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February 2025: Postdoctoral researcher Dr Nathaniel Dasyam has been awarded a Cancer Research Trust grant to make CAR T-cell therapy even better - both in terms of safety and effectiveness.

“While our phase 1 trial showed very promising results, there's always scope for improvement. This grant will allow us to find what makes our CAR T-cells unique and, more importantly, identify what can be done to make them better. We can then take this information and design more effective therapies.”

Dr Dasyam explains that one of the main constraints for immunotherapies like CAR T-cell therapy is T-cell exhaustion.

“T-cell exhaustion is basically the immune system putting the brakes on T-cells that are too active or have been active for a long time. For the better part this is a good thing, as T-cells that are too active for too long can cause unnecessary inflammation and can lead to autoimmune diseases.

“However in cancer, this failsafe tends to cause T-cells to shut down too early. This can also happen when cancer cells themselves send signals to inhibit T-cell activity. The tumour environment, which can be very suppressive towards T-cells, also contributes to this exhaustion.”

The grant, more than $60,000, will go towards the identification of genes in CAR T-cells associated with exhaustion, safety, as well as efficacy.

Postdoctoral researcher Dr Nathaniel Dasyam. Photo: Malaghan Institute of Medical Research .

February 2025: Projects with long-term social or environmental benefits are in for a boost in Aotearoa New Zealand. We all know Governments need to invest in things to safeguard future generations and the planet. Things like floodwalls, renewable energy, and social investments in health, development and children's education.

Until recently, the New Zealand Government had an implicit disincentive to prioritise projects with long term social or environmental benefits - because of how it set the public sector's 'social discount rate'. The social discount rate captures how we trade off the present versus future benefits (and costs) when making public policy decisions.

But, with the help of Motu Research and other advisors, the Treasury recently made substantial changes to the social discount rate they use to evaluate public sector proposals. Previously, Treasury used a single discount rate that trades off everything across time in the same way, whether we're looking at investing in something like an office building or river quality. The changes mean we now have two rates: One for commercial proposals at 8% and the other for non-commercial proposals at 2%.

This means proposals with long-term social or environmental benefits will look a lot more valuable to the Government than they did previously - and so be a higher priority for the Government to invest in.

Photo: Lorenzo Fatto Offidani, Unsplash.

February 2025: Powdery mildew, caused by the fungus Erysiphe necator, remains a major challenge for grape growers worldwide. Even minor infections can impact wine quality, making effective control essential. Fungicides—including traditional options like sulfur and copper, as well as modern targeted treatments such as SDHIs, QoIs, and DMIs—are key to managing the disease. However, the pathogen's adaptability allows it to develop resistance, threatening control efforts.

Broad-spectrum fungicides like sulfur and copper attack multiple metabolic pathways, making it difficult for the fungus to evolve resistance. In contrast, single-site inhibitors like QoIs, DMIs, and SDHIs target specific fungal proteins, allowing resistance to develop through single genetic mutations. For instance, QoI resistance is linked to mutations in the CYTB gene, while DMI resistance is associated with the CYP51 gene.

A growing concern is the limited recent data exists on fungicide resistance in New Zealand vineyards. Studies have already documented resistance to some DMIs and complete resistance to certain QoIs, highlighting the need for updated monitoring.

Dr Cen Liau, Research Associate - Grapevine Bioinformatics at Bragato Research, highlights molecular diagnostics as a rapid alternative to traditional lab testing. These tools detect specific genetic mutations linked to resistance, enabling large-scale, efficient monitoring.

Powdery mildew. Photo: Bragato.

February 2025: Dragonfly Data Science are excited to collaborate with Ōamaru Blue Penguin Colony on a project to modernise its data management systems, and to help learn about the daily lives of little blue penguin or kororā.

Ōamaru Blue Penguin Colony (OBPC) attracts thousands of visitors annually to visit kororā in its natural environment, and is a well-known South Island tourism operator. To better understand and support blue penguin, OBPC has been working beyond its public-facing programmes to collect three decades worth of data on the little blue penguin population. The data are a valuable source of information on the penguin's population and behaviour that has the potential to help with the conservation of this species around the country.

Dragonfly Data Science have been enlisted to help organise and streamline these historical data, and to carry out some exploration of the data. They will then be used to create educational materials to engage OBPC visitors.

Dragonfly Director of Data Science, Finlay Thompson, is looking forward to bringing life to this dataset, and ultimately, to learn more about this native New Zealand species.

“Having the foresight to begin monitoring Ōamaru kororā back in 1993 provides this colony with a real advantage,” says Finlay.

Little blue penguin (Eudyptula minor) at Ōamaru. Photo: Louise Thomas.

February 2025: PhD student Jasmine (Jaz) White, a researcher at the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute, has published a significant review in the Journal of Translational Medicine examining glioblastoma's tumour microenvironment (TME) and its role in treatment resistance and recurrence. This collaborative work with Gillies McIndoe, Victoria University of Wellington, and Wellington Regional Hospital has earned Jaz first place in the university's 2024 'Best Review' award.

Glioblastoma (GB) is the most aggressive primary brain tumour in adults, with a median overall survival of approximately 12 months. Despite intensive treatment—including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy—tumour recurrence is nearly inevitable, often with increased aggressiveness. This treatment failure is largely attributed to the interaction between GB cells and the TME, which fosters therapy resistance.

A major limitation in GB research has been the inability of current models to fully replicate the complex TME. However, advancements in organoid models are providing new hope, enabling better understanding of tumour-TME interactions and potential treatment strategies.

“This paper addresses the many factors that must be considered when designing GB research models with the overall aim of improving the clinical relevance of GB research,” says Jaz.

PhD student Jasmine (Jaz) White. Photo: Gillies McIndoe.

February 2025: A pioneering study, led by Charge Technologist Paul Condron from Mātai Medical Research, has demonstrated the potential of Ultra-High Contrast (UHC) MRI to transform Multiple Sclerosis (MS) diagnosis and monitoring. Using advanced BLAIR bipolar filter sequences, researchers detected widespread changes in white matter and MS lesions with unprecedented clarity - even in cases where conventional MRI showed no abnormalities.

Key findings include:

• The Whiteout Sign: A widespread increase in white matter signal seen only with UHC MRI, present during relapses and resolving in remission.
• Grayout Signs: Subtle loss of contrast in grey matter, indicating disease presence.
• Enhanced Spinal Cord and Optic Nerve Imaging: Improved lesion detection crucial for MS monitoring.

A case study compared conventional MRI with Mātai's advanced technique. Standard T2-FLAIR MRI showed only a faint smudge in the spinal cord, whereas UHC MRI revealed a sharply defined lesion and an additional brainstem lesion entirely missed by conventional imaging.

“These advancements could lead to earlier MS detection and more personalised treatment decisions. By revealing subtle disease activity, UHC MRI has the potential to revolutionise both clinical practice and MS research,” says Paul.

Paul Condron. Photo: Mātai.

February 2025: A new system in Nelson's Maitai Dam reservoir is expected to help stop pollutants occurring in the reservoir and discharging into the Maitai River.

Cawthron Institute freshwater scientist Simon Stewart said the aeration system was re-oxygenating water at the bottom of the Maitai Dam reservoir, which would prevent metals releasing into the water.

Oxygen levels had dropped at the bottom of the reservoir because of a summer phenomenon that occurred in lakes, where warm water floated on top of cold water, preventing oxygen travelling through the water, he said.

“Phosphorus ... is a nutrient, so that drives algal blooms, but then other metals like manganese they can be toxicants.

“They'll accumulate in the algae, then in the bugs and the fish, where they could basically cause ecological health issues.”

Simon is interviewed by the Nelson Mail's Katy Jones in this article about the Maitai Dam reservoir aeration system project. Cawthron has been contracted by Nelson City Council to provide advice and monitoring support on the aeration system project that will help to reoxygenate the water and prevent metals from being released.

Photo: Cawthron Institute.

February 2025: The new director of one of New Zealand's foremost centres pioneering a cure for cancer has a personal and tragic connection to the role.

The Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, which specialises in immune system research has been running ground-breaking trails of CAR T-cell therapy, which uses a patient's own immune system to target and destroy blood cancer.

In-coming director at Malaghan, Professor Kjesten Wiig has taken over the reins held for 30 years by Professor Graham Le Gros.

A neuroscientist by training, Prof Wiig's career has always had a focus on advancing science and innovation to improve people's health and ultimately save lives. Kjesten's nineteen year old son Karl died from a rare form of cancer almost four years ago. Kjesten tells RNZ's Susie Ferguson how a conversation with Graham Le Gros at the time lead to a job offer.

After the tragic loss of her son, Kjesten determined that she wanted to again move careers - specifically into the cancer research space. "Three or four days later [after deciding she needed to move back into research] I got a call from Graham Le Gros...so, I went up to the institute and had a cup of coffee, and he asked me what I was thinking of doing now..."

Prof Kjesten Wiig. Photo: Malaghan Institute of Medical Research.

February 2025: Research Scientist Dr Joseph Nelson (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Raukawa) didn't need any persuading when the call went out for volunteers to help at the MacDiarmid Institute DiscoveryCamp over summer.

The annual residential camp for Māori and Pacific Island year 12 and 13 students brings rangatahi (young people) from around the country to do research with MacDiarmid Institute scientists, feeding their love of science and helping them decide on their careers. This year, it was in Ōtautahi (Christchurch).

“I first heard about the camp when a call went out for volunteers to help out as organisers, camp chaperones, helpers with lab visits, and experiment sessions,” says Joseph, who is an Associate Investigator on two MacDiarmid Institute research projects.

“I remember attending my own high school summer camp, now more than 20 years ago in Auckland. This was quite a formative experience for me in terms of deciding my next steps after high school, and the camp volunteers were a big part of that. So, I was keen to volunteer.”

Joseph (top of the table) helps rangatahi in a lab session on dye-sensitised fruit-based solar cells, with camp organiser and MacDiarmid Institute Principal Investigator Professor Martin Allen, from the University of Canterbury (foreground). Photo: Lincoln Agritech.

February 2025: A global coalition of scientists is still working to realise a “once in a life-time opportunity” to address the plastics crisis after a stalemate prevented progress during the United Nations Global Plastics Treaty negotiations in Korea late last year.

In an article published in early February in Cambridge Prisms: Plastics, the coalition outlined the reasons for the failure to reach consensus in negotiations. The body of over 400 independent scientists also called for support to continue work that underpins the efforts of the 'coalition of the willing' - over 100 UN member states who are committed to establishing a treaty.

Coordinator of the Scientists' Coalition, Cawthron Institute researcher Professor Trisia Farrelly, said a clear majority of member states came to the Busan negotiations in good faith, but their efforts were undermined by a minority of around 30 countries, including powerful petrostates, that are intentionally blocking progress.

“It is disappointing, but not surprising, that petrostates and the plastics industry increasingly resist regulations that would require them to take responsibility for the social, economic, and environmental costs of business,” Farrelly said.

Professor Trisia Farrelly ONZM speaks during the 3rd Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee. Photo: IISD.

February 2025: New research sheds light on how ankle sprain injuries lead to structural changes in muscle and connective tissue, potentially contributing to long-term instability. A study by Randika Perera and Geoffrey Handsfield (Auckland Bioengineering Institute), Samantha Holdsworth (Mātai & University of Auckland), and Pan Su (Siemens Medical Solutions), used advanced MRI to investigate how skeletal muscle and fascia adapt during recovery from an ankle sprain.

Recently published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, the study titled "Changes to Muscle and Fascia Tissue After Eighteen Days of Ankle Immobilisation Post-Ankle Sprain Injury" examined the case of a patient undergoing immobilisation after an ankle sprain. Researchers found that muscle atrophy occurred post-injury, but with some thigh muscles unexpectedly increasing in volume—likely due to the added weight of the immobilisation boot. Alongside muscle loss, fascia thickening was observed throughout the limb, suggesting an adaptive response aimed at stabilising the joint and compensating for lost muscle mass.

The findings highlight the critical role of fascia in injury recovery, with increased collagen content in the injured limb pointing to its role in preserving structural integrity.

Advanced MRI techniques are used to study the structure of the medial gastrocnemius muscle. Image: Auckland Bioengineering Institute.

February 2025: Just as regular health checks are vital for maintaining well-being, irrigation systems also require periodic performance assessments to ensure they function as designed. Aqualinc Research highlights the importance of these checks in optimising water use and meeting regulatory requirements.

Irrigation performance checks assess whether a system applies water at the correct depth and with uniform coverage. These evaluations are also necessary for compliance with Farm Environment Plan requirements, which require landowners to demonstrate that their irrigation systems are operating efficiently.

If issues are identified during testing, solutions may range from simple maintenance and adjustments to more complex system upgrades. In cases where water flow or pressure is insufficient, a more detailed analysis of the water supply, pipe network, and irrigators may be needed to improve overall performance.

Two key tests are commonly used. An irrigation evaluation examines the entire system, from water supply to application, ensuring pressure and flow rates meet design specifications. The 'bucket test' provides a simpler way to check application uniformity and identify potential issues.

Photo: Aqualinc Research.

January 2025: Recent research by Motu Affiliate Richard Fabling provides a productivity dataset that will be helpful to productivity researchers. The research looks at how productivity data is missing from the Longitudinal Business Database (LBD) for over a third of firm-year observations in “measured sector” industries, equating to a fifth of total labour in those industries.

Productivity growth is an important determinant of output growth in the economy and, therefore, aggregate improvements in income and well-being. The proliferation of high quality worker- and firm-level data, places empirical microeconomics at the forefront of understanding the dynamics of productivity growth and identifying obstacles to higher productivity.

Richard has developed a method to fill the data gaps using an additional data source - firm-level annualised goods and services tax (GST) returns.

Coupled with additional modelling using full-coverage employment information, the resulting “complete” productivity dataset provides additional avenues for researchers to test the robustness of their results to the inclusion of firm types previously underrepresented in the productivity data - particularly new and owner-operated firms.

Photo: Joshua Sortino, Unsplash.

January 2025: Dr Amanda Dupas de Matos, Food Experience and Sensory Testing (Feast) Laboratory Senior Research Officer at Massey University, has been awarded more than $100,000 from the Massey-Lincoln Agriculture Industry Fund for her project 'Realising the Potential of Thiols in White Wines: Sensory Consumer Responses and Chemical Characterisation' - a collaborative effort between Massey University, Lincoln University, and Bragato Research Institute which aims to address the knowledge gap around what thiol concentrations make for the most appealing wine.

“While winemakers already employ various techniques, such as yeast selection and winemaking processes, to manipulate the presence of thiols (aroma compounds considered important determinants of 'acceptability' in wine and which provide key attributes like tropical fruit aromas), the specific concentration thresholds that consumers find most appealing remains unclear,” says Amanda.

The research has the potential to provide winemakers the ability to craft new white wine styles with more precise, consumer-tailored aromas.

Photo: Bragato Research Institute.

January 2025: The future of automation in heavy engineering and steel fabrication took centre stage when Professor Ian Manchester and his team from the Australian Centre for Robotics visited HERA at the end of last year.

This week-long engagement, was part of HERA's engagement with the Australian Cooperative Research Centre (ACM CRC) project which brought together global expertise and local insights to explore how advanced technologies can transform Aotearoa New Zealand's manufacturing and construction sectors. Joining Professor Manchester were Kieran Parker, Yiduo Wang, and Viorella Ila, who brought their specialised expertise to the discussions and site visits. Also contributing to the collaborative efforts were HERA's General Manager Fabrication 4.0, Michail Karpenko, and Senior Engineer for Advanced Manufacturing, Holger Heinzel; whose extensive industry knowledge added industry knowledge to the engagements.

Professor Manchester, a globally recognised authority in automation and robotics, leads the Australian Centre for Robotics at the University of Sydney. His institution is renowned for developing cutting-edge technologies to address complex industrial challenges.

Australian Centre for Robotics delegation visits HERA. Photo: HERA.

January 2025: In the January issue of Canterbury Farming Newspaper, Aqualinc's Director of Research Dr John Bright talks about "Nitrates in groundwater: caught between a rock and a hard place?"

"Nitrate concentrations in shallow groundwater in the Lincoln area were, by 1983, already higher than desirable for drinking water.

"This has stuck in my mind because neighbours warned us that the bore water on the property we had just bought was not safe for our toddler and young baby to drink! So, I took home bottles filled with water from one of Lincoln University's very deep bores. Thankfully it wasn't long before Lincoln township's public water supply was installed, this being supplied from two or three new deep bores.

"This anecdote is consistent with Helen Rutter and her daughter Katherine's analysis of Environment Canterbury's groundwater quality data from the Selwyn Waihora zone, published in the Journal of Hydrology (NZ) in 2019. This shows that nitrate concentrations in Selwyn groundwater rose sharply from the 1960s to the 1970s. Most of the rise is understood to have occurred as a result of very high groundwater recharge (drainage through the soil) in 1979."

Photo: Aqualinc Research.

January 2025: A research collaboration between the University of Auckland and the Bragato Research Institute is investigating how fermentation techniques and ageing influence volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) in Pinot Noir wines. VSCs can contribute both desirable and undesirable aromas, with some linked to common wine faults such as rotten egg and cabbage smells.

The study examines factors such as elemental sulfur use, yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN) availability, and whole bunch fermentation. Initial findings indicate that wine ageing increases the concentration of certain sulfur compounds, including dimethyl sulfide (DMS), which can produce off-putting aromas at high levels. Meanwhile, key varietal thiols associated with tropical fruit notes also change over time, impacting wine aroma.

Whole bunch fermentation played a significant role, with 75% inclusion resulting in higher levels of VSCs like diethyl disulfide and ethanethiol. Additionally, wines produced with high elemental sulfur had elevated carbon disulfide concentrations.

The project aims to develop strategies to mitigate undesirable VSC formation, ultimately supporting winemakers in producing consistently high-quality wines.

Pinot noir grapes. Photo: Bragato Research Institute.

January 2025: The National Construction Pipeline Report 2024, commissioned by MBIE and jointly prepared by BRANZ and Pacifecon, forecasts a short-term decrease in building and construction activity throughout 2024 and into 2025, before a return to growth from 2026 onwards.

While total construction activity is expected to decrease from $60.8 billion in 2023 to $55.1 billion in 2025, activity is predicted to trend upwards from 2026 onwards to a total of $63.7 billion in 2029 as the residential sector recovers strength.

Intentions also remain high for non-residential activity, with commercial buildings dominating non-residential building work from December 2024.

Commercial buildings are expected to make up 46 percent of the non-residential projects and 48 per cent of the total value, with the private sector remaining the largest initiator of non-residential buildings in the coming years. This follows strong growth in non-residential building activity at the national level in 2023, up 9.9 percent from 2022.

A solid pipeline of transport, water and other infrastructure projects is also expected over the next two to three years, collectively peaking at $17.3 billion in 2025.

Building under construction. Photo: Louise Thomas.

January 2025: A recent study conducted by the MRINZ reveals a remarkable 32% reduction in asthma hospitalisations among Māori over the past four years. This progress reflects the impact of evidence-based treatment approaches and a collective commitment to addressing long-standing inequities in respiratory health outcomes.

Findings from the study, Ethnic Inequities: Patterns of Asthma Medication Use and Hospital Discharges in Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand, underscore the effectiveness of increased provision of the 2-in-1 budesonide/formoterol maintenance and/or reliever therapy, as recommended in the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation of New Zealand's guidelines. The study, led by MRINZ Director Professor Richard Beasley, also highlights a 111% increase in budesonide/formoterol inhaler use among Māori over the same period.

“The findings highlight the high quality of primary care in New Zealand and the emphasis on addressing the health needs of Māori to reduce their disproportionate burden of disease,” says Professor Beasley. “This evidence exemplifies how GPs are adapting their prescribing practices in line with evidence-based recommendations, ensuring patients benefit from advances in treatment.”

Image: MRINZ.

January 2025: Dragonfly Data Science has partnered with the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO) to transform their fisheries data reporting processes. This collaboration rebuilt SPRFMO's database and enhanced their annual summary reports for scientific committee meetings.

Craig Loveridge, SPRFMO's Executive Secretary, praised Dragonfly's work in automating reporting tasks. “It really did make our work more efficient and save us time. That was a big deal,” he said. Loveridge noted Dragonfly's ability to turn complex data into accessible and widely shareable reports, while maintaining strict confidentiality.

Dragonfly Data Scientist Hayley Wikeepa highlighted the efficiency of coding for data analysis and report generation. Automating ensures consistency and reduces manual workload. “It takes a bit of effort up-front to prepare the datasets and ensure consistency, but once done, reports can be reproduced easily year after year,” she said.

Katrin Berkenbusch, also a Dragonfly scientist, emphasized the importance of reproducible methods, saying manual processes increase the risk of errors, with automating ensuring accurate data updates flow directly into reports.

Image: Dragonfly Data Science.

January 2025: New research from a collaboration between the Malaghan Institute and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has shown that 'infection interference' may be the key to unlocking broader protection from infectious agents - paving the way for better vaccine design.

Over the course of our lives, we encounter many diverse and challenging threats from infectious agents like bacteria, parasites and viruses. These infections don't line up in an orderly fashion; our bodies are constantly dealing with and responding to numerous threats as these opportunistic pathogens attempt to make our bodies their home. In places where this competition is especially fierce, such as in the lung, how does a dynamic microenvironment impact the severity of diseases like Covid-19 or influenza, or even allergy? Moreover, can we use this knowledge to improve how we design and develop vaccines and other treatments?

That's the question Dr Kerry Hilligan has been asking in her research that has crossed continents; from the NIH in Washington, DC, to her home at the Malaghan Institute in Wellington.

Dr Kerry Hilligan. Photo: Malaghan Institute.

January 2025: New insights from Motu Economic and Public Policy Research reveal the significant impact of arts and cultural participation on personal well-being. Whether as an active creator or a passive audience member, engaging with the arts enriches life in observable ways.

Key findings from Motu include:

• Active participation—such as painting, performing, or creating—boosts eudaimonic well-being, offering a stronger sense of purpose and enhancing long-term well-being.
• Passive participation—like attending performances or viewing art—elevates life satisfaction and short-term well-being by increasing happiness and mental health.

An important takeaway? Passive participation significantly enhances life satisfaction by improving mental health, helping people feel calmer, more peaceful, and less downhearted or depressed.

To quantify this, the researchers, Thomas Benison, Trinh Le, and Arthur Grimes, estimated that people value passive arts and cultural engagement at 6-20% of their income, equating to $2,800-$9,300 annually for those on a median income.

Photo: Matheus Ferrero, Unsplash.