genetics

Plastic and microplastic pollution of oceans is a wicked problem. Using bioinformatics and statistical analysis, scientist Victor Gambarini looked to correlate marine microbes that could degrade...

RNA interference (RNAi) is a biological process in which RNA inhibits gene expression. It is a natural process in cells. As a biotechnology tool, RNA interference...

RNA interference (RNAi) is a natural process that occurs in cells where small RNA molecules ‘silence’ or decrease the activity of specific genes by preventing them...

Genetic modification has been used in Aotearoa New Zealand since the 1970s. It is used in research laboratories and in contained field tests, in some medicines...

In traditional Māori society, a range of methods for pest control were developed such as reciting karakia, the strategic use of fire and smoke, soil preparation...

The fungus Austropuccinia psidii is responsible for causing the invasive plant disease commonly known as myrtle rust, which threatens a large range of plants within the...

The varroa mite is a tiny but destructive pest responsible for the deaths of many honey bee colonies in Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world....

RNA interference is both a natural process and a novel biotechnology tool in which small RNA molecules ‘silence’ or decrease the activity of specific genes by...

Environmental DNA (eDNA) has revolutionised how scientists monitor ecosystems and identify the species that live in them. eDNA is genetic material found in hair, scales, skin...

All living things shed genetic material like hair, scales, skin and faeces into their local environment. This is known as environmental DNA (eDNA). For example, an...

Around 3,500 years ago the earliest ancestors of many Pacific people and Māori – the people provisionally named Lapita – appeared in Oceania. Records of the...

In the continuous drive to improve farm animal genetics and meat quality, agricultural researchers and farmers have often adapted medical imaging and diagnostic tools used in...

Extremophilic microorganisms are called extremophiles and live in environments considered hostile to most forms of life. Scientists have only discovered life in these extreme environments in...

Green rolling hills studded with fluffy white sheep is an image New Zealand has traded on for decades, both to promote our wool and meat and...

This project involves the pesky Pieris rapae (better known as the white butterfly or white cabbage butterfly), which is very common in Aotearoa New Zealand. It...

In any one species, there is a large amount of genetic variation. The survival of a species is often linked with the extent of genetic variation...

Population biology is a field of study that explores populations and how they interact with their environment. Scientists observe all factors influencing a population within an...

Scientifically, takahē have been something of a mystery. For several decades, it was assumed that takahē were extinct in both the North and South Islands –...

In November 2010, the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. Actinidiae (Psa) was discovered in a Te Puke kiwifruit orchard. Psa had previously decimated kiwifruit crops in other...

Humans have been manipulating living organisms for thousands of years. Examples of early biotechnologies include domesticating plants and animals and then selectively breeding them for specific...

Flowers are a common sight in most New Zealand school grounds. They offer a colourful starting point to teach about plant reproduction and adaptation and offer...

In this unit plan, students develop a mobile evidence collection system to collect forensic evidence from a crime scene in a reliable, repeatable way. They are...

In this activity, students are asked to view a video and conduct their own research in order to develop an understanding of the polymerase chain reaction...

PCR is shorthand for a simple but very useful procedure in molecular biology called the polymerase chain reaction. It is a technique used to amplify a...