MBIE Science and Innovation

If you’re not a fan of creepy crawlies – scroll past!   On a recent episode of RNZ’s ‘Our Changing World’, Ellen Rykers visited The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited's Pūngāwerewere Workroom which is home to 800 Australian redback spiders.   The team received $1 million through the 2023 round of the Government’s MBIE-administered Endeavour Fund to find environmentally friendly ways to control invertebrate pests like the redback.    Listen to the episode to hear Dr Andrew Twidle about the chivalrous nature of the male redback, how the team keep the spiders happy and healthy in their houses, and how they stop them from escaping the lab.   Don’t worry, these spiders are very different to the ones that bit Peter Parker - but you still don’t want to get bitten by a redback spider.    https://lnkd.in/gfGHuFjm 📸: Plant & Food's Dr Andrew Twidle with a redback in its home.

📅 Don’t miss the European Research Days 2024 – Oceania, a free virtual event organised by EURAXESS Australia & New Zealand. Held from 9-13 December - the event focuses on providing the New Zealand and Pacific research community with information and support for scientific exchange and collaboration with Europe. 🌍 We’ll be speaking on day 3! Sharing details about Horizon Europe and New Zealand’s association. There’s more information on the EURAXESS website here: https://lnkd.in/gnK_DyDD 🤝 Day 1: EU-Oceania Scientific Cooperation (https://lnkd.in/edCXUScw) 🔬 Day 2: Understanding Horizon Europe (https://lnkd.in/ejnfmgqP) 📔 Day 3: Horizon Europe and Association (https://lnkd.in/e6d-5huQ) 👩🔬 Day 4: Early and Mid-Career Researchers’ Day (https://lnkd.in/eaHPBujd) 🧪 Day 5 Afternoon: EU Member States-Oceania Research Cooperation & the Role of Scientific Diaspora (https://lnkd.in/eMTK2cVr) 🎓 Day 5 Evening: PhD & Postdoc Opportunities in the EU Member States (https://lnkd.in/ec-jXt7B) Please note that separate registration is required for each day. #ERDOceania #HorizonEurope #HorizonEU #research #innovation

Paihau-Robinson Research Institute’s advanced energy technology platform is accelerating the electrification of New Zealand’s aviation and heavy transport fleets, critical to reducing New Zealand and the world’s carbon emissions. Professor and Principal Engineer Rodney Badcock has been leading the convoy for almost 5 years. 🔋⚡ “We’ve been addressing the technology challenges, but we’re also addressing the infrastructure, maintenance, and operational requirements needed for New Zealand to transition to sustainable heavy transport and aviation successfully and permanently,” says Rod. 🔌🛫 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gDAQtWjU 📸 : Victoria University Professor Rod Badcock has been with the Robinson Research Institute at Victoria University of Wellington for almost 20 years.

More than half of primary schools around New Zealand are teaching students to read using the Better Start Literacy Approach, with data showing that the approach has accelerated the literacy skills and success of more than 80,000 children.   Professor Gail Gillon, Director of University of Canterbury’s Child Well-being Research Institute, and her team developed the structured literacy approach, funded by the Government’s Better Start National Science Challenge E Tipu E Rea.   Recently, Gail shared the story about how the approach was developed from small studies with children in Canterbury to being rolled out around the country for children in their junior years. The team are working hard to expand this to encompass more advanced reading skills for other primary school years. You can watch Gail share the story of the Better Start Literacy Approach: https://lnkd.in/gAdiXXAY   Mary’s 7-year-old son's school is teaching students to read using the Better Start Literacy Approach and she has only great things to say about his experience. “This approach has given Tommy fundamental skills by teaching him how to understand the sounds within words. The Better Start Literacy Approach books are beautiful and New Zealand-based, with te reo Māori and English woven throughout. It’s great to see Tommy’s confidence grow as he’s learning to read.” 

After more than a decade trapped in a secret man-made WWII cavern, a unique laser that connects New Zealand and Germany has been rescued and restored. Thirty years ago, a visionary partnership was forged between the University of Canterbury, the Technical University of Munich, and the Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie (BKG). This collaboration brought together some of the brightest minds from both nations, united by a common goal: to develop the C-II ring laser, a globally unique device capable of measuring absolute rotational velocities with unprecedented precision. The C-II represented a monumental leap forward in seismology and the precise determination of Earth’s position, a critical parameter for satellite navigation and space research. Following the devastating Christchurch earthquakes, the cavern was closed, making access to the ring laser impossible for twelve years. Over the last year, a joint effort by MBIE, the University of Canterbury, and the Technical University of Munich, supported by the Christchurch City Council, saw the recovery and refurbishment of the ring laser. Last week, we celebrated its recommissioning and 30 years of international research cooperation at UC’s Ilam campus. 📷 : Image one: Jon-Paul Wells from the University of Canterbury, with Hugo Bussell, MBIE International Science Partnerships Manager. Image two: Ulrich Schreiber from the Technical University of Munich. Jon-Paul Wells and Ulrich Schreiber are lead researchers for the programme.

This week is the World Health Organization’s World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week.   Antimicrobial resistance happens when harmful bacteria, fungi and viruses no longer respond to drugs that are designed to defeat them such as antibiotics and antiviral medicines. It is one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity.   One of the simplest and most effective ways to reduce antimicrobial resistance is to prevent infection in the first place. This can be as simple as having good hygiene, like washing your hands with soap and water regularly and after touching animals. Make sure you and your pets are vaccinated to help keep everyone healthy.   Learn more about antimicrobial resistance on the Science Learning Hub: https://lnkd.in/gDmRuyXN   There are a number of active research programmes in New Zealand to combat antimicrobial resistance:   Through the latest round of the Endeavour Fund, researchers from the University of Otago were awarded $1 million over three years to improve and modify existing antibiotics. Their work means farmers can continue to give antibiotics to sick animals, by concentrating the active antibiotic in diseased tissue. This allows safe and effective treatment of infections, without harming good bacteria. In October 2020, The University of Auckland was awarded $9.18 million over five years to look into creating new antibiotics for human use.    In October 2019, the University of Otago was awarded $8.7 million over six years to discover and develop new eco-friendly antimicrobial antimicrobial treatments for animals.

Have you heard of Lumi™ Drug Scan 👨🔬💡👮 the rapid and reliable drug-detection solution that’s giving frontline police officers the scientific data they need to make evidence-based decisions? By combining near-infrared spectroscopy, artificial intelligence and machine learning with a user-friendly mobile app, ESR – Science and Research has drawn from its extensive experience and forensic capabilities to develop an innovative testing solution and mobile app for NZ Police. The buck doesn’t stop there though. ESR is now working with law enforcement agencies in Australia and the United Kingdom to explore opportunities for Lumi™ Drug Scan’s application beyond New Zealand. Read the full story in our latest case study: A scientific innovation for safer policing https://lnkd.in/gG9pTddv 📷Credit: ESR

The inaugural Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships have been announced. The fellowships support the career development of researchers at different stages of their careers. Find the list of recipients on the Royal Society Te Apārangi website.

Four exciting projects have been announced - which set out to test space science research projects using Earth observation tools and techniques. Find out more form the New Zealand Space Agency below 👇

Congratulations to the 2025 Rhodes Scholars, Meredith, Brittany and Thomas, who will continue their studies at the University of Oxford. Meredith recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons First Class) in Philosophy from Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington. At Oxford she will complete a Bachelor of Philosophy where she will continue to research social contexts of knowledge, particularly in politically extremist communities.   Brittany from Nelson recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Historical Forces, Arts and Literature from Minerva University, San Francisco. As a Rhodes Scholar Brittany will complete a Master of Philosophy in the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology at the University of Oxford.   Thomas (Tom) Swinburn will soon be graduating with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, and Bachelor of Medical Science (Hons First Class) from the Waipapa Taumata Rau The University of Auckland. As a Rhodes Scholar he intends to complete a Master of Science in Global Health Science and Epidemiology. We wish the best to these exceptional young New Zealanders. Read more on the Universities NZ website: https://lnkd.in/g4b2sTPc