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PhD(Otago), BSc(Bristol)

Tel +64 3 479 8354
Room 4s6, Science 2 Building
Email nigel.perry@plantandfood.co.nz

Research interests

Natural products chemistry is about the compounds that give colour and flavour to our foods, the scents of flowers, and the inspiration for many of our life-saving drugs. My research areas are:

  • New Zealand natural products: working with Māori on discovering new compounds in taonga native plants, animals and microorganisms by isolation directed by biological assays, and structure identification by combined NMR spectroscopy and molecular modelling. We also study biosynthesis in plants and ecological roles of natural products.
  • Food bioactives: analyses using NMR, LC, GC, MS and Raman microscopy, to locate and quantify plant metabolites, food bioactives and flavour chemicals; e.g. a stable vitamin C glycoside in apples.
  • Synthetic organic chemistry (with Bill Hawkins): studies on biomolecules to understand the relationship between structure and biological activity, and to produce more active and selective compounds.

My group is part of the Bioeconomy Science Institute Maiangi Taiao, a Public Research Organisation, with collaborators in other University of Otago departments including Botany and Marine Science, and links to other universities, industry and government researchers around New Zealand and abroad. We work with Ngāi Tahu and other iwi on developing new products from taonga species native to Aotearoa New Zealand.

Research group and students

  • Samantha Atley
  • Dr John van Klink
  • Josh Bristowe (Ngāti Porou, Ngāpuhi)
  • Nigel Joyce (Plant & Food Research Lincoln, LC-MS)
  • Teri Robson (Lincoln)

Recent students

  • Dr Ioan Fuller (PhD 2024): Bioactive phospholipids in molluscs important as kai moana to Māori
  • Liam Hewson (MSc 2024): Natural product chemistry of kānuka
  • Dr Sekotilani Aloi (PhD 2024): Bioactive natural products from Samoan medicinal plants
  • David Rubin (MSc 2021): Exploring the chemotypes of the sticky mountain daisy Celmisia viscosa
  • Dr Alistair Richardson (PhD 2019): Chemistry of a Stable Vitamin C Glycoside in Apples (Malus spp.) and Other Fruit Crops
  • Dr Oliver Watkins (PhD 2016): The Chemistry of the Bioluminescence of the New Zealand Glow-Worm

Publications

Sansom, C. E., Burgess, E. J., Larsen, L., Joyce, N. I., Jaksons, P., Campbell, R. E., … Perry, N. B. (2025). Sensing disease in apple trees: Potential signature compounds for European canker (Neonectria ditissima) infection. Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry, 73(24), 15003-15013. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c10597 Journal - Research Article

Perry, N. B., Andre, C. M., Sansom, C. E., Plunkett, B. J., Hamiaux, C., Massey, L., … Espley, R. V. (2024). Unique bibenzyl cannabinoids in the liverwort Radula marginata: Parallels with Cannabis chemistry. Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry (NZIC) Conference. (pp. 116). Retrieved from https://nzic.org.nz/conferences Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Hewson, L. M., Perry, N. B., & Warren, D. S. (2024). Kānuka chemistry: Bioactive natural products from Kunzea ericoides. Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry (NZIC) Conference. (pp. 113). Retrieved from https://nzic.org.nz/conferences Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Andre, C. M., Sansom, C. E., Plunkett, B. J., Hamiaux, C., Massey, L., Chan, A., … Perry, N. B. (2024). Unique bibenzyl cannabinoids in the liverwort Radula marginata: Parallels with Cannabis chemistry. New Phytologist. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/nph.20349 Journal - Research Article

Pretz, D., Heyward, P. M., Krebs, J., Gruchot, J., Barter, C., Silcock, P., Downes, N., Rizwan, M. Z., Boucsein, A., Bender, J., Burgess, E. J., Boer, G. A., Perry, N. B., & Tups, A. (2023, August-September). A dahlia flower extract has anti-diabetic properties by improving insulin function in the brain. Verbal presentation at the Queenstown Molecular Biology (QMB) Hypothalamic Neuroscience & Neuroendocrinology Australasia (HNNA) Satellite, Queenstown, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

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