Dr Phetole Mangena is a Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Plant Biotechnology at the University of Limpopo. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree (majoring in Botany, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology), and started working as a Senior Laboratory Assistant for this University in 2015 after graduating with a Master of Science degree in Botany.
Dr Mangena's masters' project was focused on the genetic transformation of soybean using two binary vectors (pTF101.1 and ΩPKY), incorporated in the EH101.1 strain of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. In 2017, he joined the same department as a Lecturer, involved in training of both undergraduate and postgraduate students, in the area of plant physiology and biotechnology.
He pursued Doctoral studies (PhD) in the same field, investigating the cause of recalcitrance in the genetic transformation of soybean, which he completed in 2019. Dr Mangena has Authored and Co-Authored numerous scientific papers, as well as book chapters relating to in vivo and in vitro based genetic manipulation of
legumes (particularly soybean) and morpho-physiological responses of soybean to abiotic salinity and drought stress.
Dr Mangena is the Principal Editor of a book series (Vol. 1) titled “Advances in Legume Research: Physiological Responses and Genetic Improvement for Drought Tolerance- A Special Focus in Grains” (Publisher- Bentham Sciences Books, due May 2020), and he is collaborating with Springer Nature on other book projects.
He Supervises various postgraduate students undertaking studies relating to crop improvement for growth, yield quality and stress tolerance. Dr Mangena is currently working with researchers from various institutions to optimize and develop an understanding of plant growth and development, focusing on the improvement for stress tolerance.
