In December 2017, Opus International Consultants was acquired by a leading global infrastructure consultancy firm WSP and has recently been rebranded as WSP Opus, with the research division becoming WSP Opus Research.

In their latest InTouch newsletter, Wendy Turvey WSP Opus Research Business Manager said the move has greatly broadened the research division’s capacity to become involved with exciting and innovative projects. “As part of an organisation of 43,000 minds operating across 40 countries, we are now better placed than ever to benefit our clients through increased ease of access to international best-practice skills, technologies and innovations across the spectrum of professional infrastructure expertise.

The Malaghan Institute of Medical Research’s cancer immunotherapy team has been given the green light to investigate new potential vaccines for breast cancer thanks to a Health Research Council (HRC), Breast Cancer Cure and Breast Cancer Foundation NZ grant.

The research, led by Dr Robert Weinkove, Clinical Director at the Malaghan Institute, will focus on new classes of cancer vaccines, which aim to target the disease.

“One of the major areas for improvement of existing treatments is preventing late relapses,” says Dr Weinkove. “In breast cancer, this can happen many years after a patient's initial treatment. Metastasis – the spread of the cancer cells from the place where they first formed – is a devastating event.”

The research builds on a collaboration with Victoria University of Wellington’s Ferrier Research Institute, which has Breast Cancer Foundation NZ funding to develop synthetic breast cancer vaccines.

HERA has helped their member Steel & Tube create a new product range for flooring in New Zealand. The new composite slab product, ComFlor SR, will give confidence to specifiers due to the rigorous testing and evaluation it was put under, and assist engineers in designing building floors more efficiently and easily. The new design, using steel, has enhanced fire resistance, vibration and acoustic properties – making it an attractive option in the important multi-storey residential sector. The Structural Systems R&D team at HERA say they look forward to its uptake in the market.

While the Cawthron Institute has always been known for its aquaculture and food analysis ability, some are surprised that they have the expertise and capabilities for developing novel analysis methods. Such was the case for dairy goat milk products.

For the past ten years, Cawthron Analytical Services’ Research and Development (R&D) team has been working closely with Dairy Goat Co-operative (NZ) Ltd (DGC) to meet its specialised requirements, growing and developing its R&D offering to complement and support DGC’s changing needs.

“It is our goal to be an active partner in developing innovation with our clients,” says Cawthron R&D Team Leader, Dr Tom Wheeler.

The Cawthron team has been developing methods to measure a range of both small molecule bioactives and macromolecules that are present in milk.

The Medical Research Institute (MRINZ) has teamed up with Auckland and Middlemore hospitals in a HRC-funded PIPPA Tamariki project to assess whether the use of paracetamol or ibuprofen for fever or pain in infancy affects the rates of asthma in children. They aim to recruit 4,000 newborn babies in the next four years.

"Illnesses with a fever can increase the risk of developing asthma in young children. Conversely, using fever medicines, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, may also increase asthma risk, but this is not known for sure," says MRINZ Principle Investigator Dr Irene Braithwaite.

To help crack the case, PIPPA's team are currently recruiting babies in Wellington, Auckland, and Middlemore hospitals.

The PIPPA Tamariki project involves collaborations between the Auckland, Counties Manukau, and Capital & Coast District Health Boards as well as Auckland University, Otago University, Massey University, the University of Calgary, and MRINZ.

New road layouts in a South Auckland suburb are slowing cars and getting more people pounding the pavement says a recent NZ Herald article by Vaimoana Tapaleao.

The Te Ara Mua Future Streets project, in Māngere, has brought in a number of changes in road infrastructure in the area in the last few years; created in a bid to better road conditions for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists alike.

Hamish Mackie, of Mackie Research and Consulting, is the project leader. He has been involved in monitoring the changing behaviours since the different infrastructures were put in place.

Building Better Homes, Towns and Cities (BBHTC) - Ko ngā wā kāinga hei whakamāhorahora - has announced the key themes of their research in the year ahead. Continuing to address New Zealand’s housing needs, the National Science Challenge is digging deeper into housing for our ageing population and how we can build spaces for generations. It is also investigating the delivery of more affordable, healthy homes and the development of attractive urban environments with smart, safe, walkable streets. Thriving regions are also at the forefront of upcoming research, identifying how we can plan and build homes, towns and cities that create strong communities.

Dr Delwyn Moller, Centre for Space Science Technology's (CSST) Director of Research, helped announce New Zealand's involvement in the NASA programme at a launch event at the Carter Observatory in Wellington on 27 August, alongside the Minister of Economic Development David Parker and the United States Ambassador to New Zealand Scott Brown. 

RNZ reported on the launch event: