New Zealand
March 6, 2024
Through the INRAE France-NZ Joint Linkage Agreement, signed in 2023 by Science New Zealand on behalf of Aotearoa New Zealand, scientists are encouraged through an exchange programme to develop collaboration in areas of mutual interest and benefit. The initiative builds on a history of scientific exchange between France and New Zealand.
INRAE - Institut National de la Recherche l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - is the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment. Its 14 divisions and 18 research centres across France conduct research in areas similar to that of New Zealand’s Crown Research Institutes.
The seven research collaborations involving Plant & Food Research scientists look at furthering knowledge to support the organisation’s research in climate change adaptation, crop modelling, fruit quality and insect pest management. Nine New Zealand scientists will visit one of INRAE’s research facilities in France to build relationships and collaborate on research or learn new techniques, and Plant & Food Research will host reciprocal visits by French scientists to a number of the organisation’s 14 research centres across New Zealand.
More information on the projects
Dr Dafni Anastasiadi will visit the University of Bordeaux to gain better understanding of different techniques to support her research into the role of epigenetics in environmental adaptation. Dafni’s research looks at how the heritability of epigenetic factors (factors controlling gene expression that are not coded in the DNA) could support breeding marine species’ response to the changing climate and accelerate their resilience. Plant & Food Research will host a reciprocal visit by Nadia Ponts, a research leader in epigenetics of fungi.
Dr Emily Koot will visit INRAE Bordeaux, alongside Dafni, to build knowledge of the adaptive potential of ecologically and economically important plant and fish species to cope with stressors, for example, climate change. Their research will be used to improve the genetic conservation, breeding potential and resilience, and sustainable management of these species. Plant & Food Research will host a reciprocal visit by Santiago González-Martínez and PhD student Thomas Francisco, who are looking at environmental stress responses in forest trees.
Laurie Favre will visit INRAE in Bordeaux to support research aimed at maintaining fruit quality through the postharvest supply chain. Laurie’s research looks at monitoring fruit quality postharvest and the INRAE team have experience modelling fruit biology at different stages. The collaboration with INRAE Bordeaux will support the development of new methods for monitoring and modelling fruit quality from tree to consumer to ensure optimised storage of fruit. Plant & Food Research will host a reciprocal visit by Sylvain Prigent from the modelling team.
Dr Hamish Brown and Dr Jingjing Zhang will visit INRAE Montpellier to share different approaches to crop modelling, including use of AI, to support their own work modelling crops of importance to New Zealand. Hamish and Jingjing develop agricultural simulation models with a particular focus on assessing the impact of climate variability on crop performance. During the visit, other members of the Agricultural Model Exchange Initiative (from Australia, the USA, Germany and Italy) will join the group to share their research and findings. Plant & Food Research will host a reciprocal visit by Pierre Martre and Teiki Raihauti, who are involved with developing INRAE’s SiriusQuality modelling system.
Dr Melissa Jordan will visit iEES-Paris to share her knowledge on insect olfactory receptor protein evolution. Melissa’s research looks at insect olfactory systems (smell) and the collaboration with iEES aims to examine, in more detail, the molecular components of insect smell and how these differ across species including some of the earliest evolved insects. This work will help us to better understand how modern insects use olfaction to interact with their environment and support the development of novel insect pest management tools. Plant & Food Research will host a reciprocal visit by research leader Camille Meslin and postdoctoral researcher Sridevi Bhamidipati, who gained her PhD from the University of Auckland co-supervised by Melissa. Melissa, Camille and Sridevi will also attend the International Symposium on Olfaction and Taste in Iceland.
Xiumei Yang and Junqi Zhu will visit INRAE Avignon to improve their knowledge of plant models for apple trees. Xiumei and Junqi are involved in the development of an apple digital twin which will support research into new cultivars and production systems for New Zealand adapted for changing or new climates. Plant & Food Research will host a reciprocal visit by Dario Constantinescu and Gilles Vercambre who are developing similar apple tree models for France.
Dr Mauren Jaudal will visit the Institute Jean-Pierre Bourgin (IJPB) in Paris to further knowledge of plant sugar transport and metabolism. Mauren’s research looks at the genetic factors controlling how sugar is stored in kiwifruit plants and fruit. During her visit, she will learn a new technique in imaging and analysing sugar movement and storage in specific cell types developed by INRA scientists. Plant & Food Research will host a reciprocal visit by Rozeen Le Hir, who aims to develop her skills on the use of MALDI imaging in visualising sugars in Arabidopsis.
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