Institute of Environmental Science and Research's science platforms

Strategic Science Investment Fund (SSIF) funding supports longer term underpinning infrastructure and programmes of mission-led science critical to the future of New Zealand’s economy, environment and wellbeing.

The Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) receives $12.2M per year SSIF investment for research in 2 Science Platforms, the Human & Environmental Health Platform and the Forensic Science Platform. A science platform is a combination of people, facilities, information and knowledge that provides a particular, ongoing science and innovation capability for New Zealand.

Human & Environmental Health

Description: Prevent and mitigate infectious diseases, improve food safety, reduce water-borne contaminants and improve the safe use of biowastes

The Human & Environmental Health Platform will support research that contributes to safeguarding the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders ($4.2 million), safer food ($0.4 million), improving the quality of freshwater and groundwater resources for human use and the safer use of biowastes ($6.6 million), incorporating Vision Mātauranga outcomes across the spectrum of activities pursued. We will achieve our impacts through the application of genomics in public health surveillance improving our ability to identify and characterise infectious organisms. Novel detection and intervention methods will be developed to reduce food contamination enhancing New Zealand’s reputation for high quality products. We will develop appropriate and sustainable solutions that maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of biowaste reuse reducing the cost and environmental impact associated with their disposal. We will identify and evaluate methods to mitigate nitrate contamination of groundwater and assess the health of groundwater to optimise the balance between increasing land use intensity and environmental targets.

Forensic Science

Description: Advance specialist expertise to deliver reliable and independent science to the justice sector

ESR delivers forensic science services to the justice sector underpinned by research ensuring the science is internationally comparable and validated for the New Zealand population and environment. The Forensic Platform will invest in research that will help prevent and solve more crime ($3 million). It will support Māori capability and incorporate Vision Mātauranga outcomes. The platform will develop, evaluate and implement innovative and fit for purpose forensic technologies and approaches so that ESR remains a world leader in the provision of forensic science expertise for the justice sector. The platform will investigate technologies for the early identification of offenders and for the detection and identification of drugs and associated products. It will explore novel approaches for the analysis of forensic data to support improved outcomes across the justice system.

For further information on ESR’s SSIF investment contact Phil Carter, Philip.Carter@esr.cri.nz.

Human and environmental health ($7.7 million per year)

Prevent and mitigate infectious diseases, improve food safety, reduce water-borne contaminants and improve the safe use of biowastes.

The Human & Environmental Health Platform will support research that contributes to safeguarding the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders ($3.7 million), safer food ($0.4 million), improving the quality of freshwater and groundwater resources for human use and the safer use of biowastes ($3.6 million), incorporating Vision Mātauranga outcomes across the spectrum of activities pursued. We will achieve our impacts through the application of genomics in public health surveillance improving our ability to identify and characterise infectious organisms. Novel detection and intervention methods will be developed to reduce food contamination enhancing New Zealand’s reputation for high quality products. We will develop appropriate and sustainable solutions that maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of biowaste reuse reducing the cost and environmental impact associated with their disposal. We will identify and evaluate methods to mitigate nitrate contamination of groundwater and assess the health of groundwater to optimise the balance between increasing land use intensity and environmental targets.

Forensic science ($1.5 million per year)

Advance specialist expertise to deliver reliable and independent science to the justice sector.

ESR delivers forensic science services to the justice sector underpinned by research ensuring the science is internationally comparable and validated for the New Zealand population and environment. The Forensic Platform will invest in research that will help prevent and solve more crime ($1.5 million). It will support Māori capability and incorporate Vision Mātauranga outcomes. The platform will develop, evaluate and implement innovative and fit for purpose forensic technologies and approaches so that ESR remains a world leader in the provision of forensic science expertise for the justice sector. The platform will investigate technologies for the early identification of offenders and for the detection and identification of drugs and associated products. It will explore novel approaches for the analysis of forensic data to support improved outcomes across the justice system.

Human & Environmental Health

The ESR H&EH platform invests in science to safeguard the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders, protect NZ’s food-based economy, improve the safety of freshwater and groundwater for human use and the safer use of biowastes. We have continued to invest in our ‘He Tangata, He Pūtaiao’ strategy to create impact for iwi and increase our understanding of Te Ao Māori across ESR.

We continue to position ESR as a partner of choice for iwi, hapū and Māori Community Groups. This has included presenting our science to rangatahi and tauira Māori through our He Ō Uta, He Ō Tai programme. We have also continued to invest in our Māori Impact team, their vision, knowledge and execution through their programmes of work including the above, He Wai Māpuna and Te Hāpai Ō.

Our science enables NZ to respond to and mitigate disease outbreaks, pandemics and contamination events through the capability and expertise developed in the platform. This expertise informs on the risks associated with adverse events, approaches to mitigate the risks and the effectiveness of interventions. Our science capabilities were key in NZ’s response to COVID-19, the Havelock North Campylobacter Outbreak and a wide range of food and water-borne outbreaks. We will continue to invest in these capabilities to understand and monitor the spread of infectious pathogens and associated antimicrobial resistance.

We have invested SSIF to improve water quality by developing methods to reduce nitrate contamination and investigate pathogen survival in groundwater. We have monitored our field trials comprising a permeable reactive barrier, a bioreactor and planted native vegetation, to determine how effective these are in improving water quality. We have developed novel pathogen surrogates to understand the transport of pathogens through groundwater and established metagenomic approaches for the evaluation of drinking water quality.

Forensic Science

ESR delivers forensic science services to the justice and health sectors underpinned by research that ensures our science is internationally comparable yet appropriate for New Zealand. The portfolio of projects in the Forensic Science Platform contributes towards our key impact area of ensuring more crime is prevented and solved. The platform is also helping to build our understanding of Te Ao Māori and that the concepts and intentions of Vision Mātauranga are embedded in our operations and approach. The platform will develop, evaluate, and implement innovative and fit for purpose forensic technologies and approaches so that ESR remains a world leader in the provision of forensic science expertise. The platform will investigate technologies for the early identification of offenders and for the detection and identification of drugs and associated products. It will explore novel approaches for the analysis of forensic data to support improved outcomes across the justice system.

The Forensic Science platform key project areas of data science, massively parallel sequencing (MPS) capabilities in DNA and RNA analyses, delivered data-driven insights for casework, and supported reliable justice outcomes. We have continued to investigate the presentation of forensic science and the use of statistical methods for interpreting and presenting evidence. Our development of Bayesian methods for accurately presenting results is enabling the courts to understand how science can be utilised to deliver reliable justice outcomes. We have continued to investigate the opportunity for emergent technology to support frontline policing by progressing the development of aptamer-based science for roadside drug detection. We are building our organ-on-a-chip expertise with a focus on unravelling the complex interactions of novel synthetic drugs on the brain to support reductions in drug harm.

Forensic Science

ESR’s SSIF Forensic Science Platform funds research that ensure New Zealand has world-leading forensic expertise. The portfolio of projects in the Forensic Science Platform contributes towards our key impact of ensuring more crime is prevented and solved. The platform is also helping to build our understanding of Te Ao Māori and that the concepts and intentions of Vision Mātauranga are embedded in our operations.

The Forensic Science platform key project areas of data science, massively parallel sequencing (MPS) capabilities in DNA and RNA analyses, delivered data-driven insights for casework, and supported reliable justice outcomes. We have continued to investigate the presentation of forensic science and the use of statistical methods for interpreting and presenting evidence. Our development of Bayesian methods for accurately presenting results is enabling the courts to understand how science can be utilised to deliver reliable justice outcomes. We have continued to investigate the opportunity for emergent technology to support frontline policing by progressing the development of aptamer-based science for roadside drug detection. We are building our organ-on-a-chip expertise with a focus on unravelling the complex interactions on novel synthetic drugs on the brain to support reductions in drug harm.

ESR and NZ Police have further strengthened their collaborative approach through the establishment of a joint Strategic Governance Board and an Innovation Fund to support early-stage research that is of benefit to Police and the wider justice system. Innovation Fund projects are focused on identifying and progressing research that supports improved responses to crime, with a particular focus on enabling the frontline.

Human & Environmental Health

The ESR Human and Environmental Health SSIF platform invests in science to safeguard the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders, protect New Zealand’s food-based economy, improve the safety of freshwater and groundwater resources for human use and the safer use of biowastes. We have continued to invest in the ‘He Tangata, He Pūtaiao’ strategy to create impact for iwi and increase our understanding of Te Ao Māori across ESR.

Our whole genome sequencing and data science expertise continues to play a significant role in New Zealand’s response to COVID-19. Investment of our SSIF in genomic technologies and analysis has enabled faster and more accurate assessment of outbreaks, whether food-borne, water-borne or person-to-person spread, allowing improved responses from the agencies involved. We will continue to research new approaches for the analysis and visualisation of complex human and pathogen genomic data.

Working with iwi we have investigated the role of New Zealand native plants for improving water quality and have shown that native species can be successfully utilised to manage different biowastes when these are applied to land. Biowastes can accelerate plant growth and improve plant health. We continue to monitor our field trials for the permeable reactive barrier and bioreactor which are removing contaminants such as nitrates and pathogens to improve water quality. We are developing novel approaches to characterising the movement of pathogens in groundwater and new methodologies to quantify contamination risk in groundwater-sourced drinking supplies.

The platform has investigated new approaches to understand the spread of antimicrobial resistance in communities and in the environment. We continue to develop faster ways to identify and characterise pathogens from clinical and environmental samples to enable the appropriate responses to be initiated.