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AgResearchEnhancing wealth creation in New Zealand through

innovation in life sciences

A gResearch is rapidly evolvingfrom a narrowly focused contract

research and development companyinto a multi-faceted, global, lifesciences business. The key driver ofthis transition is our long-established,internationally recognized expertise inmodern biotechnologies.

The largest of New Zealand’snine Crown Research Institutes,AgResearch was established in 1992as a government-owned commercialcompany with a clear focus onservicing the technology andinnovation needs of New Zealand’sagricultural industries. AgResearchalso has major links with internationalresearch groups and companies. Twooffshore companies, AgResearch(Australia) and AgResearch (USA),have recently been set up.

The annual research budgetapproaches NZ$100 million (aboutUS$50 million). About 60 per cent ofthis is sourced from the government,but an increasing amount is derived

from commercial sources.

AgResearch has five main researchcampuses and a number of researchstations across the country. Of thetotal staff of 1100, about 400 arescientists.

Science is the core of AgResearch’sbusiness, and the main thrust isbiotechnology, specifically genediscovery, analysis and proof offunction in temperate pasture plants(ryegrass and white clover) and grazingruminants (cattle, sheep and deer). Tosupport this research, we are nowacquiring new skills in bioinformatics.

GENE TECHNOLOGY ANDMOLECULAR BIOLOGY

Our expertise and activities in genetechnology and molecular biology canbe summarized as:

Transgenic plants Elite forageplants with improved agronomiccharacteristics and nutritive value;

transgenic white clover plantscontaining a virus gene which negatesthe effect of a virus; pest-resistantwhite clover; ryegrass plants withaltered lignin composition and/or novelcarbohydrate to improve nutritivevalue.

In vitro embryo productionProduction of elite animals based onembryo micro-manipulation, embryosexing and embryo multiplication tech-nologies; extension of IVF to embryoselection and cloning for furtherimproved animal production.

Meat quality Development oftechnologies to control quality andefficiency of meat production,including meat tenderness; newtechnology for high quality meatproducts (genetic markers andtransformed genes).

Dairy-based nutraceutical productswith enhanced milk attributes Newstrategies for changing milkcomposition; transgenic animals with

Laboratories at Ruakura Research Centre in Hamilton.

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altered milk composition; high-valueproducts based on advances inmedical knowledge.

Management of internal parasitesModification of plants to manageparasite burdens in livestock naturally;immunization of sheep against gastro-intestinal parasites.

Genetics of fiber growthWool follicle growth and fibercharacteristics; discovery of genes thatcontrol early stages of hair growth.

Novel bioactive compounds fordisease management Regulation ofblood vessel growth for new productsin wound healing.

FOOD AND NUTRITION

Our research in nutrition, novel foodsand human health has a strongbiotechnology component. The workincludes:

Meat science and technologyValue systems in beef, venison andlamb production to meet marketrequirements; meat and animal co-products with new functionality.

Dairy science and technologyStrategies for efficient milkproduction and for new milkcomponents that differentiatecustomized ingredients and underpinnew health and wellness-based foods.

Digestive physiology Efficiencyof ruminant food intake; rumenmicroflora and tailoring meat andmilk characteristics such as flavor.

Metabolism and toxinologyProgramming growth and creatingnew ways of exploiting immune andhormonal systems in animalsfor consumer benefit; identifyingproblems caused by toxins andprovision of a range of controlmethods.

Other related activities includefood quality management, qualityassurance, value chain modeling,social impact analysis, farm know-ledge support, biocontrol of pasturepests and diseases, and studies onecological systems and environ-mental sustainability.

PLANNING FOR THEFUTURE

AgResearch is now progressingtowards becoming a global lifesciences business, generating,acquiring, developing, applying andutilizing intellectual property inpartnership with other organizations.Through this respositioning,AgResearch will directly assistNew Zealand agricultural industriesto improve their international com-petitiveness, while actively parti-cipating in the creation of new foodand health industries.

Revenue will be increasingly

generated by developing new productsand services that are valued byconsumers in many markets aroundthe world. Through a series ofbusiness streams, each with a differentand clearly defined client focus, aportfolio of products has beendeveloped with short- and medium-term potential. Some of these, such asnew forages and vaccines, are focusedon improving traditional industries.However, a number of newer products,such as biopesticides, meat qualityenhancement products and food/healthbioceutical products, will help toposition the company into today’s lifesciences industry.

Reproductive research to create new opportunities for farmers — a cow embryo

developing in the laboratory for transfer to a surrogate mother at seven days.

Inspecting white clover hybrids.Inspecting white clover hybrids.


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New Zealand Institute forCrop & Food Research

S tate-of-the-art biotechnology is being used alongsidetraditional plant breeding to enhance commercial

crops at New Zealand’s Crop & Food Research Institute.

The institute’s germplasm enhancement team uses arange of molecular and advanced genetic technologies.This is closely integrated with Crop & Food Research’splant breeding activities to produce enhanced germplasmsuitable for development of new crop cultivars.

Fundamental research programs are also developinga better understanding of plant genetics. These includework on control of apomixis (clonal seed production)and the function of pollen pigmentation. The team isalso involved in maintaining and developing an extensivegenebank and investigating new methods of conservinggermplasm.

Accessing genetic technology

Commercial biotechnology services offered by Crop &Food Research include:

• Contract transformation of potatoes, onions, vegetableand forage brassicas, field and garden peas, and lettucewith a range of herbicide and disease resistance genes,

• Marker Assisted Selection nurseries,

• Advice on field testing of genetically modified organismsin New Zealand and in meeting New Zealand’s legalrequirements for importation and/or development of GMOs,

• DNA fingerprinting to establish the identity of organisms,

• Disease diagnostics (Crop & Food Research also hasskills in developing and applying diagnostic proceduresfor a wide range of pests and diseases),

• Production of doubled haploids of barley and wheat, and

• Storage of seed and vegetative propagules either byconventional means or by cryopreservation.

Crop & Food Research also uses a number of specialisttissue culture techniques including:

• Rapid micropropagation in a wide range of vegetable,ornamental, fruit and forestry species,

• Wide hybridization via embryo culture, especially inbrassicas and cereals virus elimination via meristem tipculture in clonal crops such as asparagus, garlic, shallots,potato, sweet potato/kumara,

• Somatic cell selection for resistance traits in asparagus,

• Isolation and culture of plant protoplasts in asparagusand brassicas, and

• Somatic hybridization via protoplast fusion in brassicas.

Some current projects at Crop & FoodResearch

Molecular mapping (Dr. Gail Timmerman Vaughan)

Molecular mapping combines the powerful science ofgenetics with the use of molecular markers to constructlandmark maps of the DNA of the individual chromosomes.Using these maps, the locations of genes for importantplant characteristics are determined, and DNA diagnostictools can be developed to “track” genes during plantbreeding. Crop & Food Research has experience with peas,wheat, potatoes, asparagus, and onions.


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Transformation of vegetable and arable crops (Drs. TonyConner, Mary Christey, Colin Eady and Jan Grant)

Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer systems have beenestablished for New Zealand cultivars of potatoes, peas,vegetable brassicas, forage brassicas, lettuce, asparagus andonion. Now these transformation systems are being usedto develop crops with pest and disease resistance, as wellas improved quality attributes.

Recent successes include:

• potatoes with resistance to potato tuber moth,

• peas with virus resistance,

• broccoli with decreased ethylene production, and

• development of a world–first transformation system foronions.

Over the past decade considerable effort has been directedtoward conducting field trials on transgenic potatoes,vegetable and forage brassicas, peas and asparagus. Crop &Food Research has a comprehensive understanding of theregulatory environment within New Zealand, as well asconsiderable data on the environmental risk assessment andfood safety evaluation of transgenic crops.

Transformation of pines (Dr. Jan Grant)

Pines are outcrossing species and individual genotypes areassessed for phenotypic superiority between six and twentyyears of age. It would be highly desirable to be able totransform such selected genotypes. This is the goal ofcurrent research in a program which is being carried outin collaboration with the New Zealand industry and withForest Research.

Robust methods for Agrobacterium transformation of pinesare being developed. Crop & Food Research has a methodfor the transformation of cotyledons and is nowconcentrating on transformation of mature shoot tissue.

Apomixis (Dr. Ross Bicknell)

Apomixis, the asexual formation of seeds, is an unusualmechanism found in only a small number of natural plantspecies. As seeds form asexually, the seedlings thatgerminate are genetically identical to the mother plant.This would have enormous potential for agriculture if thetrait could be transferred to crop species, as it would permitthe rapid development of new hybrid seed lines at verylow cost. The Crop & Food Research program focuses ondefining the number and type of genes that cause apomixisand on determining how these plants differ from normalsexual species.


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National Institute of Water andAtmospheric Research

The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) is a research and consultancyorganization fully owned by the New Zealand Government. The organization specializes in

atmospheric, hydrological, coastal and marine studies and surveys. NIWA currently employs 600scientists, engineers and support staff and has an annual turnover close to US$30 million. NIWA, andits earlier form as the New Zealand Oceanographic Institute and fisheries research group of theMinistry of Agriculture and Fisheries, has over 40 years experience in marine operations in the watersaround New Zealand, ranging from sub-tropical regions to the Antarctic.

T

NIWA has a number of programs using avariety of biotechnology applications.

The Marine Biotechnology Program is primarily concernedwith increasing the production of bioactive compounds frommarine invertebrates (mainly sponges). It is generallyaccepted that it is not possible to chemically synthesizethe active compounds, and it is often impractical to obtainthem by extraction from harvested natural populations. Thewild populations of many sponges are small and/orinaccessible, and coupled with the naturally low levels ofbioactive compounds per kilogram of material, theharvesting of natural populations is not plausible. As aconsequence, NIWA is pursuing a number of alternativeavenues.

While the aquaculture of sponges is being examined,NIWA also carries out research on the production of spongetissue cell lines. An important factor in the production ofcell lines is the selection of somatic mutations whichincreases the concentration of the desired bioactivecompound. In addition to selection, having cells in tissueculture also facilitates the manipulation of the micro-environment with the aim of increasing the yield of thetarget bioactive compound.

For some sponges, however, the production of cell linesis proving to be difficult. This is due for the most part tothe individual cells being very “fragile”. The scientists arecarrying out research on the production of sponge cellhybridomas where the desirable but fragile sponge bioactive

producing cells are fused with rigorous fast growing spongecells. Horizontal gene transfer is also being investigated.

Biotechnology tools are also applied in three main areasof fisheries research and management. The first, stockidentification, uses allozyme, mitochondrial and nuclearDNA analysis to determine genetic diversity. For example,molecular markers are being applied to determine geneticdiversity within and between regional stocks of toothfishin Southern Ocean. A similar approach has been applied tocommercially important fish within New Zealand’sExclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The same molecular toolsare being applied to measure genetic diversity in freshwaterfish and insects as part of New Zealand’s strategy ofmeasuring and maintaining biodiversity.

A second application is the use of molecular markers toresolve taxonomic problems and to identify larval andjuvenile stages of fishes. Applications have shown thatmorphs of taraklhl, known as king taraklhi, are a discretespecies; that the morphologically variable sea perch consistsof one species; cryptic species have also been revealed insquids and sprats.

The third use of biotechnology in fisheries research isfor fish fillet and product identification. DNA markers andprotein fingerprints are used to identify fillets that mayhave been mislabeled to avoid quota restrictions, or toretail at higher prices. Primary users of this informationare fishing companies, Ministry of Fisheries, complianceand consumer watchdogs.


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ortResearch, the Horticulture and Food Research Instituteof New Zealand Limited, is New Zealand’s largest

horticulture and food research organization. Armed with awide selection of science capabilities, it has actively helpedto grow exports, develop new markets and provide jobopportunities for New Zealanders.

HortResearch uses its expertise, including scientificexcellence in creating new horticultural crops, processes andproducts, relevant research, strong client relationships, andeffective technology transfer, to benefit plant-growers. UnderHortResearch’s leading, New Zealand’s horticulture exportshave grown from NZ$14 million to almost NZ$2 billion inthe last 20 years.

HortResearch has about 500 permanent and 150 part-timestaff spread out among 11 research centers and orchards invarious locations around the country. The orchards are inmajor fruit-growing districts and act as outdoor laboratoriesso that research can be carried out under realistic climaticand commercial conditions.

Research is carried out alongside some of New Zealand’slargest plant-based and food processing industries. Researchspans molecular biology, plant and tree breeding, cropproduction, food processing, fruit storage and transport, andthe evaluation of consumer preferences.

An important aspect of HortResearch’s work is to ensurethat research findings are passed on to growers and theindustries. This is usually carried out through field days,seminars and a range of publications, products and services.

One of the major avenues of information dissemination isthrough HortNET, an internet-based center. HortNET can beaccessed at www.hortnet.co.nz.

KIWIFRUIT SEX TEST

The use of DNA to distinguish the sex of kiwifruit long beforethey flower is saving resources and labor in the breeding ofnew kiwifruit cultivars. The principle involved is now beingtaken further, and it is hoped to be able to identify plantscarrying traits such as large sweet fruit, different colors ormore Vitamin C.

In kiwifruit (and all its relatives), male and female vinescan only be told apart by their flowers. Although both areneeded in orchards only the females bear fruit and far fewermales are required.

When breeding new types of kiwifruit, a large number ofseedlings are produced and it is usually necessary to plantthem out in an orchard and grow them to maturity (i.e. firstflowering), then select the best female on the basis of fruitcharacteristics. This process will take several years.

The sex marker was developed to distinguish the maleseedlings at an early stage, and therefore only plant out femalesthat could be assessed for fruit quality. It is a molecular markerthat is close to the gene that determines sex.

The sex marker was discovered by a process called bulksegregant analysis, which involved the testing of severalhundred random markers with the DNA of sibling male andfemale plants to find one which segregated with the sex ofthe individual. The molecular marker was then cloned andsequenced, i.e. the piece of DNA that was found in themales only was taken out and the sequence of bases on theDNA was determined. From this information, primers weredesigned which amplified this piece of DNA in all maleplants of the family being studied. It did not amplify in thefemale plants.

SEARCHING FOR THE KEY TOKIWIFRUIT FLOWERING

Understanding the key factors that control flowering permitsplants to be manipulated so that the production of high-qualityfruit can be maximized.

Flowering and fruiting in kiwifruit follows a two-year cycle.During the first growing season, axillary buds are formed onshoots and at the beginning of the second growing season,these buds develop into shoots that differentiate flowers.

HortResearchH

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Evocation, when meristems become committed to flowering,is generally believed to occur during the first growing season,but the timing remains unclear.

HortResearch scientist Eric Walton and his team areinterested in identifying a gene as a marker for evocation inkiwifruit and then use it to determine the within-vine andenvironmental factors which influence evocation.

Initial work has focused on determining the suitability ofearly-expressing flowering genes (leafy and apetala1)identified in species as markers. Fragments of kiwifruit analogsof these genes have been isolated.

The team has shown that for both genes there are twopeaks in expression during bud development. The first peakin expression occurs approximately nine months earlier, aboutthe time when the meristems that will ultimately developinto flowers are formed. The second peak is concurrent withflower differentiation as is found in other species.

The technique of in situhybridization analysis iscurrently being used to identifywhere expression of these genesis occurring in buds in order todetermine their suitability asmarkers for evocation.

The team is also working onthe regulation of budbreak andflower differentiation inkiwifruit, with focus on thesignificance and possibleenergetic role of the amino acidproline during that time.

DNA TEST BREAKTHROUGH FOR EXPORTS

New DNA tests for mealybug identification is estimated tohave saved the New Zealand apple industry at least NZ$1million (US$680 000) in the first season of use.

Each year, samples from about four million apples areinspected by the United States Department of Agriculture forthe presence of any one species of mealybugs out of four thatis considered to be a quarantine pest.

Until recently, if a single mealybug was found, an entireconsignment – as many as 50 000 cartons of apples – wouldhave to be held in cool storage for up to 60 days until tests canbe carried out to identify the species. Mealybugs found inpipfruit are usually at juvenile stage and conventional techniquescould not accurately identify them until they reach adulthood.

HortResearch’s understanding of molecular biology has ledto the development of DNA probes that give results within 24hours.

Probes to identify two species of mealybugs were ready intime for the 1996 apple export season with tests for theremaining two species completed by the middle of 1997. Thetests have also been fine-tuned to distinguish even the smallestmealybug, a fraction the size of a pinhead. Eggs and adultmales, which could not be identified by conventional methods,no longer pose a problem.

The development is a world’s first as DNA technology hasnot been used before to identify insects on export consignments.

Supervisor of the project, scientist Lesley Beuning and theMealy Bug Identification Team were awarded the HortResearchChairperson’s Award for Outstanding Achievement for theircontribution to export growth through excellence in science.

The research, carried out inconjunction with the New ZealandApple and Pear Marketing Board,took two years to complete.

NATURE HELPSRESISTANCE BATTLE

Nature has beaten science at its owngame by bestowing durable pest anddisease resistance on several appletypes. The challenge for scientistsis to use these characteristics tobreed commercial varieties.

Resistance for commercial apples is the objective forVincent Bus, working at HortResearch’s Hawke’s Bay site.He is searching for genes conferring resistance to severalpests and diseases found on apples.

Thousands of seeds from old apple varieties and crab apples,including wild apples from Kazakhstan, have been grownand tested for resistance, mainly to black spot, but also forother nasties like fire blight, powdery mildew and woollyapple aphid.

Crab apples carry genes that confer immunity, and becausethere is usually only one gene involved, it is easy to use themfor breeding. Some were imported via France and some viathe USA, but most actually originated from Russia, China orJapan.

Apples are believed to be first eaten in Kazakhstan andHortResearch has material gathered from there duringexpeditions in 1993, 1995 and 1996, lead by Dr. Phil Forsline


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of the US Department of Agriculture. Plants grown from seedscollected in 1993 are starting to fruit now and have alreadyprovided a number of new sources for resistance.

Of the 2500 seeds from the 1995 and 1996 expeditions,about 25 percent have shown resistance to black spot.

There are major advantages in using reference materialsfrom Kazakhstan. Firstly, the fruit is large and has a faireating quality. Secondly, it appears that nature has beatenthe scientists to durable resistance and has already“pyramided” resistance genes into some of the germplasm.Preliminary information from the Unites States shows thatsome of these accessions already have three or four genesresistant to black spot alone.

“The whole theme of my breeding program is to bringdifferent types of resistances together. There are eight or nineknown major resistance genes to black spot to date, and theidea is to put different types together and create more durableresistance characteristics,” said Mr. Bus.

“It would then be a lot harder for black spot to overcomethat resistance. By bringing different types of resistance togetherinto one variety, we effectively have several weapons combinedin one to fight disease,” he added.

The next stage is to put that resistance into popularcommercial varieties. Mr. Bus said that with crab apples, ithas taken three to five generations to get to the stage of genepyramiding, with the Kazakhstan material it might only taketwo generations to the final product — new cultivars withdurable resistances.

CHINESE RESEARCHER MADEHONORARY FELLOW

A Chinese expert on kiwifruit varieties, Professor HuangHongwen, has been made an Honorary Fellow of HortResearch.

Professor Huang is the acting director of the Wuhan Instituteof Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is a memberof the Board of Directors of the Botanical Society of China,President of the Botanical Society of Hubei and currentlyChairman of the Kiwifruit Working Group of the InternationalSociety for Horticultural Science.

Honouring Professor Huang recognizes his position as ascientist and administrator and acknowledges his work on theconservation and biology of the genus Actinidia (cultivatedkiwifruit are selections of Actinidia), and his encouragement ofscientific links between New Zealand and China.

It was his second visit to New Zealand while kiwifruitresearchers from HortResearch visit Wuhan regularly.

Professor Huang is well aware that one of the primary reasonsfor protecting germplasm resources is the development ofnew kiwifruit and he has been involved in the selectionof several new cultivars including ‘Jinkui’.

Professor Huang’s early research was on plant nutritionalproblems in chestnuts and he spent nearly 10 years working onthese for the US Department of Agriculture. However hisscientific career has been devoted to the conservation andmanagement of germplasm (genetic material). His specialinterest has been in the conservation of Actinidia resources andthe Botanic Garden at Wuhan has what is almost certainly themost comprehensive collection of Actinidia species in China.

Dr. Ian Warrington, CEO of HortResearch at the Mt. AlbertResearch Center, Auckland, presented the Fellowship toProfessor Huang on 11 May 2000.

AGREEMENT SIGNED ON RED PEARGERMPLASM

A formal signing ceremony for a Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MOU) between HortResearch and the YunnanAcademy of Agricultural Science, China, for the exchange ofred pear germplasm took place at a technology conference inAuckland, New Zealand in April 2000.

The MOU also included collaboration in a project to com-mercialize current cultivars in Yunnan Province and elsewhere.

Issues discussed during the conference, which was hostedby a delegation from the Province, included the exchange ofkiwifruit germplasm, pear cultivation, and chestnut cultivarsand production.

Yunnan Province is in south-western China and has apopulation of approximately 42 million people, with a largeproportion working in the agricultural sector. Climatically,the Province has many similarities with New Zealand.

A delegation of 70 high-ranking representatives from Yunnanvisited Auckland for the one-day conference to discussbusiness development opportunities with their New Zealandcounterparts. The Province has initiated a wide range of projectsthat may offer opportunities for New Zealand companies andorganizations to expand their respective markets.

The delegates were looking to establish business relation-ships for technical assistance, consulting, training, supply ofequipment and project partnerships.

The visit was a major initiative and demonstrates thecommitment to building business partnerships. Specific areasof discussion were in agriculture, biotechnology, forestry andanimal husbandry.


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T he University of Canterbury, located inChristchurch, has 3 major research centers

involved in biotechnology-related research.They are the Canterbury Biomedical ResearchCenter (CBRC), Canterbury Health CareTechnology NZ (CHCTnz), and Green ProductsResearch Center.

The main emphasis is on the collaborativenature of research resulting in the formationof research centers. There are presently 10principal researchers leading biotechnology-related research with the funding support ofA$600 000 to A$800 000 (US$350 000 toUS$460 000).

CANTERBURY BIOMEDICALRESEARCH CENTER

The Canterbury Biomedical Research Centerwas established in November 1999 to bringtogether a range of skills and expertise fromthe University of Canterbury and otherregional Centers including the Institute ofEnvironmental Science & Research Limited(ESR) and Canterbury Health Laboratories.The aim is to harness these skills to allow amultidisciplinary approach to biotech-basedresearch problems.

The Center has a range of interests including:

• pharmaceutical design and development,

• structure and function of membranetransport proteins,

• molecular basis of aging diseases andcampylobacteriosis,

• role of free radical mediated cellular damagein disease,

• signal transduction within endocrine systems,

• genetic basis of human male infertility, and

• design and development of new healthdiagnostics and public health issues.

UNIVERSITY OFCANTERBURY

Antibiotic Resistance and Development of New Chemotherapeutics

This area of research is concerned with the role of antibiotics inpublic health. Increasingly, antibiotic therapy is compromised aspathogenic bacteria acquire genes that make them resistant toantibiotics. Resistance genes are transported between bacteria byvarious vectors that include viruses, plasmids and transposons,resulting in ‘horizontal’ gene transfer (HGT). HGT vectors cansometimes travel from bacteria to eukaryotes, possibly even people.

A group lead by Dr. Jack Heinemann have been investigating theeffect antibiotics have on the processes involved in HGT and havefound that antibiotics often do not interrupt, and sometimes evenpromote, HGT because of the effects of the antibiotics on bacteria.These findings have implications on the design of futurechemotherapeutics, particularly in designing treatments that might beless susceptible to the evolution of resistance by HGT.

Currently, the combinatorial effects of antibiotics and anti-bacterialviruses are being tested to augment efforts in designing viruses oftherapeutic potential.


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Antarctic Sponges, Polymers and Therapeutics

Drs. John Blunt and Murray Munro have done a systematicexploration of the potential of the marine environmentto provide new leads for anticancer research. A collectionof marine organisms from Antarctica includes the rare,dark-red sponge (Kirkpatrickia varialosa) from whichtwo anti-cancer compounds – variolins A and B – havebeen isolated.

The anticancer properties of these compounds are ofgreat interest as the way the compounds kill the cancercells is unique. However, only minute quantities of thesecompounds are available and the problems of obtainingmore sponge from Antarctica, a marine reserve withproblems when diving under the ice were effectivelyinsurmountable.

Over the next two years Dr. Jonathon Morris and hisresearch team will synthesize not only the parentcompounds variolins A and B, but will also produce up to100 variants of the parent compounds for biologicalevaluation. Identifying potential candidates is vital fromthe drug development perspective and this work on theAntarctic sponge will lead to the conversion of a series ofinteresting, but rare naturally-occurring compounds intopotential anticancer drugs that are readily available byrational synthesis.

Drs. Blunt and Munro have also developed halichondrinsfrom marine organisms with halinchondrin B currentlyundergoing clinical trials. Having found potential drugssuch as the variolins and the halichondrins from NewZealand marine organisms, the scientists are now exploringdrug delivery systems as a way of making these naturally-occurring compounds more effective. In collaboration withthe School of Pharmacy, University of London, marine-derived anticancer compounds are being attached topolymers to provide a new class of drug known as apolymer therapeutic. The polymer versions of a drug havebeen shown to have improved properties over the drugalone. When synthetic variolin analogs are prepared theytoo will be attached to polymers and their biologicalproperties tested.

New Antibiotics from Marine Fungi

A multidisciplinary research team led by Drs. John Blunt,Tony Cole and Murray Munro is currently studying thepharmaceutical and agrochemical potential of New Zealandmarine fungi. Initially, the team focused on fungi growingon red and brown seaweed, but isolations were later madefrom driftwood and other saline environments. Thetherapeutic areas of interest are anti-cancer and anti-

fungal activities. Numerous isolates have already beenshown to have excellent activity against leukemia cellsand also against the problematic fungal pathogen, Candidaalbicans.

Seaweed has been collected from a wide variety of SouthIsland marine sites. From these collections more than 1000fungal isolations have been made to give pure cultures.Under a collaborative agreement with the Spanishpharmaceutical company, Instituto BioMar SA, rapididentification of those cultures with biological potential ispossible following characterization of the fungi. Fungiculture on a larger scale for further chemical isolation andcharacterization will be carried out.

Some marine fungal derivatives have been found topossess anti-nematode properties. Nematode worms aresome of the most numerous and most important parasitesof domestic animals, man and even plants. Application ofextracted fungal material to nematodes has resulted in therapid killing of the worm and removal of its outer layer —very much like peeling a banana!


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RESEARCH CENTER FOR HEALTH CARETECHNOLOGY, NZ (CHCTnz)

This Research Center is a multi-disciplinary collaboration combiningphysics, engineering, mathematicsand statistics in the development ofhealth technologies. The ResearchCenter was formed to culminatestrengths from the University ofCanterbury, Christchurch Hospital,University of Otago, ChristchurchSchool of Medicine, LincolnUniversity, and Technology Link Ltd.

In addition, CHCTnz is activelyinvolved in the establishment anddevelopment of Innovative HealthcareTechnologies (IHT), a researchConsortium of University ofCanterbury, Christchurch School ofMedicine, Auckland University,Waikato University, and healthsector industries countrywide. Akey objective of IHT is to developinnovative technologies for healthsector as technology and knowledgetransfer.

Areas of biotechnology researchcovered by CHCTnz include:

• water purification using electricity(see WATCON),

• health technology and health statesmodeling,

• rehabilitation engineering,

• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome(SIDS) research, and

• cell mineral transport & metabolism.

WATCON — WATerCONditioner

Professor Pat Bodger and his Ph.D.student Paul Johnstone havedeveloped and market tested devicesthat use high voltage to killmicroorganisms in water. In principle, if a high voltage,giving a high potential gradient, is applied in the form ofan electrical impulse across a living cell, the membranewill rupture and the cell destroyed.

A domestic device, dubbed the Wateriser, won theaward for the best idea at the 1996 ECNZ RutherfordAwards. The device is patented in NZ, Australia, USA,

South Africa and India, withpatents pending in 21 othercountries.

Tests carried out at theMassey University/Ministry ofHealth Protozoa Research Unitconfirmed that the system isgreater than 99.9 percenteffective in killing giardia. Aswell as being able to providepotable drinking water, thedevice may have applications infood processing industries, inhospitals, air conditioningsystems, and in the treatmentof wastewater and sewage.

Electropure DevelopmentsLtd. is developing Waterisersfor industrial use. Both 10 and30 liter per minute devices havebeen built, and ten units of theformer are about to be installedfor market testing. Technicalresearch is focusing on thedevelopment of switched modepower electronic supplies forthe industrial devices.

GREEN PRODUCTSRESEARCH CENTER

Green Products is a campus-wide initiative at the Universityof Canterbury focusing on:

• improving products that arecurrently made from sustain-able natural resources,

• identifying new products thatcan be derived from sustain-able natural resources, and

• designing cleaner technologiesfor various production systems.

Splitting Fats

Professor Laurence Weatherley and his team are researchingon enzymatic hydrolysis of triglycerides. The production


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of these fatty acids is an important component in theeconomic exploitation of oils and fats since a numberof high value products require fatty acids in theirmanufacture. Such products include coatings,adhesives, speciality lubricating oils, shampoos, andother personal care products. The research isparticularly concerned with enzymatic hydrolysis oftriglycerides at ambient conditions so that the processcan be more energy efficient and environmentallybenign in comparison to conventional physico-chemicalprocesses such as steam splitting.

Novel bioprocessing methods

By using cost-effective and novel bioprocessingmethods, plant wastes such as bark, straw and sawdustcan be converted for other high-value purposes. Uponprocessing, the plant wastes can be used for stockfood, poison baits, growing useful fungi, and anti-fungal seedling growth media.

Livestock dependency on antibiotics is also beingreduced through the development of “functionalfoods” for livestock. Collaboration and possiblecommercialization of the products are presentlyunderway with the University of Canterbury andTonga, Brunei, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand.

Improvements to Rice Culture

Addition of cultured cyanobacter to rice seed resultedin zero incidences of wilting disease and a ten precentincrease in the biomass when grown in a dry field.The presence of the cyanobacter increased the nitrogenavailable to the plants. As the plants were healthy

they were less susceptible to fungal disease reducing theneed for sprays.

Five standard rice seed varieties from the International RiceResearch Institute in the Philippines were used in the trial.

“Cell-Cracking” Technology

Patented “cell cracking” technology has been developedwhich uses physical means to crack open hard plant andmicrobial cells to yield novel commercial products andto improve bioavailability. The ability of this technology tomicronize animal products is also being investigated. Marineproducts, such as green-lipped mussel that can reduce arthritispain, can be deodorized without product degradation usingthe cell cracking technology and rapid cool drying methods.

Extraction of antioxidants

An environmentally sound process using pure water hasbeen developed to extract anti-oxidants from Pinus radiatabark. The product, eNZogenol, which contains naturallyoccurring anti-oxidants and flavonoids, was tried out onmice. The mice which were fed eNZogenol gained thickerglossier fur, their eyes became brighter and noses and tailspinker. There was no evidence of acute or chronic toxicity,the incidence of tumors fell dramatically while longevityincreased and morbidity decreased. The response was foundto be dose–dependent.

Following positive results from a pilot plant and trial, ajoint venture company, Enzo Nutraceuticals Ltd., was formedbetween the university-based research group NZ BioventuresLtd. and business associates Protein Ventures Ltd.

Other biotechnology research undertaken by GreenProducts researchers includes:

• patented “molecular selection” technology which extractsa narrow range of compounds from complex mixtures,

• research on a natural exochitinase showing great promiseas a topical antifungal agent; and as an insecticide,including use as an anti-malarial mosquito larval/pupalinsecticide.

”

“The university’s main emphasis is on the

collaborative nature of research resulting

in the formation of research centers.


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Lincoln University

ention “biotechnology” in New Zealand at the momentand the subject of genetically modified (GM) food

quickly surfaces. It is currently one of the hottest topics ofdiscussion and debate in this top food producing nation.

It is also a topic followed with close interest by LincolnUniversity, which has a long and strong tradition ofteaching and research in biotechnology.

For example, in the 1960s, when a world shortage ofinsulin threatened, Lincoln scientists examined then thepotential for extracting insulin from the pancreas glandsof sheep.

Then in the 1970s, at the time of the world oil shocks,Lincoln was commissioned to investigate growing sugarbeet as a source of ethanol for synthetic fuels.

At the end of the 1980s, Lincoln achieved a dramatic“first” in New Zealand in genetic engineering. Scientistsat the university produced New Zealand’s first transgenicanimal that is a species (in this case a mouse) carryinggenetic material introduced by laboratory manipulationfrom another animal (a rabbit).

M Then in 1991, Lincoln University scientists producedNew Zealand’s first “genetically engineered” sheep – alamb with an extra gene to stimulate the wool follicle. Theaim of this work was to increase fleece weight and producea “super woolly” sheep.

Today, with the issue of genetically modified foodattracting such intense debate, Lincoln Universityscientists find themselves in an educational role, clarifyingthe issues and explaining the terms and principlesinvolved. They have come down neither one way nor theother and feel that for the moment their obligation is toensure that the discussion is informed, intelligent andfree from error.

Two Lincoln University scientists who have beenprominent in the “public education” role associated withthe GM food debate are molecular biologist Dr. JonathanHickford and food biochemist Dr. Geoffrey Savage. Theyare both senior lecturers in Lincoln University’s Animaland Food Sciences Division.

In the following article, they look at the issue ofbalancing risk and need in the production of GM food.

APBN4N12•Special•NZpart 2 6/27/00, 2:09 PM243

244 APBN • Vol. 4 • No. 12 • 2000

GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD

Balancing Risk and Need

There has been considerable discussion in recent months aboutgenetically modified (GM) foods. The issue is complex andeverybody has an opinion based on different values, motivationsand beliefs. With hundreds of potentially modified and unlabeledproducts already on supermarket shelves, it is too late to avoidencountering these foods, but it is never too late to look closelyat their safety and whether we need them in New Zealand.

Whether we need GM foods is perhaps the least consideredquestion, but probably the most important. It should beconsidered from two perspectives: changes to our business as afood producing and exporting nation and changes to our internalfood supply.

Our economy is largely based on exporting food and this isworth billions of dollars. The issue of whether we choose toproduce and export GM foods must be considered. New Zealandsells its produce to the top socio-economic groups of the world’spopulation and we suspect this group, who could so easily taketheir custom elsewhere, might take the opportunity to buy foodthat was guaranteed non-GM. They could also be persuaded topay more for it! A critical move, which we hope our major foodexporting industries are undertaking, is to assess what ourmarkets want.

Supplying what our markets want may not however bepolitically easy. The US has chosen not to label GM foodswhich creates a precedent for world trade. Tariff restrictionsand free trade agreements may become more complex as aresult of this. Already tension exists between the European Unionand the US over labeling of GM foods, many people believingthat labeling will increase food costs while others wish to bebetter informed.

Do we need GM foods in New Zealand? We are generallywealthy people by international standards and we can afford tochoose what food we eat. Food fashions come and go andnutritional advice from experts is often of secondaryconsideration. The decision is still ours as to whether thesefoods will improve our diet, but they do raise new concerns.Are these concerns justified?

It is not possible to say that GM foods are absolutely safe,but current evidence is very favorable. Traditional foodproduction practices have certainly produced unsafe foods, andthese have generally been removed from our food supply beforeanyone has been hurt. Food scientists have identified andmeasured numerous toxins, allergens and microbiologicalcontaminants in commonly consumed foods. There is no

compelling evidence to suggest that new orhidden dangers exist in GM foods, be they fromthe new DNA, new metabolites, proteins, toxins,allergens, or infectious agents. The conclusionreached is that the risk from GM foods is small,but the assessment of that risk is necessary.

The two main risks identified and which needto be addressed are — will this food affect uswhen we eat it and will its production affect theenvironment?

The digestive tract is efficient at digesting thefood we eat; undigested food is disposed of inthe feces. There is little evidence to suggest thatnew DNA or its products from GM food is


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treated any differently to any other DNA or dietaryconstituent and is therefore no more likely to affect aperson than any other food consumed. Infective organisms(viruses and bacteria) are a different issue; they are notdeliberately added to any food, especially GM food. Whileit is suggested that prolonged testing in other animalspecies should be undertaken, past experience revealsnumerous examples of this being ineffective at identifyinghazards for humans.

Environmental concerns about GM food production arevalid, although often overstated. It will not alleviate theproblems associated with monoculture of crops or animalsand it will not de-intensify farming practices. The claimthat it will lead to reduced pesticide and chemical useneeds to be confirmed by rigorous analysis of practicesthat use both non-GM and GM organisms.

Claims that herbicide resistance genes will escape fromGM crops and produce superweeds are also overstated.The environment is a far better and more frequent “geneticengineer” than scientists and numerous natural gene-transfer systems have been observed. The success of anorganism modified by a gene-transfer is governed by theenvironment. Natural selection removes unsuccessfulgenetic combinations. While a herbicide-resistant gene maybe able to transfer to a weed, this would need to be ofcontinual benefit to that weed, to become established longterm in its genetic material. Non-useful genetic materialand its products would actually be a metabolic cost to theweed and hence, unless the herbicide was always present,would be lost.

Weeds are plants that grow where you do not wantthem. We have a legacy of problem weeds, introduced

with the best of intentions. The complex interactionbetween genes and environment has not been fullyunderstood before importing new plants. This interactionis obviously much easier to understand if the only changeis in a small number of genes as is usual for GM crops.The risk they pose is therefore considerably less than wholenew plant species and yet these are still being importedfor both agricultural and gardening uses. Talk of“superweeds” is emotive and local problems like gorseand hieracium could equally fit this exaggerated description.A holistic view needs to be considered and anyone whoimports plants or animals, selectively breeds, weeds theirgarden, or in fact does anything to interfere with naturalgenetic events is guilty of interfering (and being a geneticengineer!).

The risk of the unknown with GM foods is impossibleto measure or assess. What questions should be asked?What should be measured? Once all the tangible riskshave been assessed, sooner or later, any new technology(not just GM food) has to be released into the publicdomain and a gamble taken. While this might suggest thatwe should not even contemplate consuming GM foods,this way of thinking would have us believe that the earthis flat and would deny any benefits could exist from newtechnologies.

”

“Whether we need GM foods

is perhaps the least

considered question, but

probably the most

important…

supplying what our

markets want may not

however be

politically easy.


246 APBN • Vol. 4 • No. 12 • 2000

M A S S E Y U N I V E R S I T Y

or more than a century theprosperity of New Zealand has

been based on biologicalcommodities, dairy products, wool,meat, fruit, wood and wine – but itcannot depend on bulk commoditiesto sustain the economy for the future.Knowing this, New Zealand hasembraced biotechnology to build,reinforce and expand the productionand processing of biological products.

Massey University has developeda position as a leader in bio-technology, based on its history as auniversity for the primary industriesand its strengths in the sciences,especially genetic engineering andfood processing,

In order to see how New Zealandand Massey University are buildingand benefiting from biotechnology,we need to understand whatbiotechnology is. In recent times asthe use of and resulting debate ongenetically modified foods hasincreased, the use of the termbiotechnology has been very looselyused by some commentators asencompassing all such technologies.

However, in 1990 when the NewZealand Biotechnology Associationwas formed, it developed a workingdefinition of biotechnology that ismuch more specific. It was definedas the application of scientific andengineering principles to theprocessing of materials by biologicalagents, and the processing ofbiological materials to improve thequality of life.

While genomics and geneticmodification are included within thisdefinition, biotechnology is by nomeans limited to genetic technologies.

F

It encompasses the entire food,forestry, fiber and animal skinprocessing industries of New Zealand.

The need to add value to theseproducts and industries wasrecognized by Massey University veryearly. With its grounding in land-based sciences it is ideally placed toprovide the research and the teachingneeded to take New Zealand into thenew millennium.

Massey began as an agriculturalcollege in 1927 at Palmerston North,two hours north of New Zealand’scapital, Wellington. As industry inNew Zealand diversified away fromthe production of meat and wool, sodid the college, adding more coursesand become a university in 1963.It is now a multi-campus universitywith sites at Palmerston Northand Albany near Auckland, andWellington. Some 13 000 studentsstudy internally and another 16 000from throughout New Zealand andoverseas study extramurally. While

going from strength to strength in thearea of primary industries it has alsogrown in other areas and now hasthe largest business college in thecountry.

Alongside Massey a number ofnational research organizations havedeveloped, including AgResearch,HortResearch, Crop and FoodResearch and the NZ DairyResearch Institute with which theuniversity shares research andexpertise, especially in the area ofbiotechnology.

Massey is unique in that it is theonly university in New Zealand toinclude all the disciplines ofagriculture, horticulture, veterinaryand animal sciences, physiology,food science, nutrition, ecology,plant biology, microbiology,immunology, genetics and bio-chemistry under a single college –the College of Sciences. Thisgrounding is the platform on whichMassey’s biotechnology expertise isbased.

BIOTECHNOLOGY DEGREE

The University first establisheda biotechnology department inthe 1960s, and started perhaps theworld’s first undergraduate degree inbiotechnology in 1967. This degree,Bachelor of Technology (biotech-nology and bioprocess engineering) isthe basis of the teaching of biotech-nology at Massey.

The degree was originallyconducted in the Faculty of Tech-nology but with the restructure of thesciences at the University in 1998,

M A S S E Y U N I V E R S I T Y


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when 22 faculties and departmentswere merged into eight research-focused institutes, the course is nowadministered by the Institute ofTechnology and Engineering.

The degree structure includes allaspects of modern biotechnology,from process engineering throughbiochemistry and microbiology tomolecular biology.

RESEARCH PROGRAMS

Alongside the teaching program is theBiotechnology Research Program – agroup of industrial microbiologistsand molecular biologists workingtogether with process engineers toprovide an integrated understandingof the development of optimal processand product designs. It is especiallyproficient in the conversion of lowvalue raw materials and waste by-products into high value items suchas pharmaceuticals, functional foods,fuels and fine chemicals. It also looksfor solutions to optimize existingprocesses or solve manufacturing orproduct quality problems.

The Research Program is currentlyworking on projects ranging fromglycan production from brewers’yeast, to solid state fomentation,steroid production from bile toinvestigating the onset of rigor inmeat and seafood products.

Associate Professor Ian Maddox,from the Institute of Technology andEngineering, is arguably the worldauthority on butanol production fromraw materials. He has been workingon a long-term study into theproduction of acetone-butanol-ethanol(ABE) using the anaerobic bacterium,Clostridium acetobutylicum, mostlywith a whey permeate substrate.Originally the work began in responseto the high oil prices of the 1970s tofind a substitute for gasoline. Overthe years, the studies have continuedto consider the concept of ABE as

a potential replacement for diesel fuel.Professor Maddox’s group hasconsidered fermentation processes,with pervaporation being the mostpromising option.

Providing the tools on whichbiotechnology at Massey is advancinginto the future is the Institute ofMolecular Biosciences (IMBS). TheInstitute has expertise in genomics,bioinformatics, structural biology,molecular genetics, cell biology,regulation of gene expression, molecularmicrobiology, molecular evolution,plant physiology and development. Itis from these fundamental researchbases that biotechnology opportunitiesare emerging.

One group has cloned a 60 kb genecluster for the synthesis of paxillineneurotoxins from Penicillium paxilli.In New Zealand these compoundscause rye-grass staggers in farmanimals. For the pharmaceuticalindustry is a lead compound for themanufacture of new drugs and thisprogram has attracted a lot of interestoverseas.

A group in IMBS has cloned someof the genes which control leafdevelopment in plants. Inhibitors ofaspartic proteinases are the basis ofbillion dollar products used in HIVand high blood pressure therapies. AnIMBS group has isolated the gene foran aspartic proteinase inhibitor fromsquash and is determining its structureand function of this novel protein.

Helicobacter pylori causes gastritisand stomach cancer and is a major,worldwide human pathogen; a novelvaccine against this insidiouspathogen is the goal of another group.

Giardia and Crytosporidium areproblems in many public watersupplies. One of the university’slaboratories provides the Australasianexpertise in the detection of theseorganisms in water samples, wheretheir research is focused on thedevelopment of novel immuno- and

genetic methods to detect thesepathogens.

Flies are a major health, economicand health problem in most parts ofthe world. A molecular genetic controlof the sheep blow fly is the goal ofanother group. This involves the useof transposable elements to makesterile transgenic flies to blockreproduction.

Plants are the key to foodproduction for a burgeoning worldpopulation. Another group hasisolated the gene for the planthormone cytokinin and is using thisto assess the regulation of control ofplant growth.

Massey University works closelywith other research providers in thearea of biotechnology. In the relativelynew field of nutaraceuticals, Masseyhas teamed up with the CrownResearch Institute AgResearch andformed the AgResearch Centre forPastoral Foods Research.

The primary aim of the center isdeveloping animal products “boosted”with higher or improved nutrientlevels, or changed compositions,such as milk with higher levels ofpolyunsaturated fatty acids. It alsodevelops dietary and nutritionalsupplements directly from pasturecrops.

”

“Massey… started

perhaps the world’s

first undergraduate

degree in

biotechnology

in 1967.


248 APBN • Vol. 4 • No. 12 • 2000

UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO By Dr. Michael Legge*

unedin, “City of Science andTechnology”, is New Zealand’s fourth

largest city with a population of 120 000.Situated on Otago Harbor it has excellentphysical communication and tele-communication links. The City and itsenvirons have an international reputationfor its rare wildlife and unique, beautifulscenery. As the commercial center for theNew Zealand gold rush in 1861, Dunedingrew rapidly and established many finebuildings which remain today. Associatedwith the early development of Dunedin wasthe establishment of the University of Otagoin 1859, New Zealand’s first university.

The combination of the academictraditions of Dunedin’s Scottish heritage andthe continuing growth of the University’sresearch and development base hasproduced strong academic departments andresearch units. The University of Otago hasa proven international reputation in HealthSciences for biomedical research, moleculargene mapping as well as for the sciences,technology and information technology.This is reflected in the continued growthof both undergraduate and postgraduatestudent numbers and a strong increase inexternal income associated with research

D

activities during the 1990s. The academic and research strengths of theUniversity attract both gifted students and post-doctoral researchers fromNew Zealand and beyond, providing both national and internationalintellectual perspectives to science and technology in the University. Theselinks are reinforced with collaborative research, teaching and exchangeagreements with leading institutions in Asia, the Americas and Europe.

Research highlights in the past year include the creation of a Bose-Einstein Condensate, vaccine development for asthma and cervical cancerin humans and tuberculosis in farmed deer, design of novel mitochondrialmedicines, identification of a gene linked to stomach cancer, rapid detectionof neurotoxins, commercial development of marine invertebrates throughaquaculture, completion of a sheep gene map and establishment of SheepMap™ database and deer genome mapping. Supporting theseachievements, the University has 15 major research themes and 26 researchcenters and a further 84 collaborative research groups.

A major successful partnership with the New Zealand Crown ResearchInstitute, AgResearch, established a national research center on campusfor agriculture and medical research to develop sophisticated moleculartools for genome analysis, especially in the use of sheep and deer genemaps, forage gene mapping and biodiversity, and factors that regulatedeer antler growth. The recently established ruminant genomics programin the AgResearch Molecular Biology Unit will make further internationalcontributions to ruminant gene mapping. A second major researchcollaboration is with the New Zealand Crop and Food Crown Research

*Dr. Mike Legge is a Senior Lecturer in Biochemistry and Director of Biotechnology at the University of Otago.


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”

“

Institute and the establishment ofthe Plant Extracts Research Unit toinvestigate the identification of naturalproducts for use in pharmaceuticalsand agrochemicals.

Utilizing the biomedical and scienceresources in the University of Otagohas provided key strategies forbiotechnology development, withpotential for continued growth.Recognizing the acceleratingmomentum in the life and informationsciences, the University of Otago isbuilding biotechnology platformsthrough dialogue with the scientificand business community. Multi-disciplinary groups are wellestablished for Gene Structure andFunction, Oxidative Stress in Healthand Disease, Formulation and DrugDelivery, Immunological Basis of Disease, CancerGenetics, Marine Science, Neurosciences, ProductDevelopment, Sensory Sciences, Virus Research,Biodiversity, Bioethics, Laser Technology, Micro-chemical Analysis, and Computer and InformationSciences. The expertise and innovation in these keyareas have recently been enhanced with the Universityof Otago providing increased funding for genomicsand proteomics, bioinformatics, NMR spectroscopyfacilities, specialist microscopy facilities and smallmammal facilities. These initiatives recognize thatBiotechnology in 2000 and beyond will be genomedriven and technology orientated, and place theUniversity of Otago in a strong posit ion withbiotechnology expertise in healthcare, animal and plantgenomics, agriculture, environment and biodiversity.

The University of Otago introduced two initiatives inbiotechnology this year. The first, the new Master ofScience (M.Sc.) in Biotechnology, will be offered forthe first time in 2000 and a collaboration agreement withthe Dunedin local authority.

The M.Sc. course will utilize the strengths of a numberof the University departments and specialist researchgroups. Through this collaborative approach, the coursewill offer students a diverse range of topics in the areasof genomics and proteomics, bioinformatics, bioprocessing,fermentation and flavor technologies, reproductivesciences, plant and agricultural sciences, drug deliverysystems, aquaculture, and intellectual property andtechnology transfer management.

The second initiative is a joint venture agreementbetween the University of Otago and the Dunedin Citylocal authority, the Dunedin City Council, to establish theCenter for Innovation which is to be completed in 2000.The center will provide the mechanisms and support forinnovative and applied research to be developed inassociation with related industries. In conjunction withthis unique development in New Zealand, a BiotechnologyFramework strategy is being established utilizing theresearch and development strengths of the University ofOtago and the expertise of the Dunedin City council todevelop a Biotechnology Cluster in Dunedin and Southernregions of New Zealand. This will provide uniqueopportunities for innovative research and technologies tocreate new biotechnology initiatives.

The combination of the academic

traditions of Dunedin’s Scottish heritage

and the continuing growth of the

University’s R&D base has produced

strong academic departments and

research units.


asia-pacific bi tech

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