PODCAST

scigest - Bioeconomy Science Institute podcasts

New Zealand Institute for Bioeconomy Science Limited

Welcome to Scigest - podcast-sized servings of digestible science from the Bioeconomy Science Institute. Join us as we explore the advancements and impact our scientists are making in advancing innovation in agriculture, aquaculture, forestry, biotechnology and manufacturing; protecting ecosystems from biosecurity threats and climate risks; and developing new bio-based technologies and products. Listen to our scientists as they share and discuss current research in Aotearoa New Zealand, and beyond

science natural sciences

All Episodes

BIOSECURITY: Spiders in, leafroller out – a success...

scigest - Bioeconomy Science Institute podcasts ·

2021/08/18

New Zealand's main fruit industries depend upon producing high-quality, residue-free crops for export with a very low incidence of pest damage. In this episode of Scigest, Blue Plunkett talks to Dr Jim Walker, from the Plant & Food Research Ecological Pest Management team, about how the Light Brown Apple Moth, a major leafroller pest threatening our horticultural industry, was successfully controlled using natural enemies (parasitoids) as a biocontrol solution. By reducing the need for spraying,

en-nz

SLFM: How an old idea sparked a new science career

scigest - Bioeconomy Science Institute podcasts ·

2021/07/20

How does an organism without a brain make decisions? What do kiwifruit and an orchestra have in common? Do PhD students really sleep? Today Dr Jay Jayaraman chats with Erin Stroud, a 3rd year PhD student, about her pathway into science and answers those weird questions you didn't know you needed the answers to. Erin is currently investigating how kiwifruit plants use defense hormone signaling to control how they respond to different types of pest and pathogen attack.

en-nz

SS: The good rap on viruses

scigest - Bioeconomy Science Institute podcasts ·

2021/07/01

The world is currently saturated with news about the negative effects of viruses but viruses can also be beneficial and, in fact, are vital to the existence of all living things on this planet. This week Hilary Ireland speaks to Dr Robin MacDiarmid, a passionate plant virologist spreading the message about the amazing world of plant viruses and how beneficial they could be in the future for our food production.

en-nz

SS: A plant microbiome, it’s a whole new world

scigest - Bioeconomy Science Institute podcasts ·

2021/06/17

Plants aren’t just plants. Like animals, they are hosts to a large and complex community of other living organisms, like fungi and bacteria, that can be both beneficial and detrimental to plant growth and health. This week Nicola Sullivan speaks to scientist Hayley Ridgway about the fascinating world of a plant microbiome including her research into the manuka microbiome which could have significant benefits for the manuka honey industry.

en-nz

ID: FROM THIS LAND: COVID episode 5

scigest - Bioeconomy Science Institute podcasts ·

2021/06/07

COVID unleashed a world of risk, frustration and delay for development agencies and those they partner with. But amongst the carnage, has the response of the past 18 months turned up anything positive apart from a carbon footprint cut for agencies? In this COVID special, we hear from two experts. Josie Pagani, executive director at the Council for International Development, the peak body for development agencies in NZ; and Suzie Newman, who heads the International Development Unit at Plant and Food

en-nz

ID: FROM THIS LAND: travelogue episode 4

scigest - Bioeconomy Science Institute podcasts ·

2021/06/07

The team fly south to the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh to see how farmers, designers, scientists and business owners are working together to grow safer, more valuable vegetables. They hear from a dedicated agri-advisor and enjoy the farm and beautiful voice of young Cambodian cucumber farmer and part-time crooner, Sim Sokhon.

en-nz

ID: FROM THIS LAND: travelogue episode 3

scigest - Bioeconomy Science Institute podcasts ·

2021/06/07

How to persuade and train thousands of North Cambodian farmers to ditch rice and grow a range of higher value crops instead? To find out we’ll meet Clint Smythe, an unassuming Kiwi who has turbo-charged melon farmer incomes through smart collaborative marketing. And we’ll visit the small farm of Mai Puy, who has returned home from Thailand to become one of 400 farmers supported to grow high-value crops rather than rice. To see stunning drone footage of Mai’s farm, check out the video on the

en-nz

ID: FROM THIS LAND: travelogue episode 2

scigest - Bioeconomy Science Institute podcasts ·

2021/06/07

Wara, Suzie and Phil head north to the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The attraction? An audacious bid by local firm Sam Agritech to become their country’s first major exporter of avocado. The firm is already a big exporter of black pepper - Vietnam grows a third of global production. Sam Agritech is now eye-ing the US$9.3 billion global market for avocado. It has gone 50-50 with the New Zealand Government to fund Plant & Food Research to help make its dream a reality.

en-nz

ID: FROM THIS LAND: travelogue episode 1

scigest - Bioeconomy Science Institute podcasts ·

2021/06/07

In episode 1. Vietnam: Where giant strides are happening in growing and breeding the Asian delicacy – Dragon Fruit. New Zealand taxpayer money has enabled Vietnamese and Kiwi scientists to overcome dragon fruit’s crippling disease. Learn about dramatic improvements in growing practices, increased income for smallholder farmers, and breeding innovation to commercialise novel varieties of dragon fruit.

en-nz

SS: Growing peanuts in New Zealand

scigest - Bioeconomy Science Institute podcasts ·

2021/05/24

Peanut plants are a rare item in New Zealand even though we are big fan either as a snack or as peanut butter. But is that about to change? This week Jay Jayaraman speaks to Declan Graham, business manager at Plant & Food Research about the first harvest of peanuts up north and the potential for a peanut growing industry in a warming Northland.

en-nz

SLFM: The evolution of a data scientist

scigest - Bioeconomy Science Institute podcasts ·

2021/05/06

Science has always been about collecting data and with the new data collection technologies today we can collect a massive amount. This all needs to be processed to make sense of it which is where a relatively new career of data scientist comes in. Today Hilary Ireland speaks to data scientist Dr Peter McAtee about his journey into a career as a data science. Look out for another podcast with Peter in the next few weeks where we delve into more detail on data science, what Peter is currently working

en-nz

BIOSECURITY: The smell conversation

scigest - Bioeconomy Science Institute podcasts ·

2021/04/18

Insects, animals, plants all use the power of smell to communicate or facilitate reproduction. These smell chemicals are called semiochemicals and today Nicola Sullivan talks to scientist Lloyd Stringer about the use of these chemicals in our battle to protect NZ borders from invasive pests and how we go about discovering what they are and how to reproduce them.

en-nz

SLFM: Never too late

scigest - Bioeconomy Science Institute podcasts ·

2021/03/31

Hilary Ireland is the latest addition to our scigest roster. She gets a taste of the hot seat when she shares her science journey as a late bloomer with host Jay Jayaraman. Hilary, now a research associate and third-year PhD student, didn't pursue a science degree until age 27. Let's hear about her research on Gillenia trifoliata and her advice for those pondering a career switch to science.

en-nz

SLFM: Not your spin doctor

scigest - Bioeconomy Science Institute podcasts ·

2021/03/16

How to make science stand out in an age of information overload? In a reversal of roles scientist Tom Saunders interviews Communications Manager Emma Timewell about the fine line that science communicators walk on to present science in an accurate manner while keeping it accessible and engaging to the general public. She also discusses the role of science organisations in helping the public navigate controversial topics.

en-nz

BIOSECURITY: Revisiting myrtle rust

scigest - Bioeconomy Science Institute podcasts ·

2021/02/22

Dr Rob Beresford returns to scigest with an update on the latest myrtle rust developments this summer in New Zealand and what we know about the fungal disease, its behaviour and its effects host plants so far. Learn how to identify the yellow rust, what to do if your spot it in your home garden or by the roadside, and where to report it.

en-nz

SLFM: Taking off the "girl shoes"

scigest - Bioeconomy Science Institute podcasts ·

2021/01/27

After 30 years at Plant & Food Research and its predecessors, Philippa Stevens is ready for the OE she never had (after Covid)! The soon-to-retire Group GM Science Services looks back on her career which began as a technician. In a chat with new scigest host Hilary Ireland, Philippa shares her transition from science into science management, her involvement in opening export markets for NZ produce and saving the kiwifruit industry from the Psa outbreak, and the moment when she put on her "girl

en-nz

SB: Fish oil or snake oil?

scigest - Bioeconomy Science Institute podcasts ·

2021/01/21

Fat in food generally gets a bad rap, but fish oil is one of the edible oils that are often associated with health benefits for its high content of omega-3 fatty acids. Our host Andrew chats with Nelson-based marine products scientist and chemist Daniel Killeen. Daniel deciphers the myths about fish oil - what it does to our body and where it came from. He also clears the air about some of the controversies around the subject.

en-nz

SITK: The white light for listeria

scigest - Bioeconomy Science Institute podcasts ·

2020/12/23

Food safety is something we don't really think about until we get a case of an upset stomach. It is however a constant and crucial issue for the supply chain around the food industry. Plant & Food Research is looking at new ways to help the industry combat pathogens like Listeria monocytogenes on food while also reducing chemical and water usage. Today Blue Plunkett speaks to Sravani Gupta a scientist specialising in human pathogenic bacteria on food.

en-nz

SLFM: A kiwifruit legacy

scigest - Bioeconomy Science Institute podcasts ·

2020/12/04

Today we speak to Dr Ross Ferguson, an internationally recognized expert on the biology of kiwifruit. Ross's work helped to develop New Zealand's successful kiwifruit industry. In this podcast he talks to scientist Dr Jay Jayaraman (currently working on the kiwifruit disease PSA) about his career and his science, starting as a summer student and being one of the first people to work on kiwifruit. He also touches on topics like how the first cultivars came to New Zealand and how hermaphrodite

en-nz

SS: Unlocking the power of smell

scigest - Bioeconomy Science Institute podcasts ·

2020/11/12

As humans, our sense of smell tells us a lot about our surroundings and whether something is potentially good or harmful. Dr Melissa Jordan is an olfactory expert who has studied the evolution of olfaction in animals and insects including tuatara. She is also working to harness the biology that gives certain insects the ability to detect smells unnoticeable to us and turn it into sniffing devices that can be used to detect diseases in humans and biosecurity threats.

en-nz

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