News archive pages for:
The current year's news stories are below:
Biochemistry Graduation Celebration December 2021
Friday, 17 December 2021 10:20am
Congratulations to all former students graduating this month with a degree in Biochemistry!
Otago Biochemistry Marsdens 2021 – Lim explores the unknown of turning genes off and on
Tuesday, 14 December 2021 10:17am
Four research projects in the Biochemistry Department received prestigious Marsden funding this year. We introduce the projects in a series of brief reports.
Dr Chun Shen Lim is using his research funding to tunnel deep into how your cells control your genes.
Kuku resilience investigated by Dr Nathan Kenny in latest Marsden Grant research
Monday, 13 December 2021 8:38am
No one looks at kuku in quite the same way as Dr Nathan Kenny (Ngāi Tahu, Te Ātiawa) from the School of Biomedical Sciences.
Otago Biochemistry Marsdens 2021 – Nathan’s resilient mussels
Wednesday, 8 December 2021 10:46am
Four research projects in the Biochemistry Department received prestigious Marsden funding this year. We introduce the projects in a series of brief reports.
Dr Nathan Kenny (Ngāi Tahu and Te Ātiawa) joined the Biochemistry Department this year as a Rutherford Research Fellow, and has been awarded $360,000 of Marsden funding over three years to investigate why some green lipped mussels are more resilient than others.
Otago Biochemistry Marsdens 2021 – Steph and Indranil link RNA with brain disease
Tuesday, 30 November 2021 10:02am
Four research projects in the Biochemistry Department received prestigious Marsden funding this year. We introduce the projects in a series of brief reports.
Associate Professor Stephanie Hughes and Research Fellow Dr Indranil Basak spend a decent chunk of their time trying to understand how brain diseases work. A lot of their focus has been on a part of the cell called the lysosome.
Otago Biochemistry Marsdens 2021 – Peter and his flexible degradation machine
Friday, 26 November 2021 12:40pm
Four research projects in the Biochemistry Department this year received prestigious Marsden funding. We introduce the projects in a series of brief reports. Associate Professor Peter Mace is fascinated by proteins – the micromachines inside our cells that do everything we need to be alive. He is particularly interested in how proteins are tagged to be destroyed or ‘degraded’, and how cells use this to control proteins and the things they do.
Otago announces Professorial promotions for 2022
Monday, 22 November 2021 10:28am
Twenty-eight University of Otago academics are being promoted to the position of professor this year.
2021 Otago Biochemistry MSc talks
Friday, 12 November 2021 2:56pm
The folks at Otago Biochemistry recently spent two lunchtimes listening to students in the annual MSc talks. Topics varied from oogenesis in honey bees to onion bulb formation, and from noncoding RNAs in breast cancer to antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas bacteria, plus a whole lot more in between.
Marsden funding helps Otago researchers unlock secrets of ageing
Wednesday, 3 November 2021 11:41am
A University of Otago researcher is one step closer to unlocking the secrets of the ageing process after receiving Marsden funding.
TB research will make ‘enormous global health impact’
Thursday, 14 October 2021 10:54am
University of Otago researchers are behind a major scientific breakthrough which could lead to elimination of the world’s biggest infectious diseases killer, tuberculosis (TB).
Otago Biochemistry’s Smart Ideas success with the 2021 Endeavour Fund
Tuesday, 5 October 2021 1:49pm
Two innovative research projects emerging from the Department of Biochemistry have each been awarded a million dollars over three years through the MBIE ‘Smart Ideas’ Endeavour Fund.
Otago Biochemistry welcomes Dr Nathan Kenny
Friday, 17 September 2021 12:39pm
Haere mai Dr Nathan Kenny! Nathan joined Otago Biochemistry last week as a brand new lecturer and research group leader. His plans include researching resilience in kuku, green-lipped mussels, in a project supported by a Rutherford Discovery Fellowship.
Fiordland endeavours result in significant funding
Monday, 13 September 2021 9:01am
Ten University of Otago researchers have been named winners of the 2021 Endeavour Fund.
Otago researchers secure significant Endeavour funding
Wednesday, 8 September 2021 7:59am
Understanding the future of fjords and their ability to soak up carbon is one of nine University of Otago scientific research projects receiving more than $16 million from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).
45th Meeting of the Biochemistry Department Research Society
Wednesday, 1 September 2021 11:45am
For the first time in its 45-year history, the meeting of the Otago Biochemistry Department Research Society, aka the Fourth-Year talks, was held entirely online.
$1.2 m for research into stomach cancer drug delivery
Thursday, 26 August 2021 11:41am
Professor Parry Guilford and the Cancer Genetics Laboratory have been looking for a drug treatment that will inhibit the growth of inherited stomach cancer. Part of this search will now be developing a system that will deliver chemotherapy directly to tumours growing in the stomach.
Professor Neil Gemmell named Dean of School of Biomedical Sciences
Tuesday, 24 August 2021 10:18am
Professor Neil Gemmell takes over as Dean of the School of Biomedical Sciences next year.
2021 Otago School of Biomedical Sciences Postgraduate Symposium
Thursday, 29 July 2021 1:25pm
From biofilms to breast cancer and connective tissue to kākāpō, the annual Otago School of Biomedical Sciences Postgraduate Symposium once again showcased the diversity and quality of research carried out by postgraduate students in the school. And the Department of Biochemistry, as one of the five member departments of the school, contributed its fair share of the research on display.
Otago researchers receive more than $13m in Health Research Council funding
Tuesday, 27 July 2021 10:12am
Investigating the impact of diabetes on access to cancer services, improving the health of Māori affected by psychosis, and a new stomach cancer drug delivery system are just some of the areas of University of Otago research to receive new Health Research Council funding.
Professional Practice Fellow Kaye Wilson Retires
Tuesday, 27 July 2021 12:00am
Kaye Wilson, who has been Teaching Fellow and Professional PracticeFellow in the Department of Biochemistry for 27 years, retired on Friday the 9th July. The occasion was marked by a morning tea and dinner.
Obituary: Emeritus Professor G. B. Petersen
Friday, 23 July 2021 4:44pm
Emeritus Professor George Bouet Petersen, ONZM FRSNZ, died in hospital on 11 July 2021, aged 87. Professor Petersen was born in Palmerston North in 1933. He graduated from the University of Otago in 1956 with an MSc followed by a DPhil from the University of Oxford. He was appointed to the Chair in Biochemistry at Otago in 1968 and remained Head of Department until 1991, retiring in 1999.
International Science Festival Expo 2021
Tuesday, 13 July 2021 1:50pm
For most of the past weekend, enthusiastic biochemists and geneticists from Otago University were working flat-out introducing passers-by to the science of the molecules that make up our cells.
Dr Sarah Diermeier’s extraordinary achievements recognised with Early Career Award
Friday, 9 July 2021 8:33am
Dr Sarah Diermeier has carved out a novel niche that complements New Zealand’s cancer research landscape.
$14m invested in world-leading RNA therapy: University of Otago spinout targeting new cancer treatments
Thursday, 8 July 2021 5:09pm
Amaroq Therapeutics, a new biotech start-up spun out of the University of Otago, with one of the world’s most advanced programs in next-generation RNA therapy to target cancer has secured NZ$14m investment to accelerate development.
Otago recognises promising early career researchers
Thursday, 8 July 2021 1:18pm
Six researchers whose work ranges from investigating pre-schoolers urban experiences to how reproduction influences life-history, health and ageing have been honoured with Early Career Researcher Awards.
Otago Biochemistry gets newly renovated staffroom
Wednesday, 9 June 2021 2:09pm
The wait is over. From today everyone in the biochemistry building can enjoy the newly upgraded ruma kaimahi (staffroom).
NZIBO biology stars of tomorrow visit Otago Biochemistry
Wednesday, 12 May 2021 2:41pm
A select group of New Zealand’s top high school biology students visited Otago Biochemistry recently as part of the New Zealand International Biology Olympiad (NZIBO) training camp.
Nicholas Madden – singing for royalty is all in a day’s work
Wednesday, 12 May 2021 3:25pm
Singing at royal weddings and funerals is literally all in a day’s work for Otago alumnus Nicholas (Nick) Madden.
Celebrating our graduate success
Monday, 10 May 2021 1:19pm
Graduates with degrees majoring in Biochemistry or Genetics were invited to a gathering on Saturday to celebrate their achievements.
Mike Murphy & Rob Smith Postgraduate Scholarships announced.
Tuesday, 4 May 2021 9:27am
Ten postgraduate students in the Department of Biochemistry have been awarded the Mike Murphy and Rob Smith Scholarships for 2021.
2021 Jan Anderson awards announced
Thursday, 29 April 2021 10:48am
Ella Redmond and Nicole Thomson are the joint winners of the 2020 Jean Mary (Jan) Anderson Awards in Plant Science.
Pacific Island kids explore biochemistry
Thursday, 22 April 2021 2:11pm
This week, a group of Pacific Island children from local intermediate schools visited the Department of Biochemistry as part of Otago University’s Intermediate Pacific Science Holiday Programme.
Otago Biochemistry PhD student wins Freemasons Scholarship
Monday, 12 April 2021 10:39am
PhD student Megan Taylor has just won the 2021 Freemasons Postgraduate Scholarship for Otago students. This scholarship, worth $10,000, is awarded on the basis of academic excellence and community involvement by Freemasons New Zealand in conjunction with The Freemasons Charity.
Otago Biochemistry welcomes senior lecturer Louise Bicknell and her research group
Thursday, 1 April 2021 1:18pm
We are delighted to welcome Dr Louise Bicknell to Otago Biochemistry as a senior lecturer. Dr Bicknell studies rare genetic conditions, particularly ones that cause problems in children’s growth and development.
Obituary: Associate Professor R.T.M. Poulter
Friday, 29 January 2021 2:41pm
Our friend and colleague Associate Professor Russell Poulter died suddenly on 11 January while hiking in the Hooker Valley with his family. Russell was an active and passionate researcher right up to the time of his death - which occurred as he was investigating an interesting flower by the side of the track. He is survived by wife and research partner Dr Margi Butler, their daughter Jane Poulter, and son George Taiaroa.
2020 Academic awards announced
Tuesday, 19 January 2021 2:45pm
The 2020 Biochemistry academic prizes were awarded to Jennifer Palmer, Tyler McCourt, Gareth Jones, Janneke Zwager, and Maria Larsen.
