It’s not surprising that Dr Tiisetso Lephoto is creating groundbreaking inventions in agriculture.

When she was seven, Lephoto planted a vegetable garden at the back of her family’s Soweto home. Throughout school, her love for science grew, culminating in a PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology at Wits University.

It was a wise choice. Lephoto has since isolated a novel, and previously undescribed species of nematodes (small microscopic worms) that can kill a broad range of insects. It’s significant because the use of synthetic chemical pesticides has several negative implications on the agricultural industry, so scientists are investigating biological control agents that can help solve some of these challenges.

Lephoto, 28, recently won Best Young Researcher at The Innovation Hub’s Biotech Fundi Awards, and has presented her research at national and international conferences.

She is also involved in various non-profit organisations, including Go Maths, and Katleho Pele Education, which assist school learners with improving their grades. She is also the founder of Yes We Are Moving, which promotes exercise to school learners, and university students.

But science continues to remain central to her life. “Through cutting edge scientific research, we can build a safe, healthy and winning nation.”

|When an opportunity is presented to you, avoid dragging your feet, and work hard until you achieve your goals.|

Categories: Healers