Professor Jill Farrant, a renowned authority in plant molecular physiology from the University of Cape Town, was celebrated for her remarkable contributions to science at the 2025 National Research Foundation (NRF) Awards.

Professor Farrant received accolade on 7 August at the NH Johannesburg Sandton Hotel under the theme ‘Innovating for a Sustainable Future’.

The annual NRF Awards recognises the outstanding achievements by individuals and teams whose excellence has significantly advanced science for the benefit of society. Competitive, high-impact work is rewarded for advancing South Africa’s scientific and technological knowledge for humanity’s betterment.

Professor Farrant described this recognition as her most significant honour from her homeland.

She reflected on her journey and dedication to fighting for equality across race and gender in South Africa.

“To have this recognition means a lot to me. I must acknowledge my students and collaborators worldwide, as well as the God of my understanding for guiding me on this path,” she stated.

The NRF said over the course of a distinguished career as a plant molecular physiologist, Professor Farrant has combined scientific excellence with a deep commitment to capacity building, mentorship, and societal impact.

“Her life’s work, aimed at the improvement of drought tolerance in African crops, has redefined our understanding of this critical field and has contributed to food security in the face of climatic changes on a continent challenged by a future that will be hotter and drier,” said NRF spokesperson, Bongani Nkosi.

Nkosi stated that throughout her research, Professor Farrant has employed a multidisciplinary systems biology approach to fully understand the fundamental mechanisms and regulation of desiccation tolerance.

“Her work has led to a number of important discoveries that have led to breakthroughs such as the genetic modification of maize to improve its tolerance to moderate drought conditions,” he said.

Professor Farrant’s PhD involved understanding why certain seeds are sensitive to desiccation, precluding their storage for conservation purposes, he said.

She researched resurrection plants which tolerate extreme desiccation for extended periods.

Later in her career, she investigated the synergistic relationship between these plants and root-associated microbes.

This led to the development of natural biostimulants that improve drought tolerance and regenerate soil, subsequently decreasing the reliance on chemical fertilisers in degraded regions.

Professor Farrant also introduced research on “orphan crops” or “forgotten crops”, which have not been bred during the Green Revolution for increased seed size and yield, the consequences of which were a severely reduced tolerance of water loss due to drought.

Nkosi said she has investigated their natural genetic mechanisms of tolerance with the aim of improving drought tolerance in green ways without implication to, if not improvement of, seed yield.

Farrant is currently working with the Ethiopian Institute of Agriculture to develop molecular biomarkers for this trait in teff and further improve drought tolerance by integrating select genes identified from the resurrection grass and close relative of teff, Eragrostis nindensis.

In addition, Nkosi said her research has also led to new discoveries in the field of cosmeceuticals, especially for the cosmetic and wound healing properties of the resurrection plant, Myrothamnus flabellifolia.

“In this regard, she has acted as scientific consultant in the private sector, notably for Giorgio Armani Skincare and L’Oreal Paris, and is collaborating with the University of Cape Town’s Skin and Hair Clinic for its use in wound healing,” he said.

Her primary aim is not only to facilitate South African products of use to the world but to open a new avenue for subsistence farmers with barren rocky soil to produce a desirable and marketable product that will further boost the bioeconomy of South Africa, he said.

Nkosi said Professor Farrant is the first female researcher from UCT to obtain an NRF A-rating and has subsequently maintained this rating two more times.

Farrant’s work has garnered widespread recognition, winning her numerous accolades during her career including:

• The SAAB Silver Medal for Excellence in Botany in 2008;
• DSTI Distinguished Woman in Science Award in 2010;
• Oppenheimer Foundation Premier Fellowship Award in 2010;
• L’Oreal-UNESCO Award and Laureate of African and Arab States in 2012;
• Erma Hamburger Award from the EPFL-WISH Foundation in 2015; and
• The 2022 Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s coveted Georg Forster Research Award for a lifetime of excellence in a developing and transitioning country.

karen.singh@inl.co.za

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