IRANZ news briefs
Cawthron Institute has welcomed seven talented tertiary students to commence their highly sought after summer research placements. Photo: Cawthron Institute.
Cawthron welcomes seven new scholars
Cawthron Institute has welcomed seven talented tertiary students to commence their highly sought after summer research placements.
Established in 2016 to support young scientists, the $7,500 scholarships provide students with 10-weeks of fulltime research at Cawthron.
All scholars are very high academic achievers, have contributed to community activities, and are strong advocates for the environment and science-led research. The 2023-24 scholars are:
Nicole Parnell – Antarctica – Emerging Scientist Scholarship.
Anna Sang – Simplicity in toxic cyanobacteria – Kathleen Curtis (Lady Rigg) Scholarship.
Rose Sommerville – Niche shifts of freshwater fish– Emerging Scientist Scholarship.
Claudia Mark – Using eDNA to identify lake stressors- Madge Johnston Scholarship.
Matthew King – Ocean technology research – Emerging Scientist Scholarship.
John Noble – Vaccines to boost shellfish resilience – Sir Theodore Rigg Scholarship.
Sophie Whittall – Restoring Aotearoa’s seagrass – Emerging Scientist Scholarship.
Bragato establishes Research Governance Committee
The Bragato Research Institute has created a Research Governance Committee to help maintain New Zealand wine’s premium reputation through innovation and a commitment to research that makes a tangible difference.
This group of industry experts will be focused on ensuring Bragato delivers strong value from science – responding to members’ evolving views on research needs and effectively transferring new knowledge to winegrowers – setting the industry up for long-term success.
The Research Governance Committee (RGC) will advise Bragato's Board and management directly on development and delivery of Bragato’s research strategy and its portfolio of research. It will provide feedback and recommendations on Bragato’s research strategy, research priorities, and the current and future research and investment plan. The RGC will also provide advice and support to help Bragato secure external research investment. RGC members will use their networks to suggest potential participants for Bragato's advisory groups, research-industry collaborations for research project delivery, and knowledge transfer.
Gillies McIndoe: Clara López Vásquez publishes paper as lead author in first 9-months of PhD
A PhD student at the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute, Clara López Vásquez, has already accomplished a remarkable academic milestone in the first 9 months of her PhD. Clara has published her first paper as the first author in MDPI’s Organoids journal.
Organoids publishes cutting-edge research on organoid models, providing a platform for advancing our understanding of complex organ development and disease modelling at the cellular and molecular levels.
Clara, along with authors Clint Gray, Claire Henry from the University of Otago, and Matthew Munro, published, “Modelling Meningioma Using Organoids: A Review of Methodologies and Applications”.
BRANZ CEO Claire Falck writes about the value of renovating Aotearoa’s existing housing
In the latest issue of Build magazine, BRANZ CEO Claire Falck writes about the value of renovating Aotearoa’s existing housing. With the Home Energy End-use Project 2 (HEEP2) well underway, BRANZ science is stepping in to help transform old, energy-draining houses into cosy, energy-efficient homes.
Lincoln Agritech: Meaning behind new visual branding
Over this year, Lincoln Agritech has introduced a new visual element to their branding. That new element, a tāniko pattern, was designed by Lincoln Agritech’s Kaiārahi Māori Chaz Doherty and appears in the banner of their latest newsletter for the first time.
Lincoln Agritech says they have adopted this pattern because they believe it has a particular meaning to the world of research and science in Aotearoa New Zealand. You can read more about that meaning in the Māori Knowledge section of their website.
Dr Alisa Roddick-Lanzilotta joins Lincoln Agitech
Alisa has joined Lincoln Agritech as Research Manager for the New Materials group. She obtained her PhD in chemistry from the University of Canterbury, before post-doctoral research at Utah State and Otago Universities. She has since had roles in the Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand, Canesis Network, AgResearch, and was most recently Chief Scientific Officer at Keraplast Manufacturing.
Cawthron: Researchers launch survey of recreational boat owners to inform biosecurity efforts
If you’re a boatie who has a moored/non-trailered vessel, Cawthron are running a survey to help them understand how you keep your hull clean, what challenges you face, and what factors guide your decision making. This information is important because invasive pests love hitching a ride around our coastlines on the hulls of recreational boats. The steps you take to manage this threat make a huge difference to national biosecurity, and Cawthron want to support you as best they can. Read more about this important work Cawthron are doing with partners Scion through the Marine BiosecurityToolbox research programme: https://www.cawthron.org.nz/our-news/survey-boat-owners-biosecurity/
Aqualinc: Will we have a drought this summer?
In the December issue of Canterbury Farming Newspaper, Aqualinc CEO Dr John Bright asks "Will we have a drought this summer?"
Cawthron: Substantial contaminant reductions needed in NZ's freshwater sources
Cawthron's Manager of Freshwater Ecosystems Roger Young was recently interviewed on Newstalk ZB about Our Land and Water National Science Challenge's latest Freshwater Quality report. Hear Roger talking about the roles we all need to play to turn things around and reduce the contamination of our freshwater ecosystems.
Bragato: Working with wētā
In Marlborough’s Awatere Valley ground wētā are a common sight on some vineyards, burrowing in soft irrigated soil beneath the vines. Winemakers are keen to find ways to co-exist with this taonga species, including looking for sustainable solutions that could help prevent wētā from feasting on the tender foliage on grape vines during the crucial spring budburst. This week scientists and podcaster Nicola Sullivan speaks to crop protection entomologist Jessica Vereijessen about progress so far on this project. The project is funded by the New Zealand Wine Futures Fund. The NZWFF is funded through New Zealand Winegrowers levies and project managed by the Bragato Research Institute.
Date posted: 12 December 2023