Nutritional composition of three Aotearoa New Zealand caterpillar species: Impact of diet and life stage on amino acid and minerals

O’Connor, C.T., McNeill, M.R., Bowie, M.H., Gathercole, J.L., & Morton, J.D. (2026). Nutritional composition of three Aotearoa New Zealand caterpillar species: Impact of diet and life stage on amino acid and minerals. Journal of Insects as Food and Feed (published online ahead of print 2026). https://doi.org/10.1163/23524588-bja10354

Altered levels of known allergens in cultured primary bovine myoblasts for cultivated meat

Trlin, H. J. F., Bennie, R. Z., Ogilvie, O. J., Oh, J. K., Jin, A., America, A. H. P., Schols, H. A., de Ram, C., Bastiaan-Net, S., Boudewijn, A., Maes, E., Kleter, G., Domigan, L. J., & Dobson, R. C. J. (2026). Altered levels of known allergens in cultured primary bovine myoblasts for cultivated meat. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 74(8). https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c10735

Harnessing spider biodiversity for sustainable horticulture: A call for research and conservation in Aotearoa New Zealand

Sullivan, N. J., Stringer, L. D., Black, A., & Vink, C. (2025). Harnessing spider biodiversity for sustainable horticulture: A call for research and conservation in Aotearoa New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Ecology, 49(1), Article u3r6e00. https://doi.org/10.20417/nzjecol.49.3600

Abstract

The world is facing many pressing issues around food production and environmental sustainability. We are living in the sixth mass extinction event, driven by human activities including agricultural intensification, which has significantly affected invertebrate biodiversity. To address these issues, many scientists, growers, and policy makers are moving towards Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and restoring or creating natural or semi-natural habitats adjacent to or within food production ecosystems to conserve biodiversity whilst maintaining agricultural production. Despite spiders being the dominant, most abundant, and most diverse natural enemies of pests in horticultural ecosystems, their potential contribution to pest management has been understudied in Aotearoa | New Zealand. Internationally, many studies have shown the positive effects that spider abundance and diversity have on economically important food production systems, and many studies have demonstrated that enhancing adjacent habitat can conserve the biological control provided by spiders in these productive ecosystems. We highlight international studies that show positive effects of spider conservation on biological control in agroecosystems and discuss the few studies that have been completed on spiders in agriculture in Aotearoa | New Zealand. To date, only eight studies of spiders in agroecosystems have been published from Aotearoa | New Zealand and only a single study published on spiders in New Zealand horticultural ecosystems despite horticulture being a significant export market to countries that demand low chemical residue practices. All eight of these studies have been surveys of spider abundance and richness found in these systems, with a gap remaining in measuring the ecosystem functions they provide. We call for greater investment into research on spider conservation for biological control in Aotearoa | New Zealand to maximise the potential for ecologically friendly productive systems.

A risk-based approach can guide safe cell line development and cell banking for scaled-up cultivated meat production

Bennie, R.Z., Ogilvie, O.J., Loo, L.S.W., Zhou, H., Ng, S.K., Jin, A., Trlin, H.J.F., Wan, A., Yu, H., Domigan, L.J., and Dobson, R.C.J. (2025). A risk-based approach can guide safe cell line development and cell banking for scaled-up cultivated meat production. Nature Food, 3 January 2025; 6: 25-30. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-024-01085-9

Abstract

For commercial viability, cultivated meats require scientifically informed approaches to identify and manage hazards and risks. Here we discuss food safety in the rapidly developing field of cultivated meat as it shifts from lab-based to commercial scales. We focus on what science-informed risk mitigation processes can be implemented from neighbouring fields. We case-study pre-market safety assessments from UPSIDE Foods, GOOD Meat and Vow Group using publicly available dossiers. Quality control and safety assurance practices need to be established and standardized for cell lines and food-grade cell banks.

Effects of Winery Wastewater to Soils on Mineral Properties and Soil Carbon

Nightingale-McMahon, M., Robinson, B., Malcolm, B., Clough, T., & Whitehead, D. (2024). Effects of Winery Wastewater to Soils on Mineral Properties and Soil Carbon. Land, 13(6). https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060751

Kawakawa and the hungry little caterpillars: the kawakawa looper Cleora scriptaria causes unique plant responses in kawakawa Macropiper excelsum leaves

O’Connor, C.T., McNeill, M.R., Bowie, M.H et al. (2024). Kawakawa and the hungry little caterpillars: the kawakawa looper Cleora scriptaria causes unique plant responses in kawakawa Macropiper excelsum leaves. Authorea. https://10.22541/au.172456996.63266328/v1

Sculpting the future of meat: Biomaterial approaches and structural engineering for large-scale cell-based production

Jin, A., Bennie, RZ., Ogilvie, OJ., Trlin, HJF., Kong, NS., Yu, H., et al. (2024). Sculpting the future of meat: Biomaterial approaches and structural engineering for large-scale cell-based production. Sust Food Prot., 2(1): 3–20. https://doi.org/10.1002/sfp2.1023

Interdisciplinary methods for analysing food matrix structures of hybrid cell-based meats: A review

Ogilvie, O. J., Bennie, R. Z., Trlin, H. J. F., Loo, L. S. W., Zhou, H., Jin, A., Oh, J. K., Dobson, R. C. J., Yu, H., & Domigan, L. J. (2024). Interdisciplinary methods for analysing food matrix structures of hybrid cell-based meats: A review. Food Structure, 39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foostr.2023.100361

Attitudes to consumption of edible insects by indigenous Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand: future commercial opportunities

O’Connor, C. T., Gathercole, J., Bowie, M., Morton, J. D., Finlay-Smits, S., McNeill, M. R., & van Koten, C. (2023). Attitudes to consumption of edible insects by indigenous Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand: future commercial opportunities. Journal of Insects as Food and Feed, 10(2), 219–235. https://doi.org/10.1163/23524588-20230105

Spider and harvestmen biodiversity in New Zealand horticultural ecosystems

Sullivan, N., Sharp, J., Vink, C., Black, A., Marsh, A., & Butler, R. (2023). Spider and harvestmen biodiversity in New Zealand horticultural ecosystems. New Zealand Journal of Zoology. https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2023.2274827

Fermentation of plant‐based dairy alternatives by lactic acid bacteria

Harper, A. R., Dobson, R. C. J., Morris, V. K., & Moggré, G. (2022). Fermentation of plant‐based dairy alternatives by lactic acid bacteria. Microbial Biotechnology, 15(5), 1404–1421. https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.14008

Revisiting the crucial roles of oxygen vacancies in photo/electro-catalytic degradation of aqueous organic pollutants

Zeng, C., Tsui, L. S., Lam, F. L., Wu, T., & Yip, A. C. (2024). Revisiting the crucial roles of oxygen vacancies in photo/electro-catalytic degradation of aqueous organic pollutants. Applied Catalysis O: Open, 190, . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcato.2024.206930