Meet the Finalists in Natural and Engineering Sciences – Distinguished Woman Researcher Category at the South African Women in Science Awards 2025

Natural And Engineering Sciences – Distinguished Young Woman Researcher

Prof. Mahloro Hope Serepa-Dlamini
Prof. Mahloro Hope Serepa-Dlamini is a Full Professor of Bacterial Genomics and Biotechnology and currently serves as the Head of the Department of Biotechnology and Food Technology at UJ. She also leads the Bacterial Genomics and Biotechnology Research Group, which she established in 2017.
Prof Serepa-Dlamini's research focuses on the genomic analysis and functional potential of bacterial endophytes isolated from indigenous South African medicinal plants. This work supports applications in sustainable agriculture, the discovery of bioactive compounds, and environmental health, while also advancing indigenous knowledge systems. She employs an integrative scientific approach that combines microscopy, molecular biology and high-throughput genome sequencing to uncover novel bacterial traits with biotechnological relevance.
Prof. Serepa-Dlamini has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and contributed several book chapters. Her work has also resulted in the development of prototypes, underscoring the translational potential of her research. She has presented at numerous national and international conferences and has been invited to deliver keynote addresses at leading scientific gatherings.
A major milestone of her career was leading the first African contribution to the taxonomy of the bacillus cereus group with her discovery and formal description of bacillus dicomae bacterial species in 2023 – the first and only species from this group described in Africa.
She maintains strong national and international collaborations, which foster cross-border knowledge exchange and skills development for both staff and students. These partnerships further enhance the capacity of emerging scientists in bacterial genomics and biotechnology.
Prof. Serepa-Dlamini is deeply committed to human capital development. She has successfully supervised 18 master's and four PhD students, and mentored two postdoctoral research fellows. A significant number of her postgraduate students are Black women, many of whom have gone on to build successful careers as scientists and academics locally and internationally.
Her leadership and dedication to advancing science through both research and mentorship place her as an integral figure in the field of bacterial genomics and a champion of diversity in the South African scientific landscape.