KiwiNet Awards 2013

A New Zealand collaboration has developed an advanced sonar technology that is making waves in commercial fishing worldwide. Callaghan Innovation and Electronic Navigation Ltd (ENL) partnered to strengthen the research and development efforts of ENL, and the result was the Wide Angle Sonar Seafloor Profiler (WASSP). In this video clip, Jonathan Miller (Callaghan Innovation) and Gareth Hodson (Chief Executive, ENL) explain how WASSP works, why it has been so commercially successful and why the Callaghan Innovation-ENL collaboration works so well for both partners.

Key question
Why is sonar scanning important in commercial fishing?

Teaching point
Students can learn more about the technology behind WASSP by visiting the website: www.wassp.com.

A New Zealand collaboration has developed an advanced sonar technology that is making waves in commercial fishing worldwide. Callaghan Innovation and Electronic Navigation Ltd (ENL) partnered to strengthen the research and development efforts of ENL, and the result was the Wide Angle Sonar Seafloor Profiler (WASSP). In this video clip, Jonathan Miller (Callaghan Innovation) and Gareth Hodson (Chief Executive, ENL) explain how WASSP works, why it has been so commercially successful and why the Callaghan Innovation-ENL collaboration works so well for both partners.

Key question
Why is sonar scanning important in commercial fishing?

Teaching point
Students can learn more about the technology behind WASSP by visiting the website: www.wassp.com.

Aldera Animal Health is a start-up company that aims to address key animal and plant health problems worldwide. The company’s vision is to bring together the collective expertise of New Zealand’s research community to develop new solutions for prominent animal diseases – such as skin conditions, inflammatory conditions and obesity.

In this video clip, Duncan Mackintosh and Bill te Brake (founders, Aldera) explain their vision for Aldera and describe how the company is forging collaborations between research organisations in New Zealand and overseas. Duncan also emphasises the interconnectedness of animal and human health, describing how solutions for animal disease can have a positive impact on humans’ lives.

Jargon alert
‘Corridor’ is used in this clip to mean a research hub or a group of research organisations brought together with a common goal.

Teaching point
Students could learn more about the One Health Initiative (referred to by Duncan Mackintosh) by visiting the Initiative’s website: www.onehealthinitiative.com/index.php

Aldera Animal Health is a start-up company that aims to address key animal and plant health problems worldwide. The company’s vision is to bring together the collective expertise of New Zealand’s research community to develop new solutions for prominent animal diseases – such as skin conditions, inflammatory conditions and obesity.

In this video clip, Duncan Mackintosh and Bill te Brake (founders, Aldera) explain their vision for Aldera and describe how the company is forging collaborations between research organisations in New Zealand and overseas. Duncan also emphasises the interconnectedness of animal and human health, describing how solutions for animal disease can have a positive impact on humans’ lives.

Jargon alert
‘Corridor’ is used in this clip to mean a research hub or a group of research organisations brought together with a common goal.

Teaching point
Students could learn more about the One Health Initiative (referred to by Duncan Mackintosh) by visiting the Initiative’s website: www.onehealthinitiative.com/index.php

Land Use Change and Intensification (LUCI) is a programme being run collaboratively by Plant & Food Research and AgResearch. It helps farmers to increase production from their land in an environmentally sustainable way. In this video clip, Dr Valerie Snow (AgResearch) and Dr Mike Beare (Plant & Food Research) describe how LUCI has helped to develop tools with a range of uses – from managing irrigation to forecasting how much fertiliser a particular farm will need.

Point of interest
Listen out for the percentage of New Zealand wheat farmers who are thought to be benefiting from LUCI’s tools.

Land Use Change and Intensification (LUCI) is a programme being run collaboratively by Plant & Food Research and AgResearch. It helps farmers to increase production from their land in an environmentally sustainable way. In this video clip, Dr Valerie Snow (AgResearch) and Dr Mike Beare (Plant & Food Research) describe how LUCI has helped to develop tools with a range of uses – from managing irrigation to forecasting how much fertiliser a particular farm will need.

Point of interest
Listen out for the percentage of New Zealand wheat farmers who are thought to be benefiting from LUCI’s tools.

Professors Grant Covic and John Boys (University of Auckland) are pioneers in wireless power transfer – the high-efficiency transfer of electricity across large air gaps. The technology’s applications are diverse, from charging electric vehicles wirelessly to powering portable devices on the move.

In this video clip, Grant and John describe how, in the technology’s early days, it was almost impossible to convince anyone to fund the research. Now, though, the situation couldn’t be more different – the technology is licensed by seven companies worldwide, there are nearly 30 doctoral students at the University of Auckland working on inductive power transfer and car manufacturers are eager to incorporate the technology in their vehicles.

Points of interest

• How do the model systems shown in the video indicate that wireless power transfer has occurred?

• Which factors might have contributed to the change of interest in the technology?

Professors Grant Covic and John Boys (University of Auckland) are pioneers in wireless power transfer – the high-efficiency transfer of electricity across large air gaps. The technology’s applications are diverse, from charging electric vehicles wirelessly to powering portable devices on the move.

In this video clip, Grant and John describe how, in the technology’s early days, it was almost impossible to convince anyone to fund the research. Now, though, the situation couldn’t be more different – the technology is licensed by seven companies worldwide, there are nearly 30 doctoral students at the University of Auckland working on inductive power transfer and car manufacturers are eager to incorporate the technology in their vehicles.

Points of interest

• How do the model systems shown in the video indicate that wireless power transfer has occurred?

• Which factors might have contributed to the change of interest in the technology?

Stop-start cars – whose engines stop instead of idling then start again to drive on – have much higher fuel efficiency than conventional cars. However, the lead acid ‘starter battery’ used in most cars doesn’t charge rapidly enough for a stop-start engine. In this video clip, Dr John Abrahamson (ArcActive) explains the company’s innovative approach to this problem. By adding new material to old lead acid batteries, the batteries can be made to work in stop-start engines. Nigel Johnson (University of Canterbury) gives an overview of the commercialisation process for ArcActive’s technology.

Teaching point
Students can learn more about ArcActive’s technology by visiting the ArcActive website: www.arcactive.com

Stop-start cars – whose engines stop instead of idling then start again to drive on – have much higher fuel efficiency than conventional cars. However, the lead acid ‘starter battery’ used in most cars doesn’t charge rapidly enough for a stop-start engine. In this video clip, Dr John Abrahamson (ArcActive) explains the company’s innovative approach to this problem. By adding new material to old lead acid batteries, the batteries can be made to work in stop-start engines. Nigel Johnson (University of Canterbury) gives an overview of the commercialisation process for ArcActive’s technology.

Teaching point
Students can learn more about ArcActive’s technology by visiting the ArcActive website: www.arcactive.com

The Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre (ACSRC) develops novel anticancer drugs. Many of the Centre’s compounds have been brought to clinical trial stage, making it one of the most productive units in the world for anticancer therapeutics. In this video clip, Professors Bill Denny and Bill Wilson (Directors, ACSRC) describe the Centre’s approach to drug development. They discuss their decision to form a company (Proacta) to work with the intellectual property of ACSRC and talk about the process of obtaining investment for Proacta.

Teaching point
Students can learn more about how anticancer drugs are developed on the Maurice Wilkins Centre website.

The Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre (ACSRC) develops novel anticancer drugs. Many of the Centre’s compounds have been brought to clinical trial stage, making it one of the most productive units in the world for anticancer therapeutics. In this video clip, Professors Bill Denny and Bill Wilson (Directors, ACSRC) describe the Centre’s approach to drug development. They discuss their decision to form a company (Proacta) to work with the intellectual property of ACSRC and talk about the process of obtaining investment for Proacta.

Teaching point
Students can learn more about how anticancer drugs are developed on the Maurice Wilkins Centre website.

The Ovine Automation Consortium (OAL) is a unique collaboration between key players in New Zealand’s meat processing industry. It includes numerous meat companies, along with two research providers and the meat industry bodies. In this video clip, Richard McColl (Manager, OAL) and Geoff Bates (Callaghan Innovation) explain that OAL is developing robotic technologies to improve the processing of sheep carcasses and make it more efficient. They point out that it’s unique to have so many companies involved in the consortium, and emphasise the power of close collaboration between industry and research.

Teaching point
Students could identify and discuss the advantages and benefits of collaboration.

The Ovine Automation Consortium (OAL) is a unique collaboration between key players in New Zealand’s meat processing industry. It includes numerous meat companies, along with two research providers and the meat industry bodies. In this video clip, Richard McColl (Manager, OAL) and Geoff Bates (Callaghan Innovation) explain that OAL is developing robotic technologies to improve the processing of sheep carcasses and make it more efficient. They point out that it’s unique to have so many companies involved in the consortium, and emphasise the power of close collaboration between industry and research.

Teaching point
Students could identify and discuss the advantages and benefits of collaboration.

At present, New Zealand’s surf clam industry is small – but a collaboration between AUT and the Cloudy Bay Group (including Cloudy Bay Clams) is looking to change that. The two organisations have been working together since 2011, looking at ways to increase the Cloudy Bay clam harvest. In this video clip, Associate Professor Lindsey White (AUT) and Luke Krieg (Manager Commercial Research, AUT) explain how they put together an interdisciplinary team of scientists at AUT to provide research support for Cloudy Bay Clams. They describe the mutual trust that has strengthened and extended the collaboration and spell out their vision for a mature surf clam industry in New Zealand.

Points of interest

• Cloudy Bay Clams harvest five different species of surf clam from New Zealand’s coastal waters. You can read about each species on the Cloudy Bay Clams website.

• You can learn more about how another New Zealand bivalve mollusc, the green-lipped mussel, is harvested in this article Farming green-lipped mussels.

Teaching point
Students could identify and discuss the advantages of AUT’s interdisciplinary approach. How did this strengthen the collaboration with Cloudy Bay Clams?

At present, New Zealand’s surf clam industry is small – but a collaboration between AUT and the Cloudy Bay Group (including Cloudy Bay Clams) is looking to change that. The two organisations have been working together since 2011, looking at ways to increase the Cloudy Bay clam harvest. In this video clip, Associate Professor Lindsey White (AUT) and Luke Krieg (Manager Commercial Research, AUT) explain how they put together an interdisciplinary team of scientists at AUT to provide research support for Cloudy Bay Clams. They describe the mutual trust that has strengthened and extended the collaboration and spell out their vision for a mature surf clam industry in New Zealand.

Points of interest

• Cloudy Bay Clams harvest five different species of surf clam from New Zealand’s coastal waters. You can read about each species on the Cloudy Bay Clams website.

• You can learn more about how another New Zealand bivalve mollusc, the green-lipped mussel, is harvested in this article Farming green-lipped mussels.

Teaching point
Students could identify and discuss the advantages of AUT’s interdisciplinary approach. How did this strengthen the collaboration with Cloudy Bay Clams?

The New Zealand Seed Industry Alliance is a consortium of seed researchers and industry partners. Alliance members work together to ensure the survival of New Zealand’s seed industry and to explore opportunities for increasing seed exports.

In this video clip, Professor John Hampton (Director, Bio-Protection Research Centre) and Dr Phil Rolston (Senior Scientist, AgResearch) explain that grass seed contains an endophyte fungus that is bioprotective, so it’s important that seed delivered to growers still contains the living fungus. They also describe an additional endophyte (a bacterium) that New Zealand Seed Industry Alliance partners have recently discovered. This bacterium acts as a biocontrol agent against diamondback moth.

Key questions

• How does the newly discovered endophyte bacterium control diamondback moth populations?

• Why might the discovery of a biocontrol agent for diamondback moth be of international importance?

Teaching points
Students can learn more about biocontrol by browsing the range of resources under the biocontrol topic.

Jargon alert
An endophyte is a bacterium or fungus that lives within a plant. Endophytes often provide benefits to the host, such as resistance to pathogens.

The New Zealand Seed Industry Alliance is a consortium of seed researchers and industry partners. Alliance members work together to ensure the survival of New Zealand’s seed industry and to explore opportunities for increasing seed exports.

In this video clip, Professor John Hampton (Director, Bio-Protection Research Centre) and Dr Phil Rolston (Senior Scientist, AgResearch) explain that grass seed contains an endophyte fungus that is bioprotective, so it’s important that seed delivered to growers still contains the living fungus. They also describe an additional endophyte (a bacterium) that New Zealand Seed Industry Alliance partners have recently discovered. This bacterium acts as a biocontrol agent against diamondback moth.

Key questions

• How does the newly discovered endophyte bacterium control diamondback moth populations?

• Why might the discovery of a biocontrol agent for diamondback moth be of international importance?

Teaching points
Students can learn more about biocontrol by browsing the range of resources under the biocontrol topic.

Jargon alert
An endophyte is a bacterium or fungus that lives within a plant. Endophytes often provide benefits to the host, such as resistance to pathogens.

TOXINZ is the National Poisons Centre’s database of toxic compounds. It has been developed over the past 50 years and is widely used by New Zealand clinicians. Now, with help from Otago Innovation, TOXINZ is reaching a broad international audience. In this video clip, Colin Dawson (CEO, Otago Innovation) describes the formidable track record of TOXINZ and spells out the changes that have been implemented to expand its audience. He points out that the information on TOXINZ is up to date and has saved lives and refers to positive feedback from clinicians worldwide.

Teaching point
Who might use the TOXINZ database and why? Listen out for examples given in the clip and think about other potential users.

TOXINZ is the National Poisons Centre’s database of toxic compounds. It has been developed over the past 50 years and is widely used by New Zealand clinicians. Now, with help from Otago Innovation, TOXINZ is reaching a broad international audience. In this video clip, Colin Dawson (CEO, Otago Innovation) describes the formidable track record of TOXINZ and spells out the changes that have been implemented to expand its audience. He points out that the information on TOXINZ is up to date and has saved lives and refers to positive feedback from clinicians worldwide.

Teaching point
Who might use the TOXINZ database and why? Listen out for examples given in the clip and think about other potential users.

Grasslanz Technology develops innovative solutions to improve pasture on New Zealand farms. Traditionally, the company has focused on varieties of ryegrass, white clover and fescue that are well suited in New Zealand conditions – but recently, Grasslanz has also been actively working with endophytes that help pasture plants to survive against pests and diseases.

In this video clip, Sam Livesey (Grasslanz) and Dr John Caradus (CEO, Grasslanz) highlight a recent success for the company – a ryegrass containing an endophyte (Avanex) that repels both insects and birds. Avanex has been developed with airports in mind, and its use in land surrounding airport runways decreases bird numbers and limits the risk of bird strike.

Jargon alert
An endophyte is a bacterium or fungus that lives within a plant. Endophytes often provide benefits to the host plant, such as resistance to pathogens.

Grasslanz Technology develops innovative solutions to improve pasture on New Zealand farms. Traditionally, the company has focused on varieties of ryegrass, white clover and fescue that are well suited in New Zealand conditions – but recently, Grasslanz has also been actively working with endophytes that help pasture plants to survive against pests and diseases.

In this video clip, Sam Livesey (Grasslanz) and Dr John Caradus (CEO, Grasslanz) highlight a recent success for the company – a ryegrass containing an endophyte (Avanex) that repels both insects and birds. Avanex has been developed with airports in mind, and its use in land surrounding airport runways decreases bird numbers and limits the risk of bird strike.

Jargon alert
An endophyte is a bacterium or fungus that lives within a plant. Endophytes often provide benefits to the host plant, such as resistance to pathogens.

Aduro Biopolymers has developed Novatein – a novel bioplastic that is made from bloodmeal (a byproduct of the red meat industry). Under the right conditions, Novatein is biodegradable, yet it also has properties that are comparable to petrochemical-based plastics. In this video clip, Darren Harpur (Acting CEO, Aduro Biopolymers) and Johan Verbeek (chemical engineer, Waikato University) explain the diverse applications of Novatein, with a focus on agriculture, horticulture and meat processing. They describe the path towards commercialisation of Novatein, the search for investment and the recent partnership between Aduro Biopolymers and Meat & Livestock Australia.

Key question
Why might it make sense to develop a new product from an industrial byproduct?

Teaching point
Students could explore other sources of bioplastics by viewing the Biospife Innovation story.

Aduro Biopolymers has developed Novatein – a novel bioplastic that is made from bloodmeal (a byproduct of the red meat industry). Under the right conditions, Novatein is biodegradable, yet it also has properties that are comparable to petrochemical-based plastics. In this video clip, Darren Harpur (Acting CEO, Aduro Biopolymers) and Johan Verbeek (chemical engineer, Waikato University) explain the diverse applications of Novatein, with a focus on agriculture, horticulture and meat processing. They describe the path towards commercialisation of Novatein, the search for investment and the recent partnership between Aduro Biopolymers and Meat & Livestock Australia.

Key question
Why might it make sense to develop a new product from an industrial byproduct?

Teaching point
Students could explore other sources of bioplastics by viewing the Biospife Innovation story.