Dr Alan Wood has been actively involved in research on biological control of invasive alien plant species like Hakea and Acacia using plant pathogens for 30 years. This has included work on both classical biocontrol agents as well as the development of mycoherbicides, and through his work has visited almost all of South Africa as well as Mexico and Australia. He has more than 50 peer reviewed publications and book chapters on weed biocontrol, as well as on the taxonomy of indigenous rust fungi. During his career he has actively promoted the application of biological control using pathogens in the protection of some of our most at risk environments. He has also supervised or guided several postgraduate students in research in the field of weed biological control.

Alan is currently a Specialist Scientist at the ARC-Plant Health Protection campus in Stellenbosch. He has carried out research on 19 different alien invasive plants, been involved in the introduction of five classical biocontrol fungi to South Africa, and the development of one mycoherbicide. In his spare time, he collects and identifies indigenous rust fungi, amongst other hobbies, and has found a number of new records for South Africa, described new species, and re-discovered some last collected over a century ago. He believes that to narrow a specialization kills the joy of discovery and destroys the fascination of scientific enquiry. Science should never be just a job; the whole of Africa’s micro-biodiversity awaits discovery.