Currently, Professor Bernard Alexander Prior is a retired Professor in Department of Microbiology at Stellenbosch University. He earned his PhD at University of Wisconsin, United Staes in 1972 where he majored in food science and microbiology Subsequently he worked at National Food Research Institute, Pretoria from 1972-1974; he was Senior Lecturer (1974-1980), Professor (1980-1998), and the head of Department (1990-1998) of University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa. From 1998 he was Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Chairman of School of Biological Sciences at Stellenbosch University until 2005. For various periods, he was a visiting scientist or visiting professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, 1980; Hebrew University, Jerusalem, 1982; Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. 1987; Technische Hochschule, Darmstadt, Germany. 1989; Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany, 1991-93; K.Universiteit Leuven, België, 1995, 2001, 2003; University of California, Berkeley, 1995, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, 2006, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China, 2007, 2010; Durban University of Technology, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010.
Prof Prior has been involved in the organisation of various national and international congresses: South African Society for Microbiology (Chairman: 1980, 1992, 2004); South African Society for Microbiology (Organising Committee: 1998, 2000); South African Biochemical Congress (Organising Committee: 1995), Cape Biotech Congress (Organising Committee: 2000, 2002), International Yeast Symposium (Scientific Advisory Committee: 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008), International Conference on Yeast Genetics and Molecular Biology (Organising Committee, 1997), International Bioenergy Workshop (Chairman, 1999). Frequently I have acted as session chair at these congresses.
He has been presented with numerous accolades and honours, such as being a Director, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Industrial Biotechnology MIRCEN (1995-1998); Co-Director, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Industrial Biotechnology MIRCEN (1998-2002); President, South African Society for Microbiology (1990-1992,1998-2000); Editor: FEMS Microbiology Letters (2004-2012); Sub-editor: South African Journal of Enology and Viticulture (2000-2017); Elected member, Academy of Science of South Africa (1998-) (Described as a Legend of South African Science Vol II by Academy of Science of South Africa publication); Honorary Visiting Professor, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China (2001, 2007, 2010), South African representative or alternate to the International Yeast Commission (1988-2012) and International Energy Agency Bioenergy (Liquid biofuels) 2004-2016; Special Merit Award for outstanding academic achievement: University of the Free State (1998); Awarded the Gold medal of the South African Society for Microbiology as a member who has, over an extended period of time, rendered exceptional service in the field of microbiology in South Africa (2002).
Prof Prior has published more than 170 publications in national and international journals such as Molecular Microbiology, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, EMBO Journal, Journal of Bacteriology and Trends in Microbiology. He holds one United States patent on the development of wine yeast strains (No. 6,140,108) and two South African patents (No: 95/4636 & 95/4637). He attended numerous international congresses. He was invited to give more than 40 lectures at various institutions in the United States, China, Belgium, Australia, Israel, Sweden, Canada, Germany and South Africa. He has also given lectures at various congresses in Belgium, Australia, India, Italy, Slovakia, Brazil, Japan and South Africa. He has trained 25 MSc, 21 Ph D and 12 postdoctoral students. He evaluated of manuscripts for numerous international journals and theses and examinations of undergraduate and graduate students at various local and international universities. He has also led initiatives by starting a Western Cape Yeast Forum in 2002 and a Bioenergy Workshop (2004), together with Department of Energy. He completed Preliminary and Certificate Wine Courses of the Cape Wine Academy in 2001 and 2002. His research before retirement was focused on the osmostress response and glycerol metabolism in yeasts and lignocellulose bioconversion & biotechnology.
