The international team, which included scientists from the University of Otago, published the paper in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.    Previous attempts to perform this kind of extraction had been unsuccessful, and it is hoped the data drawn from the DNA will give local archeologists and palaeobiologists new insights into the history, hunting, and extinction of the moa.

Media coverage:

ABC Science: Moa eggshells yield ancient DNA

AFP: Scientists tease DNA from eggshell of extinct birds

BBC: DNA of extinct birds extracted from ancient eggshell

Cosmos: Ancient DNA teased from fossil eggshells

Discovery News:  Fossilized Eggshells Yield DNA

Metro: Dinosaur DNA rebuilt from ancient eggs

The Daily Mail: Scientists get closer to real-life Jurassic Park after extracting DNA from fossilised eggshells

The Guardian: DNA from fossilised eggshells could help reconstruct lives of extinct birds

The article also looks at the winners of the other prizes.

An excerpt: (read in full here)

“Through their research, the scientists have established world-leading export businesses in high-temperature superconductor products.

“Their breakthrough allows for smaller, lighter, more efficient machines and more environmentally friendly technology that could give companies savings in everything from power transmission to manufacturing.

“Prime Minister John Key, who presented the awards, said New Zealand would have to tap into the “brainpower” of scientists such as Dr Tallon and Dr Buckley if it was going to be a better country “on a number of fronts”.”

Dr Sherlock is contributing to a new, global project which aims to take more accurate measurements of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, with the aim of better understanding of the movement of these gases into and out of the atmosphere.

An excerpt: (read in full here)

“A lot of Dr Sherlock’s time is spent analysing data but once every three months she heads to NIWA’s atmospheric research station in Lauder, Central Otago, to work on the actual experiments.

“”This is going to potentially provide very useful complementary information to help researchers understand the global carbon cycle better, and to enable us to monitor how effective measures to reduce emissions has been.”

“Despite our efforts to reduce greenhouse gases though, Dr Sherlock says results so far show carbon dioxide continues to increase its concentration in the atmosphere at a continued rate of two parts per million a year.”

They have suggested that, like heels, jandals should not be worn regularly, or when doing a lot of walking.

An excerpt: (read in full here)

“”The fact jandals can be damaging is usually a surprise to people as they associate them with relaxation and comfort,” NZCA spokesman Dr Simon Kelly said.

“”But we’ve known for some time that when people walk in jandals they alter their stride to compromise for the lack of support the sandal provides. Jandal wearers tend to grip the shoe with their toes while walking, forcing them to take shorter steps. This modification in gait produces muscle imbalances and improper joint mechanics, leading to dysfunction in various parts of the body.”"

An excerpt: (read in full here)

“Food and Grocery Council chief executive Katherine Rich says it would mean that New Zealanders pay up to 45% more for the same products in pharmacies.

“She says Medsafe has come up with no evidence that there is a problem that needs to be fixed.

Their work focuses on high temperature superconductors, an area in which New Zealand is a global development leader.

An excerpt: (read in full here)

“Dr Buckley says a coil of superconducting wire allows the flow of electricity, with no loss of energy, which has a variety of applications.

“”You can use those coils in generators, in motors. And they can be very much smaller and more compact and more powerful, lighter.”

“Dr Buckley says the prize is a significant honour, and recognises their work using cutting-edge science to create a world-leading industry. He says industries related to superconductor technology developed over the next decade could potentially pull in $100 million in revenue.”

Watt also won the McDiarmid Young Scientist of the Year award for his research into how palladium nanoparticles could be used to reduce toxic exhaust emissions.

An excerpt: (read in full here)

“His findings are helping with the development of a cheap and effective way of removing toxic pollutants from vehicle exhausts, which has potential for reducing the risk of asthma, cancer and premature death.

“The Victoria University scientist has devised techniques to manipulate the size and shape of palladium, an expensive precious metal used in car exhausts. His chemistry discoveries create nano-size palladium which achieves much better performance than conventional palladium and is also much cheaper.”

Currently, says Dr John McKoy (NIWA), not enough is known and the limits are susceptible to influence and overly ambiguous and informal.

An excerpt: (read in full here)

“Dr McKoy said it was dangerous to ignore the lesser species because the impact on them could indirectly affect more profitable species. “We do not understand the dynamics of the systems in New Zealand, not enough to provide reliable advice.”

“The Government needed to put more independent money into the pot, he said.

“Fisheries Ministry chief scientist Rich Ford said the resources for fisheries science were limited, even more so in a recession, and the result was a tradeoff between making informed decisions and what could be afforded.”

Stephen Goldson, AgResearch’s chief scientist and the vice-president of the Royal Society of New Zealand has said that pastoral farming may have reached its upper limits, in terms of production, and that new strategies such as the development and use of high-energy (or drought-resistant) forage should be considered.

An excerpt: (read in full here)

“Dr Goldson said New Zealand had to act to address issues of competitiveness, but also to improve nutrition levels in livestock, especially dairy cows, to ensure we retained our position as leaders in pastoral farming.

“That could include using genetic modification (GM) technology, which he said was becoming more acceptable.

“In 2009 134 million ha of GM plants were grown, mostly in the United States, Argentina and Brazil, and he said there were still no consistent reports of untoward effects associated with the technology.”