About Me

Hello, I’m Dr. Marcelle Johnson,

A plant virologist and innovator at the intersection of plant science, biotechnology, and sustainability. My work bridges foundational research and practical applications to drive transformative solutions in agriculture and the environment.

With a PhD in Virology and over a decade of research experience, I specialise in uncovering the dynamics of plant-pathogen interactions, viral evolution, and sustainable agricultural technologies. My career has been defined by curiosity, collaboration, and the pursuit of innovative approaches to address pressing challenges in global food security, climate resilience, and ecosystem health.

My collaborative approach has allowed me to work across disciplines and borders in Africa and Europe, partnering with academic institutions, government bodies, and industry to drive impactful research and innovation.

I invite you to connect, collaborate, and join me in shaping the future of science and innovation.

A smiling woman with short dark hair, wearing pearl earrings, a pearl necklace, and a light blue collared shirt, standing indoors with a blurred green and black background.

“I believe in the power of innovation to solve critical global challenges”

Plant Molecular Biology &

Pathology Scientist

My research on multipartite viruses investigated how genome structure impacts within-host and between-host plant virus infection dynamics and plant virus adaptation. I used cucumber mosaic virus as a model system, combining in planta experiments and computational biology approaches. Previous research has focused on plant virus diversity in agricultural fields associated with yield reductions, specifically cereal yellowing viruses infecting wheat, barley and rye.

A ternary plot showing cucu,ber mosaic virus genetic subgroup classifications, with data points labeled with sample IDs. The plot includes axes for RNA1, RNA2, and RNA3, with different colors representing the phylogenetic subgroups SI and SII.
Diagram showing the three types of virus genomes and packaging strategies. Monopartite, segmented and multipartite viruses.
A woman in a greenhouse tending to potted green plants, with natural light coming through glass walls and outdoor trees in the background.

My applied research spans experience in plant abiotic stress tolerance to salt and cold stress in laboratory and field settings, as well as the development of a plant breeding programme for improved cash crop dry season production. I have expertise in science policy and nature management in biodiversity assessments, regulation drafting, and reviewing EIA applications and GHG emissions inventories. Combined, these experiences have been underpinned by a deep scientific knowledge of plant molecular biology, genetics, and systems ecology, demonstrated by a selection of works in my portfolio, publications, and awards.

Diagram showing how a plant virus infection and aphid vector transmission. It depicts an aphid feeding on the plant's leaves, the plant's cells infection of the virus, and the virus localization in the aphid during sap feeding.
A woman in a pink shirt and large sunhat with a black band is kneeling in a golden wheat field, wearing bright green gloves, and looking at a tablet device.
A chart illustrating different types of viral genome packaging strategies, categorized by cost of transmission and genome content per particle, with types I to VI shown in various colored ovals.

Expertise in Biotechnology & Life Sciences

Laboratory Skills

A scientist in a lab coat and green gloves working with a pipette at a laboratory bench, surrounded by lab supplies and equipment.

  • Molecular biology: RNA/DNA isolation, cloning, qPCR, dPCR and RNA sequencing

  • Microscopy: Confocal microscopy, SEM, LM

  • Greenhouse experiments and fieldwork, studying plant stress responses and plant-virus interactions under controlled and natural conditions

  • Within-host virus experimental evolution in a multi-host system (wet-lab and greenhouse)

Experiments, Genomics & Data Science

A woman wearing a striped long sleeve shirt and green gloves is working with potted plants inside a greenhouse.

  • Study design:

    • Randomised control, Power analysis, Repeated measures, GxE

  • Multivariate statistics:

    • PCA, Regression, PERMANOVA, GLM

  • Programming:

    • R (Tidyverse,ggplot2, RMarkdown),

    • Python (Pandas, NumPY, MatPlotLib, Seaborn),

  • Bioinformatics:

    • V-pipe, workflows, genome annotation, low frequency variant detection