|3rd in Category Winner|
How does one become the 2015/16 Ambassador of the Year for the International Society of Microbial Ecology?
For Thulani Makhalanyane, it all started with a Home Economics project. It was just a simple experiment – testing various cooking methods, to evaluate the vitamin C content in different food sources. But instead of vitamins, the 32-year-old found his vocation.
He knew investigative work would be his calling.
After matriculating in Klerksdorp, Makhalanyane studied microbiology and chemistry at North West University, and later completed his PhD in biotechnology. His day job as a lecturer at the University of Pretoria frees him to do research at the Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, where he is the deputy director.
He loves that his work is never routine or predictable, and that it has the power to affect people’s lives. His research into microbial communities, and how they survive in extreme environments, offers a microscopic view on climate change, an issue that affects us all.
His research has already been published in international journals, but he hopes to become one of the global leaders in microbiology. Makhalanyane works hard and plays hard too.
When he gets home, he’s just Thuls, the PlayStation junkie.
|To succeed, you need to have a clear picture of what success means to you|
