University research proposals through to MBIE second round

12 July 2016

University research proposals through to MBIE second round

Four University of Waikato research applications for MBIE Smart Ideas funding have made it through to the second round. Smart Ideas funding focuses on the connection between applied research and commercialisation.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research Professor Bruce Clarkson says it’s a very good strike rate for the University to have four of its 12 applications make it through to the second Smart Ideas round.

“Success in the second round will require a good understanding of how to translate the research results and deliver them as a proof of concept on an implementation pathway towards commercialisation.”

Two of the projects were led by Professor Craig Cary – one on ocean acidification and another on the economic potential of geothermal microbial ecosystems, one was led by emerging researcher Dr Lee Streeter on 3D imaging technology, and one was led by Dr Fei Yang on novel heat sink technology and materials.

Professor Cary’s research proposal on ocean acidification is co-lead by Professor Conrad Pilditch of the University of Waikato and in collaboration with AUT.

“There’s a global problem closely linked to climate change,” says Professor Cary. “CO 2 levels in the atmosphere are increasing and as oceans absorbs more CO 2 from the atmosphere, the result is that oceans are beginning to acidify.”

Acidification of the oceans will have damaging effects on the entire ecosystem, which is a big problem as many organisms produce shells made of calcium carbonate and are essential for the ecosystem to function. These organisms will be seriously stressed by ocean acidity.

Professor Cary says New Zealand has a thriving and growing aquaculture industry producing some of the world’s highest quality shellfish that rely on nutrients from the sea.

“In coastal areas algae rely on nutrients supplied to them by bacteria that regenerate the nutrients in the sediment. The key to the productivity of our coastal ecosystems is the bacteria that live in the sediments, and yet we know nothing about how bacteria in the sediment will respond to increases in ocean acidity.”

This project seeks to understand how ocean acidity affects the functioning of the sediment microbiology, and will be working on how it might predict and possibility mitigate negative impacts of increased ocean acidity.

Professor Cary’s second project is in partnership with GNS and aims to realise the biotechnological potential of New Zealand’s iconic geothermal environments. Through a previous Smart Idea Phase 1 programme, physical, chemical, and bacterial diversity information was collated for 1000 hot springs in the Taupō Volcanic Zone (1000springs.org.nz).

The new research proposal aims to build on this world-first bioinventory of geothermal ecosystems dominated by micro-organisms to characterise the genetic potential of these unique habitats as a foundation for biodiscovery. It also aims to develop a pathway that recognises and realises the sensitivity of intellectual property for iwi with kaitiakitanga of these resources.

This will be achieved through the development of a secure and accessible database for stakeholders - such as iwi, DOC, tourism operators and regional councils - directly facilitating Vision Mātauranga for landowners. The research will develop access to the unknown economic potential, and support conservation and Mātauranga Māori, of geothermal ecosystems.

Dr Lee Streeter’s research proposal looks at stabilising 3D camera imaging. These cameras use time-of-flight technology, which involves obtaining distance by emitting light and measuring how long it takes for the light to fly through the air from the camera to the object and return. This provides a 3D representation of an object or scene.

As with ordinary cameras, the image is blurred if people and/or objects move but time-of- flight cameras are more susceptible to motion blur and have been limited to applications where accurate distance measurements are not needed. To date, they have not been used widely in industry, which presents an opportunity for value-added industrial applications and academic research to solve the problem of motion blur and increase the potential for time-of- flight cameras.

Dr Fei Yang’s research will enable industry to make an advanced heat sink (passive heat exchanger that transfers heat generated) from copper and artificial diamond powders by using conventional facilities.

The advanced heat sink material produced will have two to three times higher heat dissipation capability than that of existing heat sink materials and similar thermal expansion properties to current chip materials, and will be used for making the substrate materials of high-power output electronics devices. This will help quickly dissipate heat generated from electronics devices and significantly reduces the thermal stress on electronic chips, improving their reliability, prolonging their life span and opening up new potential high power applications for the electronics sector.

The four projects submitted full proposals to the Science Board in June and will be advised of its decision in September.

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