My name is Mabotse Augustine Tjale, Postdoctoral fellow at Ondersetpoort Biological products. I have graduated with a PhD in Veterinary Tropical Diseases at the University of Pretoria looking at whole genome transcriptome analysis of Ehrlichia ruminantium in the ruminant host (sheep) at the tick bite site and in vitro during the developmental stages in cell culture using bioinformatics tools. During the PhD project, skills such as next generation sequencing (NGS) (transcriptomics or RNA sequencing) data management, analysis and visualisation using different bioinformatics tools and statistical softwares (CLC, MEGA, BioEdit) were enhanced. It was also during this time that I strengthen my skills in using nucleic acid detection tools (PCR, DNA sequencing and cloning), protein detection tools (protein expression, SDS PAGE, Western blotting). Contemporarily, I was employed as a junior researcher/PhD student at the ARC where apart from the research,

My research interest has always been on development of viral vaccine of veterinary importance. Most importantly, understanding the how cell mediated immune response is elicited in response to different pathogens. Furthermore, understanding the how pathogens overcome host response to establish infection. Of recent years, I have developed much interest in using next generation sequencing tools (Transcriptomics and Genomics) to answer the above-mentioned research questions