Staff Directory

Prof Errol Cason
Position
Associate Professor
Department
Animal Science
Address
Department of Animal Science
IB 70
UFS
Telephone
0514012606
Office
Agriculture Building: Block 3 3.G02A
Information

Short CV

My research is mainly multi-disciplinary in nature combining aspects of animal breeding and genetics, microbiology and biochemistry as well as animal nutrition. I have running collaborations with different fields of research such as Plant Sciences, Genetics, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Food Sciences, Animal Sciences, Economy, Entrepreneurship and Psychiatry. These activities have led to various research papers that were published mostly in highly reputable international journals, a large majority of which have been published in mid- to high-rank journals (Impact Factor >3, Q2 and above). It has also let to local and international conference outputs. I obtained a Y2 NRF rating in 2022, indicating the quality of my research.

Publications


Publications (Short List)

Recent Publications
  • Ojo, A. O., Castillo, J., Cason, E. D., & Valverde, A. (2023). Biodegradation of chloroethene compounds under microoxic conditions. Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1002/bit.28630 

  • Karabelo Moloantoa, Zenzile Khetsha, Mokgaotsa Mochane, John Unuofin, Abdon Atangana, Errol Cason, Esta van Heerden & Julio Castillo (2023) Evaluating the effects of pH and temperature on sulphate-reducing bacteria and modelling of their effects in stirred bioreactors, Environmental Pollutants and Bioavailability, 35:1, DOI: 10.1080/26395940.2023.2257388  

  • Devan M. Nisson, Clifford C. Walters, Martha L. Chacón-Patiño, Chad R. Weisbrod, Thomas L. Kieft, Barbara Sherwood Lollar, Oliver Warr, Julio Castillo, Scott M. Perl, Errol D. Cason, Barry M. Freifeld & Tullis C. Onstott Radiolytically reworked Archean organic matter in a habitable deep ancient high-temperature brine. Nat Commun 14, 6163 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41900-8 

  • Abdulsalam, R.A.; Ijabadeniyi, O.A.; Cason, E.D.; Sabiu, S. Characterization of Microbial Diversity of Two Tomato Cultivars through Targeted Next-Generation Sequencing 16S rRNA and ITS Techniques. Microorganisms 2023, 11, 2337. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11092337  

  • Rothmann C, Rothmann L, Viljoen B, Cason ED. Application of solid-state fermentation using mushrooms for the production of animal feed. J Basic Microbiol. 2023 Jul 14. doi: 10.1002/jobm.202300218. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37452386. 

  • Castillo, J., Alom, J., Gomez-Arias, A., Cebekhulu, S., Matu, A., Cason, E., Valverde, A., 2023. Bacterial communities shift and influence in an acid mine drainage treatment using barium carbonate disperse alkaline substrate system. Sci. Total568 Environ. 885, 163526. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163526 

  • Balogun, F.O.; Abdulsalam, R.A.; Ojo, A.O.; Cason, E.; Sabiu, S. Chemical Characterization and Metagenomic Identification of Endophytic Microbiome from South African Sunflower (Helianthus annus) Seeds. Microorganisms 2023, 11, 988. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11040988  

  • Moloantoa KM, Khetsha ZP, Kana GEB, Maleke MM, Van Heerden E, Castillo JC and Cason ED (2023), Metagenomic assessment of nitrate-contaminated mine wastewaters and optimization of complete denitrification by indigenous enriched bacteria. Front. Environ. Sci.  11:1148872.doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2023.1148872 

  • MG Kinghorn, ED Cason, V Ducrocq, FWC Neser. Comparison of random regression test-day models for production traits of South African Jersey Cattle.  Proceeding of 12th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production (WCGALP) Technical and species orientated innovations in animal breeding, and contribution of genetics to solving societal challenges. 2022. 2749-2752. https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-940-4_666 

  • ED Cason, J Alom, J Barnard, M Fair, PD Vermeulen, FWC Neser. Preliminary investigation into the association of members of the rumen biome with production traits in Afrikaner cattle. Proceeding of 12th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production (WCGALP) Technical and species orientated innovations in animal breeding, and contribution of genetics to solving societal challenges. 2022. 2069-2072. https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-940-4_498 

  • DA Januarie, ED Cason, FWC Neser. Genetic characterization of the indigenous Sanga cattle of Namibia. Proceeding of 12th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production (WCGALP) Technical and species orientated innovations in animal breeding, and contribution of genetics to solving societal challenges. 2022. 932-935. https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-940-4_219 

  • Harris, R.L., Vetter, M.C.Y.L., van Heerden, E. Cason, E.D., et al. FISH-TAMB, a Fixation-Free mRNA Fluorescent Labeling Technique to Target Transcriptionally Active Members in Microbial Communities. Microb Ecol 84, 182–197 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-021-01809-5 

  • Tonjock Rosemary Kinge, Soumya Ghosh, Errol D Cason, Marieka Gryzenhout. 2022. Characterization of the Endophytic Mycobiome in Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) from a Single Location Using Illumina Sequencing. Agriculture. 12(3): 333. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12030333 

  • Karabelo M Moloantoa, Zenzile P Khetsha, Esta van Heerden, Julio C Castillo, Errol D Cason. 2022. Nitrate Water Contamination from Industrial Activities and Complete Denitrification as a Remediation Option. Water 14(5):799.  

  • Gilmore T Pambuka, Tonjock Rosemary Kinge, Soumya Ghosh, Errol D Cason, Martin M Nyaga, Marieka Gryzenhout. 2021. Baseline Data of the Fungal Phytobiome of Three Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) Cultivars in South Africa using Targeted Environmental Sequencing. Journal of Fungi. 7(11): 978. https://doi.org/10.3390/jof7110978 

  • Rachel L Harris, MCL Vetter, Esta van Heerdeen, Errol Cason, Jan-G Vermeulen, Anjali Taneja, Thomas L Kieft, Christina J DeCoste, Gary Laevsky, Tullis Onstott. FISH-TAMB, a Fixation-Free mRNA Fluorescent Labeling Technique to Target Transcriptionally Active Members in Microbial Communities. Microb Ecol (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-021-01809-5 

  • Asuncion de los Rios, Isaac Garrido-Benavent, Alicia Limón, Errol D Cason, Gilliam Maggs-Killing, Don Cowan, Angel Valverde. Novel lichen-dominated hypolithic communities in the Namib Desert. Microb Ecol (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-021-01812-w 

  • R. Purtschert, R. Yokochi, W. Jiang, Z.-T. Lu, P. Mueller, J. Zappala, E. Van Heerden, E. Cason, M. Lau, T.L. Kieft, C. Gerber, M.S. Brennwald, T.C. Onstott. Underground production of 81Kr detected in subsurface fluids. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. Volume 295, 2021, Pages 65-79, ISSN 0016-7037, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2020.11.024

  • Coetzer, W.G., Coetzee, L.M., Cason, E.D. et al. A Preliminary Assessment of Skin Microbiome Diversity of Zebrafish (Danio rerio): South African Pet Shop Fish. Indian J Microbiol 61, 81–84 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12088-020-00900-8 

  • Ruan Fourie, Errol D Cason, Jacobus Albertyn, Carolina H Pohl, Transcriptional response of Candida albicans to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a polymicrobial biofilm, G3 Genes|Genomes|Genetics, Volume 11, Issue 4, April 2021, jkab042, https://doi.org/10.1093/g3journal/jkab042 

  • Valverde, A., Cason, E.D., Gómez-Arias, A. et al. Pollution shapes the microbial communities in river water and sediments from the Olifants River catchment, South Africa. Arch Microbiol 203, 295–303 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-020-02035-2 

  • Cason, E.D., Mahlomaholo, B.J., Taole, M.M., Abong, G.O., Vermeulen, J-G., deSmidt, O., Vermeulen, M., Steyn, L., Valverde, A. & Viljoen, B. 2020. Bacterial and fungal dynamics during the fermentation process of Sesotho, a traditional beer of Southern Africa. Frontiers in Microbiology 11: art 1451. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01451 

  • Kuloyo, O., Fourie, R., Cason, E., Albertyn, J & Pohl, C.H. 2020. Transcriptome analyses of Candida albicans biofilms, exposed to arachidonic acid and fluconazole, indicates potential drug targets. G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics 10: 309-3108. DOI: 10.1534/g3.120.401340 

  • Naidoo, Y., Valverde, A., Cason, E.D., Pierneef, R.E. & Cowan, D. 2020. A clinically important, plasmid-borne antibiotic resistance gene (ß-lactamase TEM-116) present in desert soils. Science of the Total Environment 719: 137497. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137497 

  • Grobler, R., de Witt, F., Cason, E.D., Einkamerer, O.B., Josling, G.C., O’Neill, H.A., Fair, M.D., Baloyi, J.J., MacNeil, M.D. & Neser, FWC. 2020. Training the next generation of animal scientists for South Africa. Animal Frontiers 10:10-17. https://doi.org/10.1093/af/vfaa017  

  • Gryzenhout, M., Cason, E.D., Vermeulen, M., Kloppers, G.A.E., Bailey, B., & Ghosh, S. 2020. Fungal community structure variability between the root rhizosphere and endosphere in a granite catena system in Kruger National Park, South Africa. Koedoe 62: a1597. https://doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v62i2.1597 

  • Vermeulen, M., Cason, E.D. & Swart, W.J. 2020. The rhizobiome of herbaceous plants in Clovelly and Sterkspruit soils of the Stevenson–Hamilton supersite. Koedoe 62: a1596. https://doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v62i2.1596

Research


Area(s) of Interest

  • Animal Sciences
  • Animal Breeding
  • Quantitative Animal Breeding
  • Genomics
  • Transcriptomics
  • Targeted Metagenomics
  • Microbiology
  • Biochemistry
  • Microbiomes
  • Microbial Diversity
  • Biofinformatics

Courses Presented

ANIB2624

ANIB3713

ANIB3724

ANIB4823

ANIB4184

AGRI6808

AGRI6814

ANIG4808

 

Community Service


Service Learning




BLOEMFONTEIN CAMPUS FACULTY CONTACT

Elfrieda van den Berg (Marketing Manager)
T: +27 51 401 2531
E:vdberge@ufs.ac.za

QWAQWA CAMPUS FACULTY CONTACT

Dilahlwane Mohono (Faculty Officer)
T: +27 58 718 5284
E:naturalscienceqq@ufs.ac.za

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