New Zealand Institute for Bioeconomy Science Smart Ideas funded projects

This proposal will enable development of new plant-based bioherbicides that will facilitate more consumer- and environmentally-friendly food production systems and management of the natural estate. We will achieve this by building from bioactive compound discoveries inspired by our research on the way in which the liverwort group of plants uses unique biochemistry to cope with environmental stresses and engineer their ecosystems. Our team combines researchers from Plant Food Research, University of Otago, Monash University, and Technical University of Vienna. It includes individuals who helped establish the strong international bryophyte research capacity and international leaders in plant bioactive metabolites. Herbicides contribute NZ$3–9 billion annually to New Zealand agriculture, and identifying new plant-sourced bioherbicides with novel modes of action is a priority for our land-based industries to advance sustainability and improve product competitiveness.

Global participation in space exploration is increasing and long-duration missions are becoming a reality. Supporting human activity off-world, where resources are scarce, will require innovative ways to generate serviceable products from scratch. Our project will create bacterial nanocellulose (BNC), a versatile natural polymer for manufacturing, using only a symbiotic community of microorganisms powered by solar energy. BNC’s exceptional properties include strength, elasticity, water retention, gas exchange, and toxin filtration. Terrestrial industries are already making BNC at factory scale. The next frontier is sustainable production for space-based biofabrication.Our approach harnesses photosynthetic microalgae to feed the bacteria, enabling BNC production in a closed-loop system that reduces external inputs while producing bonus oxygen. Microbial systems are scalable and adaptable to the extremes of space. We will first demonstrate laboratory-scale BNC production on the ground and implement advanced measurement technologies to evaluate its characteristics. Then in collaboration with an experienced developer of minisatellites, we will grow the microbes and test the system in low Earth orbit, where the lack of gravity affects BNC microstructure and self-organisation. This may unlock entirely new properties of the material.The expert team includes AgResearch and Cawthron Institute, leaders in fermentation and microalgae technology, and orbital engineering specialists Odyssey SpaceWorks. This project will benefit New Zealand’s growing $1.7 billion space economy by merging commercial innovation with research for public good. Our work promises to spark the interest of future industries in space-based manufacturing and biotechnology, while also enhancing efficiency and functionality in terrestrial nano-polymer production. By pushing the boundaries of sustainable biofabrication, this research not only explores new frontiers but also paves the way for advancements in materials science, with far-reaching applications both in space and on Earth.

This project will test water-soluble, plant-based compounds (priming agents) that can be applied ‘on-demand’ in established fruit-tree plantings to increase their tolerance to drought. There are currently no commercialised priming agents for drought control in fruit trees in New Zealand. We use apples as our model crop because, globally, apple quality and yield in both current and subsequent growing seasons are severely affected by drought. Climate modelling predicts increasing drought in major apple growing regions of New Zealand (e.g. Hawke’s Bay and Tasman). With trees taking at least 7 years to reach full production, the apple industry faces a significant recovery period should existing plantings suffer severe drought. Priming agents could mitigate drought damage in existing plantings and avoid the need for new plantings. Over 3 years, plant physiological data will be collected, along with gene expression and biochemical data, following application of three priming agents (and combinations thereof): in seedlings (Year 1), on two apple rootstocks (Year 2), and on grafted plants (Year 3).

These data will be used to:

• Select the priming agent(s) that activate the greatest drought tolerance
• Understand the timing and duration of the response to drought stress
• Advance mechanistic understanding of drought tolerance.

By the end of Year 3, priming agents and protocols to optimise their use will be ready for trialing in commercial apple orchards. Commercialisation is expected within a few years after orchard trials and will be extended into other crops, e.g. stonefruit, winegrapes and kiwifruit. This represents a faster solution to drought stress than selection of new drought-resistant cultivars or rootstocks (typically 10-20 years).

Most fruit crops spoil rapidly upon reaching maturity if not harvested before ripening commences. This results in narrow harvest windows, logistical strains, limited market flexibility and fruit waste. Our Smart Idea is to prevent rapid spoilage of these highly perishable fruit crops by transferring to them the ripening mechanism of avocado, which remarkably can tree-store its fruit for many months. Extending the window of optimum maturity for harvest would substantially reduce crop losses and improve infrastructure and labour scaling problems that critically limit expansion of NZ’s fruit export industry. We recently found that avocados exhibit on-plant storage because the unpicked fruit has a novel mechanism that suppresses the onset of ripening on the tree. Our ambitious Smart Idea will confirm this by transferring this on-plant storage mechanism to tomatoes as an exemplar for how we provide other crops with this desirable trait. This step-change knowledge will in future be used to direct regulatory-acceptable approaches to transfer the trait to other perishable crops to greatly extend their harvest windows. Our national and international team are experts in all aspects of the work proposed and are highly connected with industry to both guide and speed up the eventual transfer of this technology to industry.

Plant pests and pathogens, such as bacteria, fungi and insects, destroy approximately 40% of global crop production, causing the loss of hundreds of millions of tons of food annually. This not only threatens global food security but also costs the global economy an estimated NZ$220B annually. In Aotearoa-NZ, plant production systems heavily depend on chemical crop protection. However, growing resistance to pesticides and fungicides, combined with global pressure to reduce chemical use and the increasing threat of climate change-driven pests, makes this approach unsustainable. The key to addressing pest and disease threats in crops is to develop durable, in-built resistance. Traditional breeding methods take years to identify resistance traits. Our project uses innovative proteomic strategies to rapidly identify novel resistance proteins, activating and harnessing defence networks in fruit crops. This approach will greatly enhance crop resilience against a wide variety of pests and pathogens, offering a more sustainable solution to biotic threats. It also enables adaptation across a broad range of crop species, providing several key benefits: -More durable resistance: Identification of multiple resistance mechanisms enhances long-term benefits and durability while reducing pre-breeding crossing requirements, especially when combined with fast-breeding technologies that can shorten the breeding cycle by up to 80%. -Cost and resource efficiency: Streamlined genetic marker development, increasing efficiency and reducing costs. -Expanded knowledge: Identification of entire defence protein complexes at once, providing deeper insights that allow us to predict and improve resistance durability. Our research team brings together leading experts from Aotearoa-NZ and around the world, specialising in bioinformatics, AI modelling, molecular biology, plant cell biology, effector biology and plant immunity and breeding. This diverse expertise allows us to take an integrated approach to futureproofing crop protection.

We will reduce the environmental impact of dairy grazing NZ systems using a novel approach targeted to increase the efficiency of nitrogen delivery to plants.

Our team's skills and infrastructure enable us to combine nanotechnology, engineering, environmental and agronomic evaluations to assess the effectiveness and direct impact of our proposal. We have considered the early involvement of stakeholders from the industry and policy decision makers to facilitate the pathways for delivery to end users.

Landowners striving to adapt to climate change need advice tailored to their specific geography and production system. We propose that new generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) technology could help make information and advice accessible to landowners more quickly and cheaply than ever before. We aim to develop a GenAI platform for climate change adaptation, and conduct extensive research to ensure that this technology is ethical and meets the needs of farmers, councils, and Māori landowners.

This will be the first GenAI platform for climate adaptation developed anywhere in the world. All uses of AI require careful ethical consideration, particularly in relation to issues of Māori data governance and Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles. We will conduct an analysis of global and kaupapa Māori ethics to develop guidelines for adaptation GenAI that are ethically and socially responsible. We will conduct extensive surveys of potential end users to discover their needs and concerns, and test the platform with people working on the ground.

The platform that we develop will provide valuable information to help Aotearoa New Zealand adapt to climate change. The platform will support rural communities in understanding and responding to climate risks, and will help uncover new economic opportunities for farmers. Our research will pioneer the use of AI in environmental management globally, enable sustainable land management, and support kaitiakitanga.

Pāua are a vital part of Aotearoa-NZ’s cultural identity, valued as a food for both domestic and export markets, and for its decorative shell. However, pāua stocks are dwindling and the sustainability of pāua fisheries is paramount. Until now, the challenge of accurately measuring pāua age has hindered effective management.

This research project will enable pāua age determination by understanding the changes to DNA associated with aging in pāua. Recent breakthroughs in DNA analysis, specifically methylation, will be used to develop a DNA-based clock that can age pāua. This DNA methylation analysis has been identified in vertebrates, but will be a novel approach for aging shellfish.

This innovative approach holds promise for transforming pāua fisheries management and conservation efforts. By accurately assessing age, we can enhance our understanding of stock resilience, set sustainable limits, and ensure the long-term viability of pāua populations. Our collaborative initiative brings together scientists, industry experts, Māori, and fisheries modellers, harnessing collective expertise to construct this innovative tool.

Through this programme, Aotearoa-NZ will reaffirm its commitment to sustainable fisheries management, solidifying its position as a global leader in evidence-based management and marine conservation. By making informed decisions grounded in sound science, we safeguard our oceans for future generations while advancing our economic, cultural, and environmental objectives.

In the natural environment, plants form partnerships with microorganisms. Collectively, the microorganisms are termed the plant microbiome. The plant microbiome can have a significant effect on the growth and health of plants.

Grapevine trunk disease (GTD) is one of the most destructive diseases of grapevines, decreasing their yield and longevity. It is caused by a complex group of fungi that can remain latent in the plant for many years before they cause symptoms. There are no resistant varieties of grapevines nor curative treatments available to growers. Mitigation is solely by pruning wound protection, sanitation and re-trunking. Currently this problem causes $137M p.a. losses in Aotearoa-NZ and €1.5B globally.

Our preliminary work has demonstrated that individual grapevines thriving in areas of high GTD have a unique microbiome. We will use our understanding of the grapevine and its microbiome to partner grapevines with a customised, gain-of-function microbiome to attain GTD-resistance in a sustainable manner.

Soil structural degradation is a significant threat to both NZ and global ecosystems. This degradation has profound consequences, including substantial losses in production, soil erosion, nutrient loss, and GHG emissions, costing NZ billions annually. Urgent action is required to manage soil vulnerability amid changing landuse and climate, and to identify areas requiring immediate sustainable soil management practices.

Current methods for assessing soil vulnerability rely on traditional, non-functional properties. These provide inadequate predictions for soil ecosystem services like plant production and GHG mitigation. Our research aims to fundamentally alter this approach by focusing on the dynamic functional properties of soil structure. We hypothesise that soil vulnerability assessment based on dynamic functional properties will bridge the gaps between landuse pressures, climate, and ecosystem services. Through experimentation and modelling, we will evaluate how dynamic functional properties respond to compaction and its impact on crop production and N2O emissions. We will develop predictive models for soil vulnerability assessment parameterised by easily measurable soil properties.

Our team comprises experts in soil science, environmental science, biophysical modelling, and crop production. The team is uniquely positioned to tackle this challenge. Through collaboration with an Advisory Panel representing industry, grower entities, government stakeholders, and Māori, we will develop an outcomes-focused soil management framework by integrating new knowledge and soil vulnerability. This framework, continuously enriched by new knowledge from the science team and practical insights from the panel, will guide future research directions. This will lead to recalibration of soil-based tools like S-map and APSIM. By shifting from a one-size-fits-all approach to a dynamic soil management framework, our research will benefit growers, land stewards, policymakers, and Māori stakeholders, supporting a sustainable future for NZ's economy, environment, and society.

Globally, fungi pose a significant threat to animal and plant species, causing 65% of pathogen-driven host losses. The estimated annual global economic burden of fungal crop diseases is ~US$200B, whereas in farm animals it is poorly reported globally. For instance, Pithomyces chartarum (Pc), the causal organism of Facial Eczema (FE), costs NZ$332M p.a. in NZ. Traditional agriculture heavily relies on chemical agents to combat fungal pathogens, but this approach harms the environment. Surprisingly, targeted non-chemical tools to combat fungal pathogens including Pc are scarce, unlike advances in plant-focused approaches.

Our research proposes employing RNAi technology to create environmentally friendly double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) molecules targeting virulence genes in Pc. Further, we propose to develop a new real-time assay to enable Pc detection on-site/farm, enhancing forecasting and agricultural treatment. This scientific endeavour involves four key objectives: firstly, utilising a newly identified toxin gene cluster to engineer a 'trigger molecule' for Antifungal Spray-Induced Gene Silencing to deactivate Pc and its toxin. Secondly, harnessing the pathogens RNAi machinery to overcome barriers posed by its cell structures, ensuring efficient translocation while minimising off-target effects. Thirdly, devising practical methodologies for dsRNA formulation and delivery, utilising biodegradable carriers and facilitated by advanced bioinformatics. Additionally, we will establish an on-site, species-specific RNA/DNA-based assay to rapidly detect/forecast Pc.

This research will yield new knowledge, IP, and technologies that enhance animal production systems, promote chemical-free practices and improve animal welfare, whilst bolstering global confidence in NZ’s animal products. It will support the globally recognised team in developing RNAi therapeutics and technology platforms for emerging agricultural applications. The enhanced detection capabilities will substantially reduce costs and enhance existing Pc forecasting systems, thereby safeguarding NZ's pasture and farm animals.

Worldwide, feral cats are responsible for one-third of island bird, mammal, and reptile extinctions. In Aotearoa-NZ our wildlife are particularly vulnerable, with this ‘super-predator’ responsible for local extinction of over 70 species. New, smart AI-driven surveillance devices or traps can be designed to specifically target feral cats but there are no effective lures available to attract these naturally cautious animals to control tools. This programme will determine if silvervine, a kiwifruit species, which is known to attract cats, can provide an effective and sustainable lure to solve this issue.

This Smart Idea is novel in that it combines unique plant chemistry with animal behaviour, engineering and iwi-led efforts for predator control. Unlike current lures, this lure is not food-based, so will attract feral cats even when food is plentiful. It is both non-toxic and highly species-specific. By programme end, diverse experts in their research areas will have demonstrated the efficacy of a cat-specific lure for integration into novel AI-surveillance and control devices to be used by conservation and iwi groups across Aotearoa-NZ, and with huge potential for international uptake.

With programme success, the group will have a prototype cost-effective, long-lasting, and species-specific lure. If not (owing, for example, to cost or instability of the compounds), we will still have produced in-depth information on cat behaviour and alternative lure efficacy and have deepened relationships with hapū. Benefit and impact will be delivered to the conservation estate, agriculture (a reduction in toxoplasmosis, the disease spread by feral cats), and the public discourse on how to approach feral cat control.

Rivers and streams act as conveyor belts for sediment, causing a cascade of effects as fine sediment (sand, silt, and clay) is transported from terrestrial sources to coastal and oceanic receiving environments. Excess sediment negatively affects ecosystems, habitats, and cultural values, and limits land use for industry and infrastructure. Climate change is anticipated to accelerate erosion, increasing the production of sediment and exacerbating its impacts.

The National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management makes it compulsory for regional councils to manage deposited fine sediment, yet current monitoring protocols and datasets make it difficult to accurately identify state and trend, hampering effective management.

Our research will significantly enhance the resilience and productivity of Aotearoa using technological innovations to quantify the state and trend of fine sediment in aquatic environments, arming policymakers and kaitiaki with the knowledge they need to make effective decisions to safeguard water quality, nationally significant ecosystems, and economic and social well-being.

We will achieve this by fusing recent advances in optical and ranging sensor technology with leading data analytical methods, producing a transferable methodology to enable accurate quantification of deposited fine sediment cover and texture. These datasets will be harmonisable, informing science and policy from local to national scale. Longitudinal datasets will provide enhanced understanding of sediment dynamics, allowing regional councils, Māori organisations, and kaitiaki to better prioritise erosion and sediment controls, and optimise use of our natural capital to enhance economic and social well-being. We will work closely with end-users, who currently invest significant resources into environmental monitoring and management, and whose economic and social well-being are at risk from the impacts of climate change, to give them confidence in our new technology and the knowledge it unlocks.

We are familiar with protein as something we eat, but in nature it is used for a diversity of hard, soft, and elastic structures. For example, cat claws, spider silk, our nails and our hair – all protein. What makes silk elastic or claws sharp lies in how proteins are ordered at both molecular and microscopic scales, and like nesting dolls, these materials contain hierarchical layers of order.

Throughout history, humans have benefited from hierarchically ordered natural materials: think of wool, or leather, each with unique properties and uses. However, artificially creating protein-derived materials as they are found in nature is challenging because manipulating the right layer of order during the formation of the materials to control useful properties has only been theoretical.

In this Smart Idea project, we are designing a new generation of custom-made biomaterials inspired by how nature optimally organises proteins at a microscopic level during formation. Natural control of microscopic structure of protein materials will allow for products with inbuilt flexibility, stiffness or that have gradients of effect, like in-built hinges.

Products made this new way are environmentally friendly and sustainable compared to the material they replace (largely plastics). Not only are protein materials safely compostable (no microplastics) but are also recyclable. Compared to other green alternatives, such as paper, products made from these next-generation materials inherit the unique combinations of natural benefits brought by proteins, such as fire retardancy, breathability and odour absorption.

Using prototype materials, we are establishing front-runner applications where our new materials give the greatest benefit and unique value. Perhaps your future bike helmet or fire-proof compostable phone will be mostly made of protein.

We are familiar with protein as something we eat, but in nature it is used for a diversity of hard, soft, and elastic structures. For example, cat claws, spider silk, our nails and our hair are all protein. What makes silk elastic or claws sharp lies in how proteins are ordered at both molecular and microscopic scales, and like nesting dolls, these materials contain hierarchical layers of order.

Throughout history, humans have benefited from hierarchically ordered natural materials: think of wool, or leather, each with unique specific properties and uses.  However, artificially creating these protein-derived materials as they are found in nature is challenging. Mainly because manipulating the right layer of order during the formation of the materials to control useful properties has only been theoretical.

In this Smart Idea project we aim to design a new generation of custom-made biomaterials inspired by the way that nature optimally organises proteins at a microscopic level as a material forms. Natural control of microscopic structure of protein materials allow us to make tailored biomaterials that are flexible, stiff or have gradients of effect, like in-built hinges. Products made this new way will be environmentally friendly and sustainable compared to the material they will replace (largely plastics). Not only are protein materials safely compostable (no microplastics) but they are also recyclable. Compared to other green alternatives, such as paper, products made from these next-generation materials will inherit the unique combinations of natural benefits brought by proteins, such as fire retardancy, breathability and odour absorption. Perhaps your future bike helmet or fire-proof compostable phone will be mostly made of protein.

Reducing erosion and improving freshwater quality while maintaining agricultural productivity are key challenges for environmental managers, policy-makers, and primary industry across NZ. To mitigate the adverse impacts of erosion and sediment we need new tools that improve the efficiency and effectiveness of targeting erosion control to areas contributing the most sediment, particularly at finer scale.

Sediment fingerprinting techniques use geochemical properties of soils and sediments to discriminate and apportion erosion source contribution to downstream sediments. However, this technique continues to be limited by its coarse spatial resolution and/or generic identification of sources.

Our innovative project will develop the world’s first remote-sensing-based spatial sediment fingerprinting technology. We will integrate high-resolution spatial datasets with advanced geospatial modelling and point geochemistry to derive high-resolution geochemical characterisation of erosion sources for use in sediment fingerprinting. This integration will transform the resolution at which we can geochemically identify and trace the erosion sources of fine sediment from farm to catchment scales, thereby enabling more effective targeting of erosion control measures.

Our team combines world-leading expertise and skills in sediment fingerprinting, erosion process and geospatial modelling, data science, and machine learning. We will work with our stakeholders via existing relationships to ensure our project is at the forefront of international research and effectively disseminates new knowledge produced by the project.

This technology will benefit regional councils, landowners, and environmental managers, offering a sediment fingerprinting approach to enhance and more cost-effectively target erosion control. By mitigating the impacts of erosion and sediment on our landscapes, waterways and downstream receiving environments, our sensitive ecosystems will be preserved and our agricultural productivity maintained.

Our Smart Idea is to develop a world-first 'artificial egg' prototype that mimics insect eggs, providing a novel way to rear egg parasitoids in the laboratory for biological pest control. Globally, the development of artificial eggs for mass rearing of egg parasitoids is in its infancy. This programme will generate new knowledge that will enable efficient, sustainable and less expensive production of egg parasitoids. These novel technologies will help reduce our reliance on agrochemicals by enhancing biological pest control. We are providing the groundwork to develop innovative rearing technologies for parasitoids of pests that significantly disrupt food systems around the world. The Samurai wasp, Trissolcus japonicus, and eggs of the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys, form our model system.

Rearing parasitoids of key pests is an essential advance-planning tool for food-producing nations. Having a standing-army of parasitoids can safeguard crops if efforts to eliminate or control invasive pests fail. They can also re-ignite dwindling parasitoid populations during natural predator:prey cycles.

Our international research team has expertise in biological control, insect and parasitoid rearing, chemical ecology, microscopy and bioengineering. We will use state-of-the-art imaging, analytical biochemistry and nano-engineering methods to create artificial eggs that accurately mimic real BMBS eggs. This information will be used to create prototype artificial eggs made from sustainable biomaterials that in the future will successfully lure parasitoid females to lay eggs and provide the right nutrients for parasitoid larvae to develop to an adult stage and hatch.

Our idea could be applied to rear egg parasitoids for other biosecurity threats (beyond BMSB) in NZ and other countries, suggesting there will be significant interest in our science discoveries as well as their future application.

A multidisciplinary collaborative team of experts from China, USA and Aotearoa-NZ will share, develop and enhance research efforts to develop a world-first 'artificial egg' prototype that mimics an insect egg, providing a novel way to rear egg parasitoids in vitro. Egg parasitoids lay their eggs insect other insects’ eggs, thereby killing the host. They are natural enemies of insect pests and can be used to reduce or eradicate such pests. The successful development of our technology will provide a cheaper, more efficient and sustainable means for mass producing egg parasitoids to use against invasive pest insects and will help accelerate the reduction/elimination of pesticide use. We will use the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) and the Samurai wasp as our model system. This host-parasitoid system is of global importance and of high biosecurity relevance to Aotearoa-NZ.

We will use state-of-the-art imaging, analytical biochemistry and nano-engineering methods to determine the nutrient content profile, eggshell chemical composition and surface characteristics of BMSB eggs. With this information, we will recreate and encapsulate artificial BMSB eggs in biomaterials and use these artificial eggs to mass rear Samurai wasps in the laboratory.

The findings of our project will lead to significant advances in our understanding of in vitro rearing of egg parasitoids and the use of artificial host eggs to mass rear biological control agents as part of an integrated pest management approach. This project will also establish enduring collaborations between the three participating countries. The information and technology platform generated by this project is also expected to be transferable to a range of egg parasitoids of other potential biosecurity threats to Aotearoa-NZ’s primary industries and native state.

This current project delivers a global first by combining cold plasma technology (CPT) and hyperspectral imaging (HSI) combined with machine learning (ML) to transform cellular protein production. Together, these technologies help to address two critical challenges: microbial contamination and real time monitoring for rapid alerts.

Over the last two years, we have established the use of CPT and HSI in controlling and detecting bacterial contamination. Under the contract variation, we will extend this capability beyond microbial control to monitoring cell health. Specifically, (1) we will advance CPT technology to operate effectively in complex media due to the unpredictable interactions of reactive plasma species with nutrients, proteins, and metabolites and (2) using more advanced Gen-AI-augmented HSI, we will enable real-time detection of subtle physiological changes in cells, including shifts in nutrient balance, metabolic by-products, or early stress markers, providing early alerts on cell health and culture performance.

Implementation will focus on mapping plasma–complex media interactions, refining Gen-AI-HSI algorithms for anomaly detection, and prototype conceptual designs for scalable integration. By engaging wider with commercial, industry, and research partners we will ensure alignment with practical requirements and future adoption.

The expected impact is substantial and applicable for all cellular based industries. Microbial contamination losses will be reduced through early detection and targeted intervention, product quality will be safeguarded by continuous monitoring, and scalability will be supported through prototype design. This research will not only strengthen cellular protein production as a safe, reliable alternative protein solution, but also create powerful cross-sector tools with applications in pharmaceuticals, precision fermentation, pharmacology and regenerative medicine.

While it’s an exciting time for cellular agriculture there are still major challenges to overcome. The biggest barriers are the cost of large-scale manufacture including the use of food-grade growth media, loss of cell lines due to biological contamination and high requirements for food safety testing. To date, no large-scale cost-effective technology is available to maintain sterility for cell-based protein manufacture nor an on-line monitoring system to detect changes in quality and safety.

Our research proposes to plasma activate cell cultures and/or media used during the manufacture of cell-based protein foods, thus removing any requirement for antibiotics to maintain sterility. Further, we will develop a real-time sterility monitoring system based on hyperspectral imaging and machine learning to rapidly identify microbes either directly or indirectly via changes in media composition associated with biological contamination. The science challenge will be to; (i) understand the cold plasma chemistry required to inactivate microbes while maintaining cell line integrity and (ii) unravel subtle changes in media composition during the initial stages of microbial growth within complex hyperspectral datasets. This will enable rapid detection and response to contamination in real-time.

The research will result in the development of new knowledge, IP, and technologies that can significantly enhance the sustainability, safety, and ethical appeal of emerging NZ cellular agricultural companies. Furthermore, the research will generate new insights into cold plasma chemistries that are essential for the inactivation of microbes, with potential applications in the food, veterinary, and health industries, where microbial disinfection is crucial. Additionally, the improved algorithms, digital data pipelines, and supporting languages for data processing, and modelling will have a significant impact on the adoption of hyperspectral imaging monitoring systems in diverse applications.

Our proof-of-concept Smart Idea will provide a novel, species-specific solution to the redback spider problem. Invasive Australian redback spiders pose a serious health risk to humans and an extinction threat to native fauna in Aotearoa-NZ. Current manual-based control tools are not working and precious taonga, such as the critically endangered Cromwell chafer beetle, will soon be lost to redback spiders unless something is done.

We will identify the long-range sex pheromone of the redback spiders, then develop a dispenser and trapping system to ‘lure and kill’ them. We will then refine the system and test it in a range of environments to optimise its effectiveness, progressing towards a commercial pest management tool for redback spiders.

Very few spider pheromones have been identified worldwide and their use as pest management tools has not been reported, so this ambitious project will be a world first. The ‘lure and kill’ technique will be particularly effective since redback males can only mate once because of their ritualised suicide during copulation (the female eats them), hence every male attracted to the trap represents a potential batch of spiderlings prevented.

To achieve these results will require the combined skills of Aotearoa-NZ’s leading invertebrate pheromone laboratory working in conjunction with Aotearoa-NZ’s eminent spider authority, in collaboration with Ngāi Tahu and DOC. Using a multidisciplinary approach comprising microchemical analysis, chemical synthesis, behavioural bioassays, dispenser/trap design and field trapping trials, our team will develop a tool that will selectively remove redback spiders from a complex, fragile environment containing critically endangered taonga. This research will save precious taonga from extinction, increase science capability in Aotearoa-NZ and provide a new control technology to support future invasive spider eradications here and overseas.

Our proof-of-concept Smart Idea will provide a novel, species-specific solution to the redback spider problem. Invasive Australian redback spiders pose a serious health risk to humans and an extinction threat to native fauna in Aotearoa-NZ. Current manual-based control tools are not working and precious taonga, such as the critically endangered Cromwell chafer beetle, will soon be lost to redback spiders unless something is done.

We will identify the long-range sex pheromone of the redback spiders, then develop a dispenser and trapping system to ‘lure and kill’ them. Very few spider pheromones have been identified worldwide and their use as pest management tools has not been reported, so this ambitious project will be a world first. The ‘lure and kill’ technique will be particularly effective since redback males can only mate once because of their ritualised suicide during copulation (the female eats them), hence every male attracted to the trap represents a potential batch of spiderlings prevented. Preliminary work by our team and others has shown that the pheromone compounds are likely a mixture of volatile degradation products from compounds on the virgin female silk.

To achieve these results will require the combined skills of Aotearoa-NZ’s leading invertebrate pheromone laboratory working in conjunction with Aotearoa-NZ’s eminent spider authority, in collaboration with Ngāi Tahu and DOC. Using a multidisciplinary approach comprising microchemical analysis, chemical synthesis, behavioural bioassays, dispenser/trap design and field trapping trials, our team will develop a tool that will selectively remove redback spiders from a complex, fragile environment containing critically endangered taonga. This research will save precious taonga from extinction, increase science capability in Aotearoa-NZ and provide a new control technology to support future invasive spider eradications here and overseas.

Our novel idea is to deter insect pests from eating crops by combining predatory bat ultrasounds to ‘push’ insects away from crops (putting speakers in fields), with smells that insects find attractive to ‘pull’ them away from crops (putting the scents adjacent to fields). In a world first, we will decipher how insects make decisions when faced with deterrents and attractants at the same time. This new knowledge will be useful beyond the project, in helping develop new ways to manage insect pests. Our project targets invasive insect pests and high-risk biosecurity pest species that hear ultrasound and are of global economic importance to the horticulture sectors in Aotearoa-New Zealand and abroad.

Our multidisciplinary team from the Bioeconomy Science Institute, University of Auckland, University of Canterbury and Japan will combine their expertise in bioacoustics, electrophysiology and chemical ecology to unravel how moths perceive and integrate ultrasounds with odours. With advanced technologies for broadcasting bat calls and identified commercial partners, we will facilitate future implementation. The Department of Conservation will provide guidance on suitable areas for deployment of this technology (i.e. in areas where endemic bats will not be disturbed). Our Māori advisors will help with Māori engagement to secure cultural and social licence for our project.

The benefits from our new approach will be a reduction in agrichemical use to control insect pests, reduction of crop losses, and maintenance of markets for our primary products in the face of growing concerns about agrichemical usage. Our novel platform to decipher insects’ sensory perceptions will facilitate the screening and future development of sustainable tools to control present and future threats, protecting Aotearoa-NZ from insects that can harm our economy and the environment.

Our novel idea is to deter insect pests from eating crops by combining predatory bat ultrasounds to ‘push’ insects away from crops (putting speakers in fields), with smells that insects find attractive to ‘pull’ them away from crops (putting the scents adjacent to fields). In a world first, we will decipher how insects make decisions when faced with deterrents and attractants at the same time. This new knowledge will be useful beyond the project, in helping develop new ways to manage insect pests. Our project targets invasive insect pests and high-risk biosecurity pest species that hear ultrasound and are of global economic importance to the horticulture sectors in Aotearoa-New Zealand and abroad.

Our multidisciplinary team from the Bioeconomy Science Institute, University of Auckland, University of Canterbury and Japan will combine their expertise in bioacoustics, electrophysiology and chemical ecology to unravel how moths perceive and integrate ultrasounds with odours. With advanced technologies for broadcasting bat calls and identified commercial partners, we will facilitate future implementation. The Department of Conservation will provide guidance on suitable areas for deployment of this technology (i.e. in areas where endemic bats will not be disturbed). Our Māori advisors will help with Māori engagement to secure cultural and social licence for our project.

The benefits from our new approach will be a reduction in agrichemical use to control insect pests, reduction of crop losses, and maintenance of markets for our primary products in the face of growing concerns about agrichemical usage. Our novel platform to decipher insects’ sensory perceptions will facilitate the screening and future development of sustainable tools to control present and future threats, protecting Aotearoa-NZ from insects that can harm our economy and the environment.

We are developing an entirely new, natural approach to reduce insect pests and viral disease in grapevines, focusing on bioactive compounds that occur naturally in some grapevine varieties. These compounds show promise as natural feeding deterrents for mealybugs – small, sap-sucking insects that spread Grapevine Leafroll-associated Virus 3 (GLRaV-3). This virus is the most economically significant in New Zealand’s vineyards, reducing berry and wine quality and damaging vine health.

Our research has identified a specific class of bioactive compounds likely to contribute to insect resistance in grapevines. The next stage of the project will explore how these compounds function in different parts of the plant, and whether they can be used in future breeding programmes. In the proposed extension year, we will test their effects on mealybug feeding using specially designed insect diets and investigate whether grapevine varieties already being trialled for resistance to other diseases also show beneficial compound profiles.

The long-term goal is to develop new grapevine planting material – breeding both rootstocks and scions – that combines multiple forms of resistance to key vineyard threats like insects and viruses. This supports more resilient, sustainable vineyard systems with reduced reliance on chemical inputs.

A PhD student based at Lincoln University is working on the characterisation of these natural compounds, supported by experienced scientists in viticulture, entomology, and plant chemistry.

The New Zealand wine industry is a major contributor to our export earnings, a significant regional employer and a flagship industry for our international market image. The ‘Smart, adaptive rootstock project’ is aimed at advancing industry sustainability goals and increasing our collective respect for kaitiakitanga through the innovative use of novel grape rootstock varieties.

New Zealand wine grapes are typically grafted onto a rootstock to provide protection against phylloxera, a root pest which is found in all our grape-growing regions. The rootstocks used for this were developed from breeding efforts in Europe in the 1880s, a time when European viticulturists were facing catastrophic losses because of the arrival of this pest from America. Scientists at Plant & Food Research and the Bragato Research Institute have been researching the role that rootstocks play in controlling other insects as well, in particular sap-sucking insects that transmit damaging viruses throughout the vineyard. They’ve noted that grapes form a range of unique molecules that act as insect feeding-deterrents, and these circulate throughout the plant body. This funded research proposal aims to chemically identify these molecules, establish how and where they are produced and how much is needed in the plant to fully deter sap-sucking insects. The long-term aim is to develop new rootstocks for use in New Zealand that control not only phylloxera infestation, but many other insects and diseases as well. Using rootstocks for this purpose will reduce agricultural spray applications, reduce production costs, and extend the productive life of our commercial vineyards well into the future.

Beekeeping practices were developed to support honey production and have remained relatively unchanged since the advent of the ‘modern’ beehive in the 1850s. In contrast, there have been tremendous changes during that time in how the crops that honeybees pollinate are managed. This has led to tensions for beekeepers and growers, as beekeepers have to decide if they will dedicate their colonies to honey production or pollination each year.

We believe we have discovered a management strategy that will allow beekeepers to retain their large, mature colonies for honey production and still produce specialised pollination colonies. This strategy intends to increase productivity, reduce operating costs, and enable strategic decision-making for beekeepers, leading to increased availability of honeybees for crop pollination.

We aim to understand how to initiate and maintain the time point in the honeybee colony’s life cycle when they are focused on establishing a new nest. We believe that during this time more worker bees focus on foraging for nectar and pollen rather than other jobs that they may otherwise do inside the hive. Our resulting ‘bee’spoke pollination colonies will be lightweight and allow for better placement of bees in orchards, to further improve pollination of fruits and seeds.

We are collaborating with international experts at Texas A&M University, and partnering with iwi and Māori-owned businesses to weave mātauranga Māori and Western

science together for results that are accessible and beneficial for all Aotearoa and of interest globally.

Crop yields rely on flower numbers and quality, and these historically have been shown to vary according to climate. With predicted climate change, this will be exacerbated: flower numbers will be more inconsistent between seasons and current mitigation techniques (e.g. labour and chemicals) will become increasingly unsustainable, making profitable and sustainable crop yields a challenge for growers. Using our unique kiwifruit model system to study flower abortion/retention, we will identify unknown regulators of flower number and corresponding metabolic pathways that could be used to ensure high crop yields. We will develop novel tools to select new cultivars with the desired flower number and yield in kiwifruit, and these could then be translated to other perennial crops, such as avocado, citrus, grape and apple. Our science team includes experts in flower biology, plant signalling and metabolism, including leading scientists from three international labs and local students. Our advisory group will engage with the horticulture industry, including Māori growers, to set the path for future development and uptake of this knowledge.

Forests are hosting significant biodiversity, they are key to climate change mitigation and play an important role in NZ’s economy.

Traditionally the forest management sector perceives large forestry blocks as uniform entities. Remote sensing uses a new generation of tools (satellites and drones) to monitor forests ecosystem global fluctuations. While very powerful, these techniques can be expensive to implement, require a large dataset to be analysed and often need ground-truthing validation. Precision forestry is an emerging branch of forest management aimed at enhancing the potential of forests and future-proofing their resilience to climate change. To implement this practice new devices able to continuously monitor the physiological processes of individual trees in real-time need to be developed.

This work aims at adapting and creating low-cost, implantable bioelectronics sensors able to holistically measure tree’s nutritional status, vitality and microbiome fitness. This will be achieved by measuring the concentrations of potassium cations in xylem, sucrose in phloem and under-bark methane. For this, we will use organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) sensor technology. To allow the rapid transfer of information the generated data will be transmitted via a wireless network meshed with Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

The data fusion between remote sensing and physiological sensors will allow foresters, and forest managers to quickly implement best management practices. The wealth of data will empower scientists to decipher fundamental aspects of tree biology and use these tools to select the cultivars best suited for future climate change. The implementation of sensors in forests will be also used as an early diagnosis system again pathogens.

We also believe that this technology will create opportunities for engaging citizens and forest managers in this new generation of forest monitoring.

Our past research has shown that bait-shy animals continue to feed cautiously on small amounts of non-toxic ‘pre-feed’ bait. Our Smart Idea is that adding neuropharmacologically active compounds to pre-feed can restore these shy pests’ drive to enter traps or consume toxic bait.

Vertebrate pest eradication programmes fail, in part, because control efforts usually generate some bait-shy and trap-shy survivors that are wary of subsequent control attempts. These animals quickly breed to restore the previous population. As a result, the Department of Conservation, regional councils and community conservation groups struggle to reduce populations of rats, possums and other pests on the New Zealand mainland. These groups are urgently seeking new tools to improve their pest control success.

For possums and ship rats we will use neuropharmacological methods to identify chemical compounds that provide a much greater stimulus to the reward circuitry of these animals’ brains than they experience from normal foods or traditional baits.

By combining these methods with our understanding of vertebrate pest behaviour, we will:

Determine the influence of a range of additives on dopamine release in the brain of possums and ship rats

measure the change in bait-seeking behaviour generated by that dopamine release.

We will use these steps to identify compounds that can be incorporated into baits to enhance the trappability of ship rats and possums.

By increasing target species’ drive to seek out and interact with traps and baits – thereby removing pests that were previously difficult to control – our approach will greatly improve the cost-effectiveness of many current pest control methods, including matauranga Maori techniques.

Methane produced by farmed animals is a major source of greenhouse gas and a leading contributor to global warming from human activity. In Aotearoa NZ, methane produced by farmed animals accounts for 86% of all greenhouse gas production from the agriculture sector. Methanogens that live in the rumen (stomach) of the livestock are responsible for methane production but are also vital to the animals’ digestion and nutrition. The development of a vaccine and/or chemical inhibitors to mitigate this methane production by methanogens in livestock is now a primary objective for scientists, industry, and the government in Aotearoa NZ. But lack of knowledge about the methanogen genes that are involved in methane production has hindered development of these tools. We will combine Machine Learning algorithms and CRISPR gene-editing technologies to identify the genes of rumen methanogens that are responsible for methane production. We will develop new Machine Learning algorithms to predict gene function in the rumen methanogens and develop a new way to deliver gene editing technology into methanogens in order to study the function of any key genes of interest. This information will provide much needed scientific knowledge on a novel set of effective vaccine or chemical inhibitor targets to mitigate methane production by rumen methanogens, thereby reducing methane emissions in ruminant animals such as cows and sheep. Collectively, these approaches will help in developing effective strategies to reduce methane emissions from ruminant livestock, enabling Aotearoa NZ to meet its greenhouse gas emissions targets, ensuring the agriculture sector retains social and environmental licence-to-operate and improving sustainable animal production in Aotearoa NZ.

Replicating the microenvironment that cells experience in a natural organism (in vivo) is extremely challenging in the laboratory (in vitro), yet it is the key to successful tissue culture. Tissue culture (TC) is critical in many disciplines of research, commercial applications and bio-based industries, and therefore improvement of this technique can have a large impact in these sectors. In an intact organism, cells experience complex interactions between cell populations and responses to external signals associated with the variable physical structure as well as a multitude of gradients of different phytohormones and nutrients. To further improve success rates of cell regeneration using TC would require a microenvironment with gradients of stiffness, nutrients and hormones embedded, and 3D tissue structures (scaffolds) in the confined environment to better mimic natural tissue conditions. Over the past few decades, various technologies have been developed to replicate such microenvironment for TC. However, they lack the ability to create an optimised microenvironment for a particular cell type and its developmental stages, especially for recalcitrant species. We propose to develop the technology to produce such a system using an adopted multi-vat 3D printer and test it in the context of in vitro plant regeneration via somatic embryogenesis (SE), which is currently being developed to produce trees for the NZ forestry industry.

Imagine a world without bees. Insect-pollinators contribute to more than one-third of the food we eat, and our dependence on insect-pollinated plants is growing. Meanwhile, wild pollinators are declining, placing strain on managed pollinators to fill the gap. Yet these insect-pollinators face existential threats from disease, over- population and changing climates. We imagine NZ transforming global pollination services, building a diverse agritech export-sector with our research on precision autonomous-pollination providing an intelligent alternative to insect-pollinators. Contact us at Plant and Food Research if you would like to be involved.