Crazy & Ambitious 3 – 2022
A playlist of presentations given at New Zealand’s Biological Heritage Science Challenge online conference, Crazy & Ambitious 3. 24 – 27 May 2022. This event…
Webinar
Publication
Healthy Bee, Sick Bee: The Influence of parasites, pathogens, predators and pesticides on honey bees
Phil Lester’s first book, The Vulgar Wasp, was about one of the world’s most hated insects. His second is about just the opposite – the honey…
Publication
Biotechnologies in pest wasp control: taking the sting out of pest management for Māori businesses?
In Aotearoa New Zealand, the government’s ambitious target of becoming “predator-free” by 2050 has reignited public discussion on biotechnologies. The disproportionate abundance of German and…
Publication
Mitonuclear interactions, mtDNA-mediated thermal plasticity and implications for the Trojan Female Technique for pest control
Here we test whether the male-sterilizing effects previously associated with the mt:Cyt-b mutation are consistent across three thermal and three nuclear genomic contexts. The effects of this…
Media
‘Instruction manual’ to kauri dieback pathogen uncovered
In a world first, researchers have decoded the genome of the pathogen that causes kauri dieback. RNZ spoke to Nari Williams (Plant & Food Research).
Webinar
Guiding biodiversity efforts using a remote sensing and machine learning approach
The Eco-index team are developing novel remote sensing technology for understanding and guiding biodiversity enhancement efforts across Aotearoa New Zealand. Our goal is to autonomously…
Publication
Ecological State Assessment Tool (ESAT): a cross-cultural natural resource management tool from Aotearoa, New Zealand
A cross-cultural approach to conservation and natural resource management will enable resource managers to access the full potential of dual knowledge epistemologies and facilitate genuine…
Publication
Comparative genomic analysis of 31 Phytophthora genomes reveal genome plasticity and horizontal gene transfer
Phytophthora species are oomycete plant pathogens that cause great economic and ecological impacts. The Phytophthora genus includes over 180 known species, infecting a wide range…
Report
Identifying tools and knowledge gaps to support the control of non-PF2050- targeted small mammalian predators: stakeholder perceptions of priority needs
In a move to enhance information sharing in vertebrate pest management, a Small Mammal Research Collective consisting of representatives of key stakeholder groups was established…
Presentation
Risk-based surveillance to demonstrate absence of Phytophthora agathidicida – Cecilia Arienti-Latham
Presented as part of the Kaurilands Summit 2023, hosted by Ngā Rākau Taketake. To find out more about the Integrated Surveillance research theme please…
Publication
Opportunities and limitations for DNA metabarcoding in Australasian plant-pathogen biosecurity
Protecting plants from new pathogen incursions requires effective surveillance practices. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding shows considerable promise for detecting invasive organisms in terrestrial and aquatic…
Publication
The association between mitochondrial genetic variation and reduced colony fitness in an invasive wasp
Despite the mitochondrion’s long-recognized role in energy production, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation commonly found in natural populations was assumed to be effectively neutral. However, variation…
Tool or Model
Farming with Native Biodiversity website
The overarching goal of this project was to develop enduring resources and capabilities that created a step-change for native biodiversity within pastoral farm systems. …
Publication
Emerging Stakeholder Relations in Participatory ICT Design: Renegotiating the Boundaries of Sociotechnical Innovation in Forest Biosecurity Surveillance
Research Highlights: This research advanced understanding of stakeholder relations within the context of innovation using citizen science in a biosecurity sociotechnical system (STS) in Aotearoa,…
Publication
Public Opinion Towards Gene Drive as a Pest Control Approach for Biodiversity Conservation and the Association of Underlying Worldviews
Synthetic gene drive approaches are nascent technologies with potential applicability for pest control for conservation purposes. Responsible science mandates that society be engaged in a…
Publication
Matauranga-guided screening of New Zealand native plants reveals flavonoids from kanuka (Kunzea robusta) with anti-Phytophthora activity
Kauri is an ecologically important and culturally treasured tree species in Aotearoa New Zealand. It is under threat from the pathogenic oomycete Phytophthora agathidicida, which causes…
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