Biological Sciences

Project  

The magnet effect refers to attractive flowering plants drawing in pollinators, which can benefit or distract from neighbouring species.

The role

This project will evaluate the potential for magnet effects in Aotearoa-New Zealand by identifying susceptible native plant species based on their phenology, distribution, and pollinators. We will review global literature to understand the conditions under which magnet effects occur. These insights will help us assess their relevance in New Zealand ecosystems and develop methods for empirical field evaluation.

Project

This is a Ngā Motu Whakahī scholarship specifically targeted toward students who whakapapa Māori or are of Pacific heritage.

This project will investigate freshwater ecosystem management drawing from mātauranga and science.

The role

Research will be fieldwork-based, looking into population dynamics of watercress in rural streams. It will examine the impact of different harvesting techniques as strategies to promote growth and removal of pollutants.

Ideal student

Ideal for students that have an interest in ecology and the interface between mātauranga and science.

Requirement

Whakapapa Māori is required.

Project  

Myrtle rust (Austropuccinia psidii) is a virulent plant pathogen of the family Myrtaceae, with the rust now having spread globally and infecting >500 plant species. It arrived in New Zealand in 2017 and is still spreading. Because it is a recent arrival, our understanding of host susceptibility and disease progression is also still developing, both within and amongst species. For pōhutukawa within Auckland, infections of individuals seem to vary by infection date, location, plant size, proximity to roads, and whether the plant was planted or wild grown. Sometimes infected plants and healthy plants occur directly next to each other.

The role

This proposed project would build on previous surveys of pōhutukawa within Auckland to score the infection status of trees and a range of potential factors (e.g., size, proximity to roads, and likely origin) that influence susceptibility to infection. These data would then be analysed for infection patterns both within and between years. The goal is to determine factors (host, environment) that determine levels of myrtle rust infection to better understand the infection process and inform management response.

Project  

Diurnal birds sleeping in the wild are constantly being disrupted by stimuli such as artificial light at night and anthropogenic noise. As humans, a bad night of sleep can negatively affect our function, but we often don’t think about what it may be like for animals.

The role

The student will analyse behaviour of sleep disturbed birds. the student will help with husbandry and daily care of animals; therefore, they must be able to come to campus during the week.

Project  

Climate change causes stress levels in seabirds to increase. One keyway to measure this is to measure blood cell ratios (Heterophil: Lymphocyte ratio) and AI methods are being developed to achieve this.

The role

This project requires a student to train and test an AI model to count blood cell smears on slides (H:L slides) taken from tītī across Aotearoa and life stages

Required skills

Ability to use a microscope, diligence and thoroughness. There will be opportunity to assist with field studies, but this is primarily a lab based project.

Project  

Some cyanobacteria can store nitrogen in granules (cyanophycin) inside their cells. Our lab works with a cyanobacterial genus that can do this. However, some members are predicted based on genetics to stockpile more nitrogen.

The role

In this project a student will undertake laboratory based cultivation experiments to help confirm if this is true, and the impact on survive under nutrient deprivation.

Required skills

A background in microbiology with good laboratory skills is essential, alongside an interest in microbial cultivation and cell imaging (microscopy).

Project  

This project will investigate the metabolic responses of estuarine bacterial isolates grown at different salinities. The isolates are conspecific (same species). Initial growth experiments suggest they have evolved different salt tolerances.

The role
The goal of this project is to confirm or disprove the evolution distinct salt tolerances within the species. This project will involve analysis of a genomic and transcriptomic dataset.

Requirements

A background in microbiology, good or promising computational skills, and an interest in bioinformatics and genomics are essential.

Project  

Peptide affinity selection mass spectrometry (Pep AS-MS) is an exciting new high throughput drug screening technique that utilises high resolution nano-liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (nano LC-MS/MS) and bioinformatics.

The role

In this project, the student will design and perform on-resin combinatorial peptide chemistry routes to design bespoke and complex peptide libraries. This project could lead into further post-graduate study where the synthesised peptide library is screened against an important drug target in inflammation, and hit peptide binders synthesised individually, and their binding validated.

Ideal student

This project is ideal for someone with strong interests in either peptide chemistry, chemical biology or bottom-up proteomics/mass spectrometry.

Project  

This project aims to design, synthesise, and evaluate smart cleavable linkers for antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs), one of the fastest-growing classes of targeted cancer therapies. Traditional linkers often trigger premature payload release in healthy tissues, leading to off-target toxicity and limiting clinical efficacy.

The role

By incorporating stimuli-responsive elements that are activated specifically within the tumour microenvironment, this research seeks to improve release precision, expand the therapeutic window, and reduce systemic toxicity—addressing a key challenge in the safe and effective application of ADCs in cancer treatment.

Project  

This project aims to develop peptide-based theranostic agents that combine targeted cancer therapy with diagnostic imaging. Through rational peptide design and chemical synthesis, we will create multifunctional peptides that specifically bind tumour biomarkers while carrying both therapeutic payloads and imaging reporters. The peptides will be optimised for high affinity, stability, and selective tumour accumulation. This integrated approach seeks to enable real-time monitoring of drug delivery and treatment response, advancing personalised and precision cancer care.

Project  

Choanoflagellates are often overlooked aquatic hunters of bacteria, and the closest living relatives of animals. For the past six years, students in our final year undergraduate protein science paper, BIOSCI350, have been sequencing genes, and producing proteins from the model choanoflagellate Salpingoeca rosetta. We have identified a number of interesting choanoflagellate proteins which we can make in large amount.

The role

In this summer project you’ll attempt to isolate and structurally characterize some of these proteins.

Project  

Cancer cells exhibit remarkable adaptability, evading the usual cellular checkpoints to fuel their relentless proliferation. Our research focuses on two metabolic enzymes, malic enzymes and Aspartate aminotransferase, critical players in cancers altered metabolism. By investigating the structural nuances of malic enzyme isoforms, we aim to uncover vulnerabilities that can be exploited for targeted anticancer therapies.

The role
This project will encompass the expression and purification of human malic enzyme isoforms utilizing an existing bacterial expression system. Prior structural elucidation have facilitated the acquisition of small molecules. These molecules are slated for screening against the three human malic enzyme isoforms to investigate the complex binding interactions with small molecule inhibitors. Contingent upon progress, protein crystallography may commence for any molecules that demonstrate binding affinity.

Ideal student

Skills in protein expression, however, all applicants will be considered!

Project  

Resistance to antibiotics is a growing global problem, which is estimated to place 10 million lives per year at risk by 2050 without action. This project will focus on understanding an enzyme (RNase HI) that is a target for new antibiotics against Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Ideal student

This project is best suited to someone with a strong interest in protein structure and function and/or microbiology.

Project  

RhsA is a conserved bacterial protein involved in bacterial competition by delivering a toxic cargo protein to adjacent cells, probably via the Type VI secretion system. What we don’t know is why the protein is cytotoxic.

The role

This project will use mutant proteins to test ideas about the function of RhsA, based on our recently determined structure of the protein.

Ideal student

This project is best suited to someone with a strong interest in protein structure and function.

Project  

Plants are highly responsive to environmental conditions, including climate change but our knowledge of impacts of stressors like drought and heat on the flora of Aotearoa is still emerging.

The role

This summer student will assist two postgraduate students working in the field and glasshouse assessing the vulnerability of native plants to water and warming stress.

Requirement

A strong interest in plant biology is required. Training will be provided.

Project  

The project involves work on some aspect of our new methods for doing phylogenies of remotely-related sequences using protein structure. For example: comparison of available methods for alignment.

Desired skills

Prior experience with R, using your computer’s command line, basic bioinformatics or phylogenetics.

Project  

The flagellum is a complex adaptation made of 40-50 different proteins, and explaining its evolution is a famous puzzle. Our lab has been working through these proteins to use new methods and new homologous outgroups to learn more about its history.

Desired skills

Prior experience with R, using your computer’s command line, basic bioinformatics or phylogenetics.

Project  

Eager to dive into the exciting world of human clinical trials? Join the University of Auckland Human Nutrition Unit for an immersive summer studentship!

The role

You'll gain unique insight into translating nutritional science into real-world health applications. Working within our close-knit team in Mt Eden, and depending on projects running at the time, you could be involved in participant interaction, project planning, study design, or data wrangling

Required skills

Great communication skills, attention to detail, and plenty of enthusiasm are key!

Project  

Robust circadian rhythms are essential to the health of all living organisms, and the breakdown of these rhythms can predict disease or even death. Honey bees are no exception. Their entire colony structure is governed by the circadian clock.

The role

This project focuses on understanding daily rhythms of temperature and carbon dioxide (CO₂) inside the hive. You will collect and analyse high-resolution data to establish:

(1) Baseline rhythms in temperature/ CO₂

(2) How rhythms change following controlled disturbances and

(3) How changes may be used to predict upcoming colony events.

Project  

Our understanding of how the honey bee clock functions remains limited – largely because direct observation requires opening the hive, which disrupts behaviour.

We have developed a novel high-resolution electrostatic field (ESF) sensor system (BeeSpy) that allows us to non-invasively monitor bee behaviour inside closed hives.

The role

This project will focus on validating ESF signals of waggle dancing bees against video footage recorded from observation hives. You will collect and analyse concurrent video and ESF recordings of waggle dances, and use AI-based systems to identify characteristic ESF signatures. These signatures will then be used to identify waggle dances in undisturbed hives.

Project  

Legumes rank just behind cereals as one of the world’s most important crop groups, including vital species like lentils, peas, and lucerne. To thrive and adapt, these plants depend on their internal timekeeper—the circadian clock—which coordinates daily rhythms in essential processes like growth and photosynthesis. By understanding how this clock operates in diverse environments, we can develop legume crops that better withstand climate change.

The role

This project explores how variations in the DNA sequences of circadian clock genes in the model legume Medicago truncatula connect to the temperature conditions where different accessions originally grew. By analysing public climate data alongside genomic information from diverse natural accessions, the project aims to uncover clear links between temperature and specific gene variants.

To confirm these findings, the project includes a hands-on physiological study that measures clock function at a controlled temperature in selected accessions with contrasting gene types.

Skills gained

• Develop skills in analysing genomic and climate data using R.
• Carry out and interpret experiments on plant traits controlled by the circadian clock.
  

Ideal student

A student with a strong interest in genomics and plant physiology. BIOSCI 202, 205, 351, and 326 provide a good background.

Project  

During mechanical ventilation, Pressure-volume loops (PV-loops) are helpful to understand how lungs respond to injury. This project explores different ways to compare and visualize repeated PV-loop data collected from preclinical models.

The role

You will help develop new analytical methods to track changes, spot trends, and highlight meaningful patterns in PV-loops.

Ideal student

Ideal for students of biology with some basic lung anatomy understanding as well as comfort working with computers, coding and keenness to gain hands-on experience in biomedical data analysis and visualization.

Aims

The project aims to create a more efficient way to use this data generated from a ventilator by:

A) creating some automatic analysis of curves so it is not manual

and/or

B) developing a visualisation and analysis methodology for a 3D PV-loop (pressure-volume-time)

Project  

This hands-on project involves assisting in building and testing a new type of mechanical ventilator. You’ll work closely with a small team, learning about lung biomechanics and bioengineering while solving real-world biomedical problems.

Ideal student

This opportunity is ideal if you're creative, enjoy troubleshooting, and want direct experience turning a novel medical concept into reality.

Requirements

The ideal background requirements are an interest in basic biology (especially lungs) and device engineering. No specific formal university engineering course experience is expected, however self-taught basic technical skills are a definite advantage. An interest in making devices and experimenting with them is expected.

Project  

Plankton samples that have been at the Kermadecs (MBIE project: Te Mana o Rangitāhua: Ngati Kuri and Auckland Museum) will be examined using a microscope, with a focus on marine invertebrate and fish larvae.

Ideal student

An understanding of marine invertebrate diversity would be a distinct advantage (e.g., completion of BIOSCI 208 or similar), but on-the-job training will be provided. Ideally suited for a student with interests in biodiversity, identification of small organisms, and in gaining skills in scientific photography and illustration.

Project  

This project continues some of our research on urban bird communities and their interaction with exotic plants. The project may include bird observations, some vegetation surveys and some GIS mapping. You will work as part of a team with our postgraduate students studying urban ecosystems.

Requirements
Must have driver’s licence (preferably full) and access to a car.

Project  

A novel antiproliferative agent plecstatin-1 has been shown to selectively target the protein plectin a known regulator of malignant phenotypes. Plectin is a crucial cytoskeletal component, which acts as a cytolinker.

The role

My research project explores the interaction between plecstatin-1 and plectin to understand how selectivity is derived and to understand the role that plectin has within the cytoskeleton. The bioanalytical methodologies surface plasmon resonance and a variety of mass spectrometry techniques (example shown on the left side of the image) will be used to identify the binding domains and regions involved in the plectin–plecstatin-1 interaction.

Through protein crystallography (example shown on the right side of the image) and specific binding assays, detailed binding mechanisms and affinities governing the plectin–plecstatin-1 interaction and how this is interrupts the cytoskeleton will be uncovered.

The overarching goal is to elucidate how plecstatin-1 interacts with plectin, which in turn interrupts the cytoskeleton and thereby cancer cell behaviour, providing crucial insights into the molecular mechanisms driving cancer progression. Ultimately, this deeper understanding holds potential for the development of targeted cancer therapeutics, addressing an unmet need in clinical practice.

Ideal student

No specific skills are required but this project would best suit to someone with an interest in proteins and how they interact with therapeutic agents.

Project  

Tuberculosis remains the leading cause of death worldwide from a single infectious agent. The bacterium responsible for tuberculosis has evolved to scavenge carbon sources such as fatty acids from human host cells to sustain chronic infection.

The role

This research aims to investigate how the bacterium regulates its metabolism, identifying novel targets for therapeutic intervention.

Ideal student

Students with a background in protein science will be suitable for this position.

Skills gained

During this project, students will gain hands-on experience in protein expression, purification, and biochemical assays.

This project is funded by the Marsden Fund to support applicants who whakapapa Māori.

Project  

DNADRV uses traces of insect DNA from car numberplates to infer insect diversity across Aotearoa. However, identifying many insects is stymied by extremely poor reference databases, especially outside of Northern America and Wealthier European countries.

The role

This summer project involves following a protocol to sequence insect mitogenomes. Researching and selecting under-represented taxa comprises the bulk of the project – including meeting with taxonomic experts. Mitogenome assembly and annotation is optional.

Ideal student

No skills or pre-requisites, just interest in learning molecular approaches to ecosystem conservation.

Project  

Two students

Work with entomologists and taxonomists on insect projects from New Zealand and the Pacific.  

Learn research and technical skills that will allow you to work in a taxonomic collection or natural science museum, including:   

1) fieldwork and sorting field samples

2) curation and identification of insect groups

3) imaging specimens for machine learning / AI methods

4) databasing and geo-referencing specimens for biodiversity and biosecurity research projects

Requirements

Ability to work in a group or independently; position requires dexterity, care and attention to detail, as well as data entry.  Applicants should have an interest in Entomology, Taxonomy, Natural History 

Project  

Two students

The Landcare Research fungal systematics group maintains the largest collections of both dried and living fungi in New Zealand, and delivers data associated with the collections through the BiotaNZ website.

The role

The two successful applicants will provide assistance adding data to the fungal database, and maintaining, tracking, and storing fungal specimens and cultures and associated DNA sequence data.

Skills gained

You will gain an understanding of the day to day running of a mycological research laboratory and key techniques you will learn include handling fungarium specimens, data capture and management, and microscopy.

In addition, you will be expected to assist with ongoing projects in the mycology labs at Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research, Tamaki. These could potentially involve culturing and identification of fungi from field samples, analysis of DNA data, etc.

Requirements

Attention to detail, ability to keyboard accurately, a general interest in fungi, bacteriology or plant pathology.

Project  

Diurnal birds sleeping in the wild are constantly being disrupted by stimuli such as artificial light at night and anthropogenic noise. As humans, a bad night of sleep can negatively affect our function, but we often don’t think about what it may be like for animals.

The role

The student will analyse song of sleep disturbed birds. Student will help with husbandry and daily care of animals; therefore, they must be able to come to campus during the week.