Ashwil Klein | University of the Western Cape (original) (raw)
Ashwil Klein is an Associate Professor in Biotechnology at the University of the Western Cape, where the lead the Proteomics Unit and Plant Omics Laboratory. His academic journey includes earning a PhD in Biotechnology, completing a postdoctoral fellowship, and participating in the prestigious DHET Future Professors Programme, designed to develop senior academics. With over a decade of experience, Prof Klein is deeply involved in curriculum development, administration, and teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, while also contributing to departmental leadership as Deputy Chairperson.
His research focuses on plant biotechnology, with an emphasis on sustainable agriculture, plant stress biology, and biocontrol systems. To date, they have supervised more than 70 postgraduate students, including 8 PhD candidates, and co-authored 78 peer-reviewed research outputs, which have garnered over 1800 citations with an H-index of 24.
As an academic mentor, Prof Klein is committed to guiding emerging research scholars and collaborates with international peers in the United States, Switzerland, Kenya, the Netherlands, and Japan. His contributions to academic leadership include serving on faculty committees and national review panels for funding applications.
Beyond academia, Prof Klein is passionate about community engagement, working to empower subsistence farmers through training in sustainable practices and contributing to research-driven projects that benefit communities across South Africa. Dedicated to advancing science and education, Prof Klein strives to foster academic excellence, mentor future researchers, and address societal challenges through innovative and sustainable solutions.
Phone: +27 21 959 3327
Address: Department of Biotechnology
Life Science Building
Core 1, Room 2.17
Robert Sobukwe Road
Bellville
7535
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Papers by Ashwil Klein
University of the Western Cape, 2019
Journal of crop science and biotechnology, Feb 26, 2024
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Infectious diseases are constantly evolving to bypass antibiotics or create resistance against th... more Infectious diseases are constantly evolving to bypass antibiotics or create resistance against them. There is a piercing alarm for the need to improve the design of new effective antimicrobial agents such as antimicrobial peptides which are less prone to resistance and possess high sensitivity. This would guard public health in combating and overcoming stubborn pathogens and mitigate incurable diseases; however, the emergence of antimicrobial peptides’ shortcomings ranging from untimely degradation by enzymes to difficulty in the design against specific targets is a major bottleneck in achieving these objectives. This review is aimed at highlighting the recent progress in antimicrobial peptide development in the area of nanotechnology-based delivery, selectivity indices, synthesis and characterization, their doping and coating, and the shortfall of these approaches. This review will raise awareness of antimicrobial peptides as prospective therapeutic agents in the medical and pharma...
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis
Science of The Total Environment
Nature Reviews Microbiology
Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism
Technologies in Plant Biotechnology and Breeding of Field Crops, 2022
Microbiology Resource Announcements
We report the draft whole-genome sequence of the putative endophytic fungus Penicillium simplicis... more We report the draft whole-genome sequence of the putative endophytic fungus Penicillium simplicissimum A4, isolated from the roots of Echium plantagineum plants. The genome was sequenced using PacBio technology with an estimated genome size of 39 Mb.
South African Journal of Botany, 2018
that these five lineages are morphologically distinct and are hypothesized to be genetically diff... more that these five lineages are morphologically distinct and are hypothesized to be genetically different from each other, this study combines molecular and morphological data to test the extent of variability present among lineages. Linear morphometric data such as spine length, spine angle, spine diameter, spine form and area of the cladodes suggest these are distinct lineages. These data can also identify if the Kenyan lineage matches one or more of the South African lineages. Such comparisons will simplify host specificity testing of suitable biocontrol agents. Collectively, this information enables the identification of an appropriate biotype of D. opuntiae that can be used to control the relevant lineage(s) of O. engelmannii in South Africa and Kenya.
South African Journal of Botany, 2018
South African Journal of Botany, 2018
monitorimg changes in plant growth, biomass, chlorophyll and proline content after 14 days post i... more monitorimg changes in plant growth, biomass, chlorophyll and proline content after 14 days post infection (dpi). Shoot and root lengths was significantly reduced in infected plants. A similar trend was observed for shoot and root dry weights. Photosynthetic metabolism was also significantly altered in infected plants, as seen by the reduction in total chlorophyll content. However, proline content was augmented under infection when compared to the control plants. Although proline accumulation is associated with tolerance under abiotic stress conditions, we hypothesize that it is connected with sensitivity. We therefore suggest that proline cannot always act to relieve physiological stress, but rather be used as a stress indicator under pathogen infection.
South African Journal of Botany, 2018
This study investigated the effect of Bacillus subtilis and elevated temperature on seed germinat... more This study investigated the effect of Bacillus subtilis and elevated temperature on seed germination indices and plumule lengths of three cowpea genotypes (Asetanapa, Soronko and Nyira) from Ghana. The experimental treatments included cowpea seeds treated with B. subtilis (B+) and without B. subtilis (B-), and each treatment was incubated at six different temperature regimes (10°C, 25°C, 30°C, 35°C, 40°C and 45°C) for seven days. A standard germination test (three replicates of 30 seeds per genotype per treatment) was carried to determine the following germination indices; germination percentage (G%), germination index (GI) and germination rate index (GRI). The interaction of B. subtilis and temperature significantly influenced the germination indices and plumule length of cowpea seedlings and the differences in genotype response were significant. The highest germination percentage was for Nyira (98.6%) followed by Soronko (84.8%) seeds treated with the bacteria (B+) and without bacteria (B-), respectively, and incubated at 35°C. With or without B. subtillis, all three genotypes incubated at 10°C and 40°C had the lowest germination percentages compared to those incubated at 25°C, 35°C and 30°C. In general, Nyira seeds treated with B. subtilis and Soronko seeds without the bacteria obtained the fastest germination rates (lowest GI and GRI values) compared to Asetanapa seeds treated either with or without the bacteria. Soronko seeds inoculated with B. subtilis and incubated at 35°C for seven days had the longest plumule (2.06 cm) compared to the other genotypes under similar conditions.
South African Journal of Botany, 2018
Increasing antibiotic resistance has created significant challenges, resulting in a worldwide nee... more Increasing antibiotic resistance has created significant challenges, resulting in a worldwide need for new drugs. Diverse bioactive natural products are produced by microorganisms, with several bioactivities including antimicrobial, anticancer, antiparasitic and immunosuppressant activities, which have various applications in agriculture, human and animal health. The challenge to discover new microbial compounds is growing as the number of re-isolated, known metabolites increases. The genomes of microorganisms, especially fungi, contain a larger number of gene clusters that are useful as natural products than originally expected. Mining the full genome sequences of fungi has revealed a greater than anticipated capacity to offer natural products. Applying alternative approaches and strategies is necessary to discover novel lead compounds. Cocultivation is an appropriate approach for inducing synthesis of natural products, especially for in vitro cultured microorganisms. It represents an important approach of enhancing secondary metabolism by providing appropriate physiological conditions, including competition and communication between microorganisms. Fungal-fungal, fungalbacterium and bacterium-bacterium co-culture studies have shown promising effects on secondary metabolism. We recently discovered an interesting interaction during mixed fermentation of Streptomyces sp. and the zygomycete fungus Lichtheimia corymbifera JMRC:SF:009682. This was the first co-culture reported between a streptomycete and the zygomycete fungus L. corymbifera. LC/MS chromatograms detected increased secondary metabolites of L. corymbifera in co-culture with Streptomyces sp. 447. Cyclotetrapeptides 1, 2 and 3 produced by Streptomyces sp. 447 mono-culture were not found in all co-culture combinations. This supports determination of efficient co-cultivation strategies to produce new secondary metabolites.
South African Journal of Botany, 2018
Increasing antibiotic resistance has created significant challenges, resulting in a worldwide nee... more Increasing antibiotic resistance has created significant challenges, resulting in a worldwide need for new drugs. Diverse bioactive natural products are produced by microorganisms, with several bioactivities including antimicrobial, anticancer, antiparasitic and immunosuppressant activities, which have various applications in agriculture, human and animal health. The challenge to discover new microbial compounds is growing as the number of re-isolated, known metabolites increases. The genomes of microorganisms, especially fungi, contain a larger number of gene clusters that are useful as natural products than originally expected. Mining the full genome sequences of fungi has revealed a greater than anticipated capacity to offer natural products. Applying alternative approaches and strategies is necessary to discover novel lead compounds. Cocultivation is an appropriate approach for inducing synthesis of natural products, especially for in vitro cultured microorganisms. It represents an important approach of enhancing secondary metabolism by providing appropriate physiological conditions, including competition and communication between microorganisms. Fungal-fungal, fungalbacterium and bacterium-bacterium co-culture studies have shown promising effects on secondary metabolism. We recently discovered an interesting interaction during mixed fermentation of Streptomyces sp. and the zygomycete fungus Lichtheimia corymbifera JMRC:SF:009682. This was the first co-culture reported between a streptomycete and the zygomycete fungus L. corymbifera. LC/MS chromatograms detected increased secondary metabolites of L. corymbifera in co-culture with Streptomyces sp. 447. Cyclotetrapeptides 1, 2 and 3 produced by Streptomyces sp. 447 mono-culture were not found in all co-culture combinations. This supports determination of efficient co-cultivation strategies to produce new secondary metabolites.
Planta, Feb 5, 2024
Main conclusion Plant Biomarkers are objective indicators of a plant's cellular state in response... more Main conclusion Plant Biomarkers are objective indicators of a plant's cellular state in response to abiotic and biotic stress factors. They can be explored in crop breeding and engineering to produce stress-tolerant crop species.
Applied Sciences
The future of pesticide usage in agriculture is uncertain due to its unsustainability, adverse en... more The future of pesticide usage in agriculture is uncertain due to its unsustainability, adverse environmental impacts, and its association in enhanced phytopathogen resistance. Hence, this situation urges the development of new sustainable practices in agriculture. A promising approach involves endophytes, which are non-pathogenic microorganisms inhabiting the interior parts of plants. However, due to the vast diversity and complexity of plant microbiomes, a major gap has formed with regards to endophytic research and its application in phytopathogen biocontrol. The gap has mainly been increasing due to the difficulty of isolating underrepresented endophytes and due to limitation of previous genetic tools availability to further research and understand plant-microbe interaction, endophytic biocontrol capabilities and their biocontrol compounds. This review highlights the current challenges being encountered in this research field. Additionally, the research advances through utilizati...
Frontiers in Microbiology
IntroductionEssential oils (EOs) have been demonstrated as efficacious against B. cinerea. Howeve... more IntroductionEssential oils (EOs) have been demonstrated as efficacious against B. cinerea. However, the underpinning enzymatic and proteomic mechanism for these inhibitory effects is not entirely clear.MethodsThus, this study examined the effects of lemon (Le) and lemongrass (Lg) EOs (individually and in combination) against B. cinerea based on enzymatic and proteomic analyses. Proteomics data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD038894.Results and discussionBoth EOs (individually and in combination) displayed abilities to induce scavenging as observed with the reduction of H2O2. Measured malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were increased in all EOs treated B. cinerea mycelia compared to the control. Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity was highest in Lg treated B. cinerea (206% increase), followed by combined (Le + Lg) treatment with 73% compared to the untreated control. Based on GC-MS analysis, the number of volatile compounds identified i...
University of the Western Cape, 2019
Journal of crop science and biotechnology, Feb 26, 2024
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Infectious diseases are constantly evolving to bypass antibiotics or create resistance against th... more Infectious diseases are constantly evolving to bypass antibiotics or create resistance against them. There is a piercing alarm for the need to improve the design of new effective antimicrobial agents such as antimicrobial peptides which are less prone to resistance and possess high sensitivity. This would guard public health in combating and overcoming stubborn pathogens and mitigate incurable diseases; however, the emergence of antimicrobial peptides’ shortcomings ranging from untimely degradation by enzymes to difficulty in the design against specific targets is a major bottleneck in achieving these objectives. This review is aimed at highlighting the recent progress in antimicrobial peptide development in the area of nanotechnology-based delivery, selectivity indices, synthesis and characterization, their doping and coating, and the shortfall of these approaches. This review will raise awareness of antimicrobial peptides as prospective therapeutic agents in the medical and pharma...
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis
Science of The Total Environment
Nature Reviews Microbiology
Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism
Technologies in Plant Biotechnology and Breeding of Field Crops, 2022
Microbiology Resource Announcements
We report the draft whole-genome sequence of the putative endophytic fungus Penicillium simplicis... more We report the draft whole-genome sequence of the putative endophytic fungus Penicillium simplicissimum A4, isolated from the roots of Echium plantagineum plants. The genome was sequenced using PacBio technology with an estimated genome size of 39 Mb.
South African Journal of Botany, 2018
that these five lineages are morphologically distinct and are hypothesized to be genetically diff... more that these five lineages are morphologically distinct and are hypothesized to be genetically different from each other, this study combines molecular and morphological data to test the extent of variability present among lineages. Linear morphometric data such as spine length, spine angle, spine diameter, spine form and area of the cladodes suggest these are distinct lineages. These data can also identify if the Kenyan lineage matches one or more of the South African lineages. Such comparisons will simplify host specificity testing of suitable biocontrol agents. Collectively, this information enables the identification of an appropriate biotype of D. opuntiae that can be used to control the relevant lineage(s) of O. engelmannii in South Africa and Kenya.
South African Journal of Botany, 2018
South African Journal of Botany, 2018
monitorimg changes in plant growth, biomass, chlorophyll and proline content after 14 days post i... more monitorimg changes in plant growth, biomass, chlorophyll and proline content after 14 days post infection (dpi). Shoot and root lengths was significantly reduced in infected plants. A similar trend was observed for shoot and root dry weights. Photosynthetic metabolism was also significantly altered in infected plants, as seen by the reduction in total chlorophyll content. However, proline content was augmented under infection when compared to the control plants. Although proline accumulation is associated with tolerance under abiotic stress conditions, we hypothesize that it is connected with sensitivity. We therefore suggest that proline cannot always act to relieve physiological stress, but rather be used as a stress indicator under pathogen infection.
South African Journal of Botany, 2018
This study investigated the effect of Bacillus subtilis and elevated temperature on seed germinat... more This study investigated the effect of Bacillus subtilis and elevated temperature on seed germination indices and plumule lengths of three cowpea genotypes (Asetanapa, Soronko and Nyira) from Ghana. The experimental treatments included cowpea seeds treated with B. subtilis (B+) and without B. subtilis (B-), and each treatment was incubated at six different temperature regimes (10°C, 25°C, 30°C, 35°C, 40°C and 45°C) for seven days. A standard germination test (three replicates of 30 seeds per genotype per treatment) was carried to determine the following germination indices; germination percentage (G%), germination index (GI) and germination rate index (GRI). The interaction of B. subtilis and temperature significantly influenced the germination indices and plumule length of cowpea seedlings and the differences in genotype response were significant. The highest germination percentage was for Nyira (98.6%) followed by Soronko (84.8%) seeds treated with the bacteria (B+) and without bacteria (B-), respectively, and incubated at 35°C. With or without B. subtillis, all three genotypes incubated at 10°C and 40°C had the lowest germination percentages compared to those incubated at 25°C, 35°C and 30°C. In general, Nyira seeds treated with B. subtilis and Soronko seeds without the bacteria obtained the fastest germination rates (lowest GI and GRI values) compared to Asetanapa seeds treated either with or without the bacteria. Soronko seeds inoculated with B. subtilis and incubated at 35°C for seven days had the longest plumule (2.06 cm) compared to the other genotypes under similar conditions.
South African Journal of Botany, 2018
Increasing antibiotic resistance has created significant challenges, resulting in a worldwide nee... more Increasing antibiotic resistance has created significant challenges, resulting in a worldwide need for new drugs. Diverse bioactive natural products are produced by microorganisms, with several bioactivities including antimicrobial, anticancer, antiparasitic and immunosuppressant activities, which have various applications in agriculture, human and animal health. The challenge to discover new microbial compounds is growing as the number of re-isolated, known metabolites increases. The genomes of microorganisms, especially fungi, contain a larger number of gene clusters that are useful as natural products than originally expected. Mining the full genome sequences of fungi has revealed a greater than anticipated capacity to offer natural products. Applying alternative approaches and strategies is necessary to discover novel lead compounds. Cocultivation is an appropriate approach for inducing synthesis of natural products, especially for in vitro cultured microorganisms. It represents an important approach of enhancing secondary metabolism by providing appropriate physiological conditions, including competition and communication between microorganisms. Fungal-fungal, fungalbacterium and bacterium-bacterium co-culture studies have shown promising effects on secondary metabolism. We recently discovered an interesting interaction during mixed fermentation of Streptomyces sp. and the zygomycete fungus Lichtheimia corymbifera JMRC:SF:009682. This was the first co-culture reported between a streptomycete and the zygomycete fungus L. corymbifera. LC/MS chromatograms detected increased secondary metabolites of L. corymbifera in co-culture with Streptomyces sp. 447. Cyclotetrapeptides 1, 2 and 3 produced by Streptomyces sp. 447 mono-culture were not found in all co-culture combinations. This supports determination of efficient co-cultivation strategies to produce new secondary metabolites.
South African Journal of Botany, 2018
Increasing antibiotic resistance has created significant challenges, resulting in a worldwide nee... more Increasing antibiotic resistance has created significant challenges, resulting in a worldwide need for new drugs. Diverse bioactive natural products are produced by microorganisms, with several bioactivities including antimicrobial, anticancer, antiparasitic and immunosuppressant activities, which have various applications in agriculture, human and animal health. The challenge to discover new microbial compounds is growing as the number of re-isolated, known metabolites increases. The genomes of microorganisms, especially fungi, contain a larger number of gene clusters that are useful as natural products than originally expected. Mining the full genome sequences of fungi has revealed a greater than anticipated capacity to offer natural products. Applying alternative approaches and strategies is necessary to discover novel lead compounds. Cocultivation is an appropriate approach for inducing synthesis of natural products, especially for in vitro cultured microorganisms. It represents an important approach of enhancing secondary metabolism by providing appropriate physiological conditions, including competition and communication between microorganisms. Fungal-fungal, fungalbacterium and bacterium-bacterium co-culture studies have shown promising effects on secondary metabolism. We recently discovered an interesting interaction during mixed fermentation of Streptomyces sp. and the zygomycete fungus Lichtheimia corymbifera JMRC:SF:009682. This was the first co-culture reported between a streptomycete and the zygomycete fungus L. corymbifera. LC/MS chromatograms detected increased secondary metabolites of L. corymbifera in co-culture with Streptomyces sp. 447. Cyclotetrapeptides 1, 2 and 3 produced by Streptomyces sp. 447 mono-culture were not found in all co-culture combinations. This supports determination of efficient co-cultivation strategies to produce new secondary metabolites.
Planta, Feb 5, 2024
Main conclusion Plant Biomarkers are objective indicators of a plant's cellular state in response... more Main conclusion Plant Biomarkers are objective indicators of a plant's cellular state in response to abiotic and biotic stress factors. They can be explored in crop breeding and engineering to produce stress-tolerant crop species.
Applied Sciences
The future of pesticide usage in agriculture is uncertain due to its unsustainability, adverse en... more The future of pesticide usage in agriculture is uncertain due to its unsustainability, adverse environmental impacts, and its association in enhanced phytopathogen resistance. Hence, this situation urges the development of new sustainable practices in agriculture. A promising approach involves endophytes, which are non-pathogenic microorganisms inhabiting the interior parts of plants. However, due to the vast diversity and complexity of plant microbiomes, a major gap has formed with regards to endophytic research and its application in phytopathogen biocontrol. The gap has mainly been increasing due to the difficulty of isolating underrepresented endophytes and due to limitation of previous genetic tools availability to further research and understand plant-microbe interaction, endophytic biocontrol capabilities and their biocontrol compounds. This review highlights the current challenges being encountered in this research field. Additionally, the research advances through utilizati...
Frontiers in Microbiology
IntroductionEssential oils (EOs) have been demonstrated as efficacious against B. cinerea. Howeve... more IntroductionEssential oils (EOs) have been demonstrated as efficacious against B. cinerea. However, the underpinning enzymatic and proteomic mechanism for these inhibitory effects is not entirely clear.MethodsThus, this study examined the effects of lemon (Le) and lemongrass (Lg) EOs (individually and in combination) against B. cinerea based on enzymatic and proteomic analyses. Proteomics data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD038894.Results and discussionBoth EOs (individually and in combination) displayed abilities to induce scavenging as observed with the reduction of H2O2. Measured malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were increased in all EOs treated B. cinerea mycelia compared to the control. Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity was highest in Lg treated B. cinerea (206% increase), followed by combined (Le + Lg) treatment with 73% compared to the untreated control. Based on GC-MS analysis, the number of volatile compounds identified i...