Journal of Food Microbiology and Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. She is a subeditor for the South African Journal of Enology and Viticulture and a member of the South African Society for Microbiology (SASM), as well as the South African Society for Enology and Viticulture. She has served as the KwaZulu- Natal chairperson, secretary and vice-president of SASM. Setati is currently serving as a commissioner for the International Commission on Yeasts, and as a trustee for the Pioneer Foods Education and Community Trust. She has successfully supervised four doctoral, nine Master’s and 15 honours students, and is currently mentoring one postdoctoral fellow and supervising two doctoral and three Master’s students.
