toxins

Butterflies are the exhibitionists of the insect world. For many invertebrates, camouflage is the best defence against predators, so how do brightly coloured butterflies protect themselves?...

In this activity, students learn about toxins and poisons and research what’s poisonous in New Zealand. By the end of this activity, students should be able...

In this activity, students explore small doses in the order of parts per million. They dilute food colouring to help them understand how small one part...

In this activity, students model bioaccumulation of toxins in marine animals. They participate in a food web game where feeding decisions determine their survival. By the...

In this activity, students consider the use of mice for bioassays and in establishing the lethal dose when researching/testing toxins. They consider the rights and responsibilities...

In this activity, students explore the processes scientists used to analyse and identify the toxic substance responsible for dog deaths on Auckland beaches. By the end...

This activity is designed to help students become aware that all substances are made of chemicals and that chemicals are made up of a combination of...

Position: Senior research scientist, Cawthron Institute. Field: Biology – natural toxins, microalgae and microbiology. Growing up with New Zealand’s outdoors as her playground instilled a desire...

Position: Senior Marine Scientist Field: Marine ecology, aquaculture Organisation: Cawthron Institute Dr Dave Taylor is a senior marine scientist at the Cawthron Institute in Nelson. He...

Position: Professor University of Canterbury, researcher, company director, consultant, Eco Research Associates Ltd. Field: Biological sciences, with a focus on the environment and working with Māori...

Position: Technical Manager, Field: Analytical chemistry, Organisation: Cawthron Institute. Paul McNabb worked as the Technical Manager at the Cawthron Institute in Nelson. This involved the management...

In 2009, some grey side-gilled sea slugs (Pleurobranchaea maculata) were found to be toxic following the deaths of several dogs on Auckland beaches. It was not...

Marine toxins are naturally occurring chemicals that can contaminate certain seafood. Naturally occurring toxins are produced by phytoplankton and move through the food web when zooplankton,...

The food we eat can poison us. There are over 200 known diseases that can be transmitted by food. Bacteria or viruses are the main cause...

New Zealand has a very small number of poisonous and venomous animals. The grey side-gilled sea slug (Pleurobranchaea maculata) is an example of a poisonous animal....

There are over 100 poisonous plants in New Zealand. As children grow up, they often come into contact with plants that have poisonous properties. However, children...

The National Poisons Centre (NPC) is New Zealand’s only poison and hazardous chemicals information centre. It is located in the Dunedin School of Medicine at the...

All living things depend on one another to live. Animals eat plants and/or animals to survive. Food webs describe the feeding connections between organisms in an...

Toxicity can be measured by the effect the substance has on an organism, a tissue or a cell. We know that individuals will respond differently to...

Poisons are substances that can be lethal. They are chemicals, either manufactured or naturally produced. We know that everything is made from chemicals, so are all...

Poisons are substances that cause harm to organisms when sufficient quantities are absorbed, inhaled or ingested. A toxin is a poisonous substance produced within living cells...

The discovery of tetrodotoxin (TTX) in the grey side-gilled sea slug is of particular concern to iwi who live around the Hauraki Gulf. Māori are concerned...

Investigations into the death of some dogs on Auckland beaches in 2009 led scientists from the Cawthron Institute to discover the presence of high levels of...

During 2009, several dogs died on Narrow Neck and Cheltenham beaches in Auckland. While the general public were speculating over their deaths, scientists from Cawthron Institute,...