Predicting ‘male-time’ with the Androgen Clock
Researchers from the University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka have created a world-first epigenetic tool which has implications for medicine, sports, and agriculture.
Read more https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/newsroom/predicting-male-time-with-the-androgen-clock
International Deer Biology Congress
Second Announcement
The Organisers of the 11th International Deer Biology Congress would like to let you know of the upcoming call for papers which will be open in late January. Details will be found on our website https://www.ivvy.com.au/event/IDBC26/
The overall theme is “Your Deer Here”, acknowledging that the range of deer species which have been introduced into New Zealand come from all over the world.
The Congress will be held in Dunedin, New Zealand, from the 10th to 13th February 2026. The programme is still in development, though will include International and Local plenary speakers, field trips and pre- and/or post-congress tours of deer hunting and farming operations.
The programme invites papers addressing all aspects of deer biology, with papers being grouped into the following themes:
- Deer ecology, environmental impacts and ecosystem services
- Deer physiology and nutrition
- Deer biology & behaviour
- Deer health, disease and welfare
- Indigenous uses and cultural significance of deer
- Deer products (e.g. venison, velvet, milk, co-products)
- Deer production and farming systems
- Genetics and genomics of deer
- Game management and hunting, wild and estate
Feel free to distribute this invitation to all. Please use the website to submit your abstract by 31 July 2025. Both short and long communications will be considered.
Feel free to contact the conference organisers if required (idbc2026@gmail.com).
Check out the website for opportunities to explore the wildlife and heritage of the region. Dunedin is famed as the seabird capital of New Zealand, boasting the only mainland breeding site of Royal Albatross in the world, as well as opportunities to see yellow-eyed and little blue penguins in the wild.
Many Thanks, Dr David Stevens, Chair, on behalf of the Congress Organising and International Scientific Steering Committees
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Native mistletoe’s bad rap as parasite plant put to rest
ODT 28 August 2024
Mistletoe has long been seen as one of two things – something to stand under at Christmas-time for a kiss, or a parasitic plant that grows on other trees.
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/campus/native-mistletoe%E2%80%99s-bad-rap-parasite-plant-put-rest
Broader scholarship eligibility urged
Broader scholarship eligibility urged
https://www.odt.co.nz/rural-life/rural-life-other/broader-scholarship-eligibility-urged
Medicinal marijuana company up for review
Craig Bunt, Otago University’s inaugural professor of agricultural innovation, said outdoor cannabis growing for medicinal purposes is a risky area, with issues around background microbial loads being one risk area.
https://www.farmersweekly.co.nz/news/medicinal-marijuana-company-up-for-review/
Pink bras, corn and the intriguing political history of genetic engineering
Inaugural Professor of Agricultural Innovation at Otago University, Craig Bunt, says there has always been an approval process for GE.
“When it comes to agriculture, a lot of what we do needs approval. And so if it’s not approved, then people interpret that to mean it’s banned.”
Public screening of ‘- Six Inches of Soil -‘
Taieri College Performing Arts Centre on 2 August 2024 at 6:00pm.
https://events.humanitix.com/six-inches-of-soil-mosgiel
Resisting antibiotic-resistant bacteria
“…immunology researcher Dr Nils Birkholz said it could also be used in agriculture, to fight plant pathogens in crops.”
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/campus/resisting-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria
Students hungry for new degree
ODT Wednesday, 3 July 2024
Students in a new postgraduate qualification teaching about “farm-to-fork and beyond” are hungry to learn, a Dunedin professor says.
https://www.odt.co.nz/rural-life/rural-life-other/students-hungry-new-degree
AI developed to protect wine industry
As food fraud continues to grow around the world, Otago researchers have begun a ground-breaking project aimed at protecting the New Zealand wine industry from imposters.
University of Otago food science senior lecturer Dr Biniam Kebede is developing an artificial intelligence-powered hyperspectral imaging technique to test wine authenticity and traceability — all without opening the bottle.
Read more here; https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/campus/ai-developed-protect-wine-industry