Science Media Centre

Aussie-bound space capsule due Scientists in the desolate South Australian outback are preparing for the touch down of a Japanese space capsule, which is scheduled to arrive on Sunday night. The Hayabusa capsule is the first spacecraft to land on an asteroid, which it did in 2005, intercepting the Itokawa asteriod. But scientists won’t know [...]

Mark Hotton writes in the Southland Times about a speech by AgResearch’s Dr Jason Archer in which he outlined several technologies which could help improve New Zealand’s meat production. While New Zealand will never be able to produce meat as cheaply as some other countries, technologies are being developed which could help farmers to sustainably [...]

Eloise Gibson writes in the New Zealand Herald about the decision by Erma to allow scientists to create and work with genetically modified sheep, goats and cows. The research, to be conducted by AgResearch, will involve putting human genes into the animals in order to produce specific human proteins in their milk – it is [...]

The Environmental Risk Management Authority (Erma) has granted AgResearch approval to continue working with genetically modified cells and animals. The research, being conducted on goats, sheep and cattle, aims to develop specific proteins in milk which could be used to treat certain human diseases. An excerpt: (read in full here) “Erma said it considered the [...]

John Hartevelt writes in the Dominion Post about a new report debunking the belief that New Zealand’s exporting of lamb to Britain has a high carbon cost. The research, hailed by Minister of Agriculture David Carter, suggests that the carbon produced by lamb production and transportation happens primarily on the farm: indeed, the carbon produced [...]

Radio New Zealand also reports on the newly opened Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre in Palmerston North. The centre, which has been given $50 million over the next decade by Prime Minister John Key, will investigate ways to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. An excerpt (read in full here) “It will be run by AgResearch [...]

Eloise Gibson reports in the NZ Herald on concerns that the development and use of genetically modified animals in New Zealand could damage its overseas image. However, a paper released by the Royal Society has suggested that international attitudes towards GM food and animals may be changing due worries about food security and climate change. [...]

Prime Minister John Key today launched the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre, which will be headquartered in Palmerston North at AgResearch. The Centre is a partnership between AgResearch, DairyNZ, Landcare Research, Lincoln University, Massey University, NIWA, Plant & Food Research, the Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium (PGgRc) and Scion. What research will be [...]

Eloise Gibson reports in the New Zealand Herald on a proposal to put human genes into livestock with the aim of creating a special type of milk. The application, by AgResearch, is currently under consideration by ERMA, and faces opposition from groups who believe the research is unethical. An excerpt: (read in full here) “AgResearch [...]

Kiran Chug reports in the Dominion Post that AgResearch may have to slaughter genetically modified cows if a current application to produce more of them is rejected. The application asks that AgResearch use transgenic cows to develop and produce a medicinal milk, but is facing opposition from some groups who say the research is unethical. [...]