Wynand Johan Goosen

Wynand Johan Goosen

Senior Scientist

Stellenbosch University, South Africa

Tel: +27 21 938 9950

Email: wjgoosen@sun.ac.za 

 

 

 

VALIDATE Role:

Network Associate

 

Research Keywords:

M. bovis, M. orygis, Zoonotic Pathogens, M. avium subsp. Paratuberculosis, Mycobacteriome, Long-Read Sequencing, One Health

 

Biography:

I am fascinated and devoted towards understanding and improving the genomic surveillance of zoonotic tuberculosis (TB) in people, livestock, wildlife, and their environments with a strong global health focus. Growing up in rural Eastern-Cape I was always surrounded by various disease management strategies in livestock and wildlife due to their frequent interactions and with people. This inspired me to become an independent scientific leader in zoonotic infectious diseases.

My current research focus includes 1) developing rapid in-field host- and TB antigen specific cell-mediated immunological cytokine release assays; 2) performing rapid DNA and RNA sequencing (including PCR amplicons) using various next generation sequencing (NGS) platforms, including Oxford Nanopore Technologies MinION mk1c device; 3) gene expression assay development; 4) developing real time quantitative PCRs for the direct detection of pathogens from various sample types and culture-independent speciation through targeted amplicon NGS; 5) improving BLS-3 mycobacterial culture techniques through developing cationic D-enantiomer peptide resuscitation cocktails; 6) application of adaptive whole genome sequencing directly from raw specimens and cultured TB isolates using ONT newest chemistries and devices, and 7) applying various bioinformatic pipelines to perform epidemiological transmission network analysis.

 

Related Websites:

Stellenbosch University - Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics

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Key Publications:

  • Goosen, W.J., Moodley, S., Ghielmetti, G., Moosa, Y., Zulu, T., Smit, T., Kleynhans, L., Kerr, T.J., Streicher, E.M., Hanekom, W.A., Warren, R.M., Wong, E.B., Miller, M.A., 2024. Identification and molecular characterization of Mycobacterium bovis DNA in GeneXpert® MTB/RIF ultra-positive, culture-negative sputum from a rural community in South Africa. One Health 100702. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.onehlt.2024.100702
  • Cooke, D.M., Clarke, C., Kerr, T.J., Warren, R.M., Witte, C., Miller, M.A., Goosen, W.J., 2024. Detection of Mycobacterium bovis in nasal swabs from communal goats (Capra hircus) in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Frontiers in Microbiology 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1349163
  • Dwyer, R., Witte, C., Buss, P., Warren, R., Miller, M., Goosen, W.J., 2024. Antemortem detection of Mycobacterium bovis in nasal swabs from African rhinoceros. Sci Rep 14, 357. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-50236-8
  • Ghielmetti, G., Loubser, J., Kerr, T.J., Stuber, T., Thacker, T., Martin, L.C., O’Hare, M.A., Mhlophe, S.K., Okunola, A., Loxton, A.G., Warren, R.M., Moseley, M.H., Miller, M.A., Goosen, W.J., 2023. Advancing animal tuberculosis surveillance using culture-independent long-read whole-genome sequencing. Frontiers in Microbiology 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1307440
  • Opperman, C. J., Singh, S., Davids, T., Cox, H., Warren, R., & Goosen, W.J., 2023. Identifying non-tuberculosis mycobacteria: Is it time to introduce new molecular assays? South African Medical Journal, 113(6), 4–5. https://doi.org/10.7196/SAMJ.2022.v113i6.16771
  • Clarke C, Bernitz N, Goosen WJ and Miller MA. High-Specificity Test Algorithm for Bovine Tuberculosis Diagnosis in African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) Herds. Pathogens. 2022 Dec;11(12):1393. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11121393
  • Goosen, W.J., Kleynhans, L., Kerr, T.J., van Helden, P.D., Buss, P., Warren, R.M., Miller, M.A., 2021. Improved detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. bovis in African wildlife samples using cationic peptide decontamination and mycobacterial culture supplementation. J VET Diagn Invest 10406387211044192. https://doi.org/10.1177/10406387211044192
  • Goosen WJ, Clarke C, Kleynhans L, Kerr TJ, Buss P, Miller MA. Culture-independent PCR detection and differentiation of Mycobacteria spp. in antemortem respiratory samples from African elephants (Loxodonta africana) and rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum, Diceros bicornis) in South Africa. Pathogens. 2022 Jun;11(6):709. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11060709  
  • Goosen WJ, Kerr TJ, Kleynhans L, Warren RM, van Helden PD, Persing DH, Parsons SDC, Buss P, Miller MA. The Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra assay detects Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex DNA in white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) and African elephants (Loxodonta africana). Sci Rep. 2020 Sep 2;10(1):14482. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-71568-9. PubMed PMID: 32879401; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7468236.
  • Goosen WJ, Kerr TJ, Kleynhans L, Buss P, Cooper D, Warren RM, van Helden PD, Schröder B, Parsons SDC, Miller MA. The VetMAX™ M. tuberculosis complex PCR kit detects MTBC DNA in antemortem and postmortem samples from white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum), African elephants (Loxodonta africana) and African buffaloes (Syncerus caffer). BMC Vet Res. 2020 Jun 29;16(1):220. doi: 10.1186/s12917-020-02438-9. PubMed PMID: 32600471; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7325085.