University of Waikato Smart Ideas funded projects

Bioactive extracts from marine organisms represent unexplored potential for use in the agricultural and horticultural sectors to combat pathogens and unwanted plants (weeds). Experience from past international biomedicinal screening programmes of marine extracts (NZ and Australian Shallow Water Marine Biodiscovery Program, US National Cancer Institute), strongly suggests that novel and known metabolites, due to their modes of action, could have high utility as agrichemicals. This was evidenced by an allied programme directed at glyphosate replacements. Our hypothesis-driven project is based on matching the secondary metabolite chemistry of bioactive species with specific and selective herbicidal modes of action. The research will advance already identified novel agrichemical leads, focusing on enhancing selectivity of herbicidal activity against weed species targets currently treated with glyphosate and Tordon™ (increasingly discouraged internationally). This will be achieved by harnessing natural allelochemical flexibility of marine natural product biosynthetic pathways aligned with systemic inhibition of critical plant physiological pathways. The concept is an extension of Mātauranga Māori identifying a range of marine algal leads known to benefit the whenua and expands on a current programme led by Ngāti Pūkenga, to remediate land while enhancing organic agricultural productivity. This collaborative project embodies elements of importance to Māori and agriculturists: environmental sustainability, kaitiakitanga and economic wealth based on sustainable blue and green economies, together with skilled capacity building. The project’s outcomes will include novel agrichemicals suitable for commercialisation, enabling large-scale production and providing high economic value. This offers significant opportunities for Māori as partners and investors while fostering environmental sustainability and resilience in agricultural systems.

Aotearoa New Zealand is located on an active plate boundary, making it susceptible to significant earthquake hazards. These earthquakes can create powerful seismic waves that travel through the ground and get amplified within sedimentary basins, which cover some 55% of the country. Unfortunately, understanding and predicting how these waves behave is challenging because current methods are unable to characterise these sedimentary basins with high certainty. This difficulty hinders accurate earthquake hazard assessments and the ability to prepare for future seismic events. Our research aims to transform how we predict earthquake shaking by building advanced geological models that take into account the complex nature of sedimentary basins. Using state-of-the-art techniques and software, we will develop a deeper understanding of the layering and structure of sedimentary basins in Canterbury, Hawke’s Bay, and Waikato, to better capture the amplification of seismic energy. Our team includes leading experts in geology, earthquake engineering, and mātauranga Māori, from Aotearoa and overseas, ensuring a rich blend of knowledge and experience. This collaboration positions us to significantly improve New Zealand’s understanding of seismic risks and to build resilience. The anticipated benefits of this project include more accurate predictions of ground shaking and enhanced seismic hazard assessments, ultimately bolstering community preparedness for citizens who live and work on sedimentary basins. Our innovative approach will also contribute to the National Seismic Hazard Model, helping to protect lives and infrastructure across the country.

Our research proposes a novel approach for aquatic ecosystem modelling, combining machine learning techniques (deep multi-modal sensor fusion) with ecosystem-informed models to forecast changes in water-quality. This innovative solution will provide early warnings and actionable insights, enabling data-driven decision-making and enhanced management of freshwater ecosystems.

Current monitoring approaches in aquatic ecosystems operate at heterogeneous spatial and temporal scales, hindering data synthesis and ecosystem modelling. Our approach addresses this limitation by integrating machine learning techniques with ecosystem models, enabling the development of robust predictive tools. By leveraging abundant water-quality data and advances in sensor fusion and ecological forecasting theory, we will develop accurate forecasts and actionable insights for regional councils and iwi.

Our approach will provide near-term (days to months), iterative (repeatedly updated with new data) forecasts, enabling adaptive management and targeted interventions. By improving freshwater management, we can protect and restore these critical ecosystems, supporting biodiversity and human well-being. Our project's outcomes will contribute to the development of effective management strategies, ultimately protecting New Zealand's freshwater ecosystems for future generations. Additionally, our approach will advance ecological theory by understanding what models do best under what conditions, and what driver variables are most important for model development.

The transportation and protection of delicate items like electronics and glass rely heavily on packaging materials with adequate cushioning. Currently, plastic foams and polystyrene are commonly used for this purpose, but their disposal poses significant economic and environmental challenges due to their non-biodegradable nature and high handling costs. To overcome these problems, functionally graded (variable density and strength) cellulose foams with outstanding shock resistance properties will be produced using microfibres obtained from recycled cardboard fibre reinforced with harakeke fibre. Researchers at the University of Waikato and Scion will work with the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology and industrial collaborators Oji Fibre Solutions Ltd. and KTK Creative Ltd. to execute the project.

With the success of this project, we can replace current polystyrene packaging which could lower the carbon footprint of packaging by a factor of 5. By introducing recyclable cellulose foam, the outcomes of this project will reduce the load on landfills of plastic foams, polystyrene and unrecycled cellulose fibre. This project will produce a recyclable and sustainable foam that will contribute to the transition to a circular economy and support New Zealand’s target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. While mitigating the waste problem, the project outcomes will also create business opportunities in the packaging market.

This Smart Ideas research project will understand, refine, and optimise Lightmyography as a new muscle-machine interface technology. By harnessing the unique properties of light to decipher the intricacies of natural muscle movements, we will both advance a critical human machine interfacing technology and redefine possibilities for those reliant on prosthetic and assistive devices. Our experts in mechatronics, biomechatronics, robotics, machine learning, and cultural studies will work together to sculpt a future where assistive technologies seamlessly integrate into the lives of end-users, enhancing their autonomy, wellbeing, and quality of life. Furthermore, by embedding cultural insights and sensitivity into our approach, we also seek to advance scientific frontiers and set new standards in the field, driving meaningful advancements in the design approaches for the interfaces that facilitate interactions with state-of-the-art robotic, prosthetic, and computing devices (including virtual reality and augmented reality devices).

New Zealand has an acute housing shortage, especially in affordable and social housing. There are many reasons for this: high immigration, a small local market, stringent requirements for seismic resilience and watertightness, and a looming shortage of construction-grade timber. The country is in immediate need of affordable housing units to address the needs of those experiencing homelessness and difficulty obtaining housing, especially the Māori and Pasifika communities. However, current construction techniques make it difficult to meet the speed of building required and NZ’s carbon budget target. New Zealand has set a target to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, which involves reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% below 2005 levels by 2030. The construction industry contributes 20% of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions. Conventional cement, a major cause of these emissions, accounts for 10% of the volume of concrete but contributes 80% to its carbon footprint. There is significant energy expenditure required in maintaining a building throughout its service life. Thus, we need an end-to-end construction solution that is faster and requires less long-term maintenance.

We will develop a low-carbon, self-sensing 3D-printable concrete mix using locally-sourced materials, reducing construction time, carbon emissions, and maintenance costs. Our binder will contain at most 20-30% Portland cement clinker, significantly less than New Zealand's lowest carbon general purpose cement. High-strength concrete mixtures with nanocomposite-based sensors will ensure durability and enable strain mapping throughout a structure’s life.  Together with community partners, iwi housing organisations, developers, architects, engineers, planners, and councils this product will address New Zealand’s housing crisis, creating warm, healthy, low carbon homes for vulnerable communities, generating new job opportunities for rangatahi, and export opportunities for New Zealand companies.

This research aims to develop a new thermal energy storage technology to couple renewable heat sources, such as geothermal, biomass and solar, to heat demand in process heat and electricity generation.

This will reduce the need for fossil fuels in our primary processing sectors and electricity supply, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and avoid carbon charges that would otherwise increase the cost of electricity and food products. The technology will also reduce the size of heat plants, save on the capital cost of new zero-emissions heat plants and hasten the decarbonisation of process heat. The global market for this technology is substantial and could lead to development of a large advanced manufacturing sector.

Dementia is currently the seventh leading cause of death among all diseases and a major cause of disability and dependency worldwide. Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is its most common form and may contribute to 60-70% of cases. The current gold standard of diagnosing and monitoring AD heavily relies on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) β-Amyloid (Aβ) protein detection and CT/MRI/PET scans. However, the use of these methods presents several challenges: CSF analysis is invasive, CT and PET scans involve ionizing radiation, CT and MRI scans do not detect AD-related pathology, and PET scans are expensive and have limited availability.

This project will develop a new microwave AD scanner (MAS) that is safe, cost-effective, non-invasive, pathologically specific, and portable, differentiating it from currently available imaging equipment and driving uptake in point-of-care applications, where patients can be tested outside an imaging suite or even in the individual’s home. Currently, ultrasound is the only truly portable imaging modality as required for point-of-care testing; however, ultrasound has difficulty in penetrating the human skull and therefore is not suitable for brain imaging. Our new approach will provide improved capability for rapidly diagnosing and monitoring AD, while providing direct measurement of AD-related pathology.

Our scanner will be made possible through our understanding of the imaging potential of chirality (handedness) of Aβ protein. This project will generate new knowledge about how we can make use of signal polarization deflection properties correlated with Aβ chirality to detect and locate Aβ in the human brain. Our research will drive new manufacturing capability in New Zealand for the MAS and its IP-rich hardware system.

Contact: yifan.chen@waikato.ac.nz

Recent overseas research has highlighted the potential for record-shattering weather events to occur in the presence of high rates of global warming, rates which are expected to persist over the next several decades irrespective of emission reduction policies. Record-shattering events are those which exceed previous long-standing records by significant margins - they often have substantial social and economic impacts, due to a tendency for systems to adapt to the highest-intensity events experienced during a lifetime but rarely higher.

Building on successful research looking into the already-elevated risks of witnessing extreme meteorological drought events in Aotearoa, this project will combine data from very large regional climate model ensembles with guidance from historical observations and mātauranga Māori to identify physically plausible, record-shattering drought events capable of occurring across the motu within the next three decades. By quantifying locally specific estimates of the upper bound of future drought-related hazards, as well as contextualising how these plausible events relate to past experiences, this project will resolve the adaptation requirements needed for drought-exposed communities to thrive in a warming Aotearoa.

Background

This project supports the emerging seaweed aquaculture industry in Aotearoa NZ by providing a proof-of-concept for the development of seaweed probiotics. The probiotics are based on microbial communities naturally associated with seaweed and aim to improve seaweed productivity and quality. To do this we will develop probiotic inoculants for application during the sensitive hatchery stage using a bottom-up approach (i.e constructing probiotic mixtures from single isolated bacteria) guided by bioinformatics and advanced statistical methods, and a novel top-down approach (i.e artificial selection of whole microbiomes) that selects seaweed microbiomes based on seaweed performance indicators. This approach leverages the high evolutionary potential of microbiomes and targets communities of microorganisms, which tend to be more stable to environmental changes due to functional redundancy built into their community structure.

Benefits to NZ

Seaweed probiotics improve growth and product quality, widening business profit margins. Seaweed seedlings are out-planted for grow-out based on size, so any reduction in time required in the hatchery results in significant cost reductions for hatchery management per seeding-event. Integration of other land-based aquaculture or waste-streams with improved seaweed production systems that better remove nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous) will reduce nutrient pollution and protect Aotearoa’s natural capital. New aquaculture technologies will support businesses and job-creation, and thereby growth in financial and physical capital.

Key beneficiaries

Laboratory studies have demonstrated that improvements in host microbiota increase seaweed productivity and quality, providing scope for new business opportunities and intellectual property development. Opportunity therefore exists for significant value-creation from Iwi-held and Pākehā businesses. Te Whānau-ā-Apanui have long-term aspirations to enhance mana through restoration of kaimoana and will benefit first from this project by co-developing and implementing land-based seaweed aquaculture and hatchery operations at Raukokore.

This project will radically advance understanding of solid-state hydrogen storage, using high-entropy alloys, and produce novel, safe, and efficient hydrogen storage materials compatible with fuel-cell technology for widescale green hydrogen applications.

Our ability to design high-entropy alloys with very high hydrogen storage capacities and modest absorption/desorption conditions that match existing fuel-cell technologies for practical applications is constrained by our limited understanding of how the characteristics of high-entropy alloys influence their reversible hydrogen storage capacity, thermodynamics, kinetics, and cycling stability.

This project will deliver optimised high-entropy alloy hydrogen storage materials and technologies that meet weight, volume, thermodynamic, kinetic, and safety requirements. This research will enable the use of hydrogen for transportation and stationary energy storage applications, such as medium-/heavy-duty transportation vehicles, future home appliances, e-bikes, back-up power for data centres, and off-shore intermittent energy storage, helping establish a working low-carbon economy.

Our New Zealand-led multidisciplinary international team has strong track records in materials processing, crystal structure science and compositional analysis, hydrogen storage technology development, and computational simulation. Our team from the Universities of Waikato, Sydney, and Penn State, GNS Science, and Hiringa Energy brings both scientific expertise and strong hydrogen industry relationships.

Contact Fei Yang: fei.yang@waikato.ac.nz

Recent viral outbreaks have highlighted the need for products that can provide immediate, short-term protection against infection as a complement to vaccination or when vaccines are not yet available. One potential solution is to use antibodies, immune molecules that bind to and block the function of viruses. Producing sufficient antibodies for population-scale deployment can be difficult but significant quantities are naturally produced in the milk of ruminant species like sheep and cows. The challenge is to efficiently direct these antibody responses against viruses of concern.

Our Smart Idea is to improve antiviral antibody induction in ruminants using a new class of molecular Smart-Antigens. These designer protein molecules fuse elements of the sheep’s own immune system with viral components to massively increase the production of antibodies after immunisation. We will target the viral pathogen norovirus for which no vaccine currently exists, and treatment options are few. This pathogen disproportionately affects both the very young and the elderly in Aotearoa/New Zealand and around the world.

Our final product will be hyperimmune milk powder sachets suitable for reconstitution and personal use. By developing these products, we will create a new biotechnology-focused dairy sector with a focus on high-value and low-volume products rather than commodity supply. We will tap into the substantial market for milk-based supplements which is expected to rapidly grow at over 8.8% each year to over NZD$350 million by 2026. Developing our products will bring value across the dairy chain with benefits for individual producer farms, dairy processors, and exporters alike.

Xeno-Nucleic-Acids (XNAs) are artificial equivalents of natural genetic material DNA and RNA and have potential applications in synthetic biology, nanotechnology therapeutics and diagnostics. They behave in a similar way to natural nucleic-acids folding into double-helices and storing information, but they can have much greater chemical diversity and are often more stable in biological fluids like blood and saliva. This makes XNAs extremely useful for biotechnological applications such as next- generation aptamers. Aptamers are pieces of nucleic acid that fold up into 3D structures and can bind other to molecules and have potential use as biosensors or drugs. XNA-aptamers are better suited for this purpose than ones built from DNA because they bind tighter and are not degraded as easily.

One of the biggest issues with XNAs is they are difficult to synthesize: our Smart Idea will solve this problem by discovering and engineering enzymes to build large XNAs from small synthetic pieces. We plan to use DNA ligases, enzymes that join breaks in double-stranded DNA in nature. We will begin with ligases that we find in the genomes of bacteria and viruses from extreme environments like Antarctica and geothermal regions of Aotearoa New Zealand, working together with iwi and hapū who are kaitiaki of these taonga. We will also determine the molecular details and 3D shape of how of these enzymes bind to XNAs so we can tweak them to work even better. Our ultimate goal is to provide an enzymatic toolkit for synthesis of XNAs that can be used to find solutions for New Zealand-specific problems like pest detection, water-quality monitoring and healthcare.

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) removal (CDR) over the next century is required to avoid devastating climate impacts in Aotearoa New Zealand and globally. Yet, few tenable large-scale CDR applications exist, and the lack of significant point CO2 emission sources has thus far limited CDR in Aotearoa. Enhanced rock weathering (ERW) has been proposed as a viable strategy for global scale carbon capture, with recent modelling estimating net 0.5-5 Gt CO2 yr^-1 potential. Yet, there is currently little to no field data to support the rates of capture deemed possible. Aotearoa plays host to warm, wet climates, and ideal volcanic rock type such as basalt and dunite (high capture-capacity-to-weight-ratio), making for an ideal locality to constrain the true potential of ERW for carbon capture. Through this project, we will conduct the first ever large-scale ERW field trial in collaboration with Ngāti Pūkenga and Ngāi Tahu, to determine the potential of ERW to take us one step closer to achieving carbon neutrality—before it is too late.

This Smart Idea will produce a new generation of light, inexpensive, efficient and reliable harvesting grippers using advanced design and manufacturing techniques. Current harvesting grippers transfer motion and force through mechanisms that consist of multiple rigid parts connected by movable joints. These joints, when used repeatedly, suffer from friction and wear-induced failure. They are also heavy, expensive and require assembly, lubrication, and regular maintenance, especially in the harsh outdoor environment in which they mostly operate. Our novel approach to address these issues will combine the complementary strengths of compliant mechanisms, generative design, and additive manufacturing to create a cost-effective and robust robotic harvesting gripper that cannot be produced by any other means.

The key aspect will be to integrate an advanced algorithm-driven generative design approach with a complex compliant mechanism node geometry creation process. This will be achieved by identifying critical interfaces between the flexure-joint segments (nodes) and potential areas where generative algorithms are applicable. With successful development of computational generative models, a fully optimized additive manufacturing processing route to fabricate complex organic-shaped compliant gripper structures will be established. Additionally, techniques to verify the functionality of the 3D-printed prototypes and to validate fatigue performance will also be developed.

Success will provide significant advances in the field of robotic grippers, bridging the gap between innovative design and advanced manufacturing of compliant mechanisms. The new robotic gripper technology will provide benefits to many New Zealand companies (including Robotics Plus, Axis7) through our existing and future partnerships. Furthermore, it will create opportunities to upskill fruit picking workforce into higher value jobs (incl. Māori orchardists) and help solve New Zealand’s horticulture labour issues and provide opportunities for high-value exports in a rapidly growing sector.

Whitebait were once so plentiful in Aotearoa New Zealand that they were used as fertiliser and canned for export. However, it is widely acknowledged that the whitebait fishery has declined substantially since those early days and that modification and loss of habitat is a key threat. The main whitebait species (īnanga) spawns terrestrially in riparian vegetation during spring high tides, with the eggs hatching one month later on a following spring tide. Finding the nests of īnanga by visual searching is laborious and plagued with error due to potential confusion with eggs of other animals like slugs and snails. We have a well-established programme at the University of Waikato training scent-detection dogs for environmental and medical research. This project will use trained dogs to detect and geolocate the nests of īnanga in riparian vegetation of rivers and estuaries combined with detailed aerial mapping of vegetation and physical habitat using aerial drone photography and other remote sensing data such as digital elevation and satellite data. Our ability to rapidly locate īnanga nests and characterise their associated habitat will provide detailed habitat models that will provide greater prediction of potential spawning habitat and assessment of the usefulness of riparian restoration to protect and enhance whitebait spawning zones. Ultimately, we expect this approach will be designed in collaboration with end-users, including regional councils, iwi and community groups, to restore and protect whitebait spawning and enhance the harvest and sustainability of the whitebait fishery.