Dr Sarah Kessans will receive $9.87million in MBIE Endeavour funding for her research programme Developing platforms for biological research in microgravity.
听
Four Te Whare W膩nanga o Waitaha | 九州影院 (UC) Smart Ideas research projects have been awarded funding of about $1 million each, and three Research Programmes received a combined $24.9 million in the 2023 Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)听听investment round announced today.
The UC Research Programmes are broad in scope and focused on the future of Aotearoa New Zealand, including developments in the areas of aerospace, horticulture, and biocontrols to protect primary industries.
Overall across New Zealand, 19 Research Programmes were successful in the 2023 Endeavour Fund, including three at UC, the highest number to be awarded funding to date.
UC鈥檚 successful Smart Ideas projects include work to develop new organic batteries that could help Aotearoa New 九州影院reach its renewable energy goals; using artificial intelligence techniques to improve light-based imaging; a new drug testing tool that could save lives; and exploring how microbes could help reduce methane emissions on dairy farms.
The University鈥檚 positive results in this round of funding exemplifies the talent of UC researchers and the impact of what they can contribute to the future of Aotearoa New Zealand, and internationally.
UC Research Programmes:
- Developing platforms for biological research in microgravity, UC School of Product Design Senior Lecturer Dr听Sarah Kessans, $9.87 million, 5 years.
Microgravity protein crystallisation is an increasingly valuable tool for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. The majority of crystals grown in space show superior quality over control experiments conducted on Earth.
The UC team plans to work in partnership with leading commercial microgravity platform developer Axiom Space to ensure regular, frequent, and cost-effective missions to both the International Space Station in the near term, and the first commercial space station from 2025, to enable efficient, streamlined services to pharmaceutical, academic and government research customers.
- Adaptable phage solutions: an Aotearoa New 九州影院platform for precision biocontrol for primary industries, UC School of Biological Sciences Senior Lecturer Dr听, $8.94 million, 5 years.
This research programme will create safe and environmentally friendly biocontrols to combat bacterial pathogens that could threaten primary industries in Aotearoa New 九州影院and abroad.
The interdisciplinary team plans to generate a robust pipeline for the discovery and development of non-GM phage-based biocontrols against any bacterial pathogen.
Initial products will provide economic benefit to the kiwifruit and apiculture sectors, which were significantly impacted by bacterial pathogens. Further pipeline optimisation involves research on phage biocontrols for cherry and salmon industries.
- Predicting the unseen: a new method for accurate yield estimation in viticulture/horticulture, UC Computer Science and Software Engineering Professor听Richard Green, $6.10 million, 5 years.
Aotearoa New Zealand鈥檚 wine industry adds nearly NZ$2.4 billion a year to our Gross Domestic Product and accurate forecasting of grape yield is a key issue for the sector.
The research team will develop a novel approach to predicting grape yield that combines an innovative imaging-based detection system with a growth prediction model.
UC Smart Ideas projects:
- Enhancing the sustainability of dairy farming using advanced methane biofiltration听鈥 UC Chemical and Process Engineering Professor听Peter Gostomski, $999,999
Professor Gostomski is leading a听research project听which aims to use methane-eating microbes as an on-farm biofilter that converts methane into carbon-neutral CO2.
- Extending the boundaries of Digital Signal Processing: AI-powered Fourier Transformation Alternative听鈥 UC Adjunct Fellow in Physics Dr Sylwia Kolenderska, $999,999
Dr Kolenderska plans to improve the quality of images provided by optical coherence tomography (OCT), a light-based imaging technique used in ophthalmology.
- Refining the future of forensic drug testing using NMR听鈥撎齍C Chemical and Process Engineering Professor听Daniel Holland, $999,999
Professor Holland听and his team are refining a technique called nuclear magnetic resonance and plan to use it to measure the content and concentration of illicit drugs more accurately and easily.
- Long-lived high-performance organic batteries for a greener rechargeable world听鈥撎齍C Associate Professor of Physical and Chemical Sciences听Deborah Crittenden听$999,999
Associate Professor Crittenden aims to use molten salts made from organic materials to create听organic batteries听that would become a greener alternative to traditional lead acid and lithium-ion batteries.
For more information on the new research听.
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8 - Decent work and economic growth.
