Research Projects

Antarctica - a diversity of life in waiting: Antarctica a diversity of life in waiting Antarctica’s Dry Valleys have long been regarded as the closest thing on Earth to the surface of Mars – a cold, lifeless desert.

Restoring a city's natural ecosystems: Patches of native forest on farm land will have richer ecosystems thanks to the University of Waikato’s Centre for Biodiversity and Ecology Research.

Restoring the life to native forest remnants: Biodiversity loss has been greatest in or near New Zealand’s cities where development has often resulted in total landscape transformations, but the magnitude of this loss has been recognised only in recent years

$10 million battle to save the lakes: The programme, focusing on the Rotorua Lakes but which will have nationwide application, has $10 million over 10 years to research the threats posed by algal blooms, pest fish and other invasive species – and how to address those threats.

Are NZ pastures gaining or losing: In New Zealand, pastures originally converted from forest are now subject to more intensive stocking and increasing fertiliser use. We know very little about how this intensification of land use has altered the amounts of carbon and nitrogen stored in the soil. Associate Professor Louis Schipper (Earth and Ocean Sciences) and colleagues from Landcare Research and GNS Science have been measuring soil carbon and nitrogen at 65+ pastures sites around New Zealand, and comparing their information with data recorded from the same pastures around 20 years ago.

Soil microbial diversity compositing and enrichment: A major research platform in microbial genes and enzymes at the University of Waikato’s Biological Sciences Department has led to a large number of fundamental and applied projects investigating soil microbes and composting processes for a variety of purposes.

From enerygy savings to export competitiveness: The University is building an externally-funded research team with high-level engineering expertise which has a particular focus on industrial energy efficiency and could help the wood, meat, steel and dairy industries make energy savings.

Titanium alloys: Titanium alloys are light, strong and high in value, and are used extensively in aerospace and aviation, chemical processing, manufacturing, and in consumer goods.

Animal protein becomes biodegradable plastic: Low-value animal protein is being given a new life as high-value plastic with the discovery of a new manufacturing process by two University of Waikato scientists.

Bovine bone replacement: Waste material from cattle processing could one day be responsible for shorter healing times and stronger bones for joint replacement and bone graft patients.

Identifying sustainable aquaculture management areas: The growth of New Zealand’s aquaculture industry - which has seen greenshell mussel export volumes double in the decade to 2005 - is now putting pressure on regional councils to identify Aquaculture Management Areas (AMAs) in open coast locations.

Genes, enzymes and microbes: Industrial biotechnology is an area of research and development in which the University of Waikato has had a long and outstanding record of success.

Sweet university research: Waikato University is world-renowned for its research into the healing powers of manuka honey, and work continues every year to expand the knowledge around honey’s active compounds.