Annual Report 2009/10
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AgResearch Limited is New Zealand's largest Crown Research Institute by revenue. As an independent, Crown-owned research and
development company with the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Research, Science and Technology as shareholders, AgResearch is owned by the people of New Zealand and works for the benefit of New Zealand.
AgResearch‟s mission is to help New Zealand lead the world in creating sustainable wealth in the pastoral sector through the application of leading-edge knowledge and technology. To achieve its mission, AgResearch has focused research, development and knowledge transfer on the following five major areas of opportunity and need in support of New Zealand‟s pastoral sector over the next 10 years:
- Help create the future dairy industry
- Help create the future meat industries
- Help create the future textiles and biomaterials industries
- Help achieve a pest- and disease-free New Zealand
- Enable capacity for change in agriculture and its future communities
This strategy aligns well with AgResearch's Statement of Core Purpose which is being developed as a consequence of the February 2010 Crown Research Institute Taskforce recommendations.
Our vision is to be an outstanding research and development institute. To achieve this vision we will:
- Achieve and continuously improve scientific and technological excellence
- Be the leading developer and supplier of innovative solutions for our customers
- Be a favoured employer of staff and provide an outstanding work environment
- Meet high standards of ethical, social and environmental responsibility
- Be financially sustainable in the long-term
AgResearch comprises three Science Groups, the Business Group and business units that deal with corporate governance and provide corporate services. We employ over 900 staff at four campuses. The Corporate Office is based at our Ruakura campus, Hamilton.
The Business Group aims to facilitate the growth of revenue streams from commercial clients via the provision of services to third parties or from the transfer of intellectual property to external agencies. Its main driver is to forge key partnerships with industry partners to maximise the synergies that exist between AgResearch as a science provider and companies active in the market place. Full commercial potential is achieved through the Business Group and a number of subsidiary and associate companies as well as joint ventures.
Agriculture & Environment Group
Developing profitable and environmentally sustainable agricultural production systems, through research into farm systems, animal
production, management practices and system designs, including considering the integration of new technologies into specific
production systems.
Developing new and improved animal health therapies, including treatments for control of internal parasites in grazing livestock,
vaccines for infectious diseases, with considerable focus on tuberculosis and Johne‟s Disease, and antibiotic alternatives.
Identifying land uses that will achieve sustainable growth in the pastoral sector within the constraints of national and international
protocols. This includes the soil-plant processes and animal interaction.
Developing diagnostic tests to enable animal selection and management for disease control.
Developing management solutions for nutrient, pathogen and gaseous emissions to ensure healthy ecosystems, both at a farm and
catchment (district) level.
Formulating mitigation strategies for greenhouse gases produced by grazing ruminants.
Applying social research around bioethics, change behaviour and relationship alignment to develop plans and processes that initiate,
support and prepare people for change, such as adoption of leading-edge technologies, policy and compliance.
Formulating scientifically-proven codes of practice, that are acceptable to consumers, to protect the welfare of farmed animals.
Understanding weed and pest population dynamics and their relationship with their host, enabling solutions for management or
eradication of invasive weeds and pest to be developed, including technologies which enhance biosecurity.
Exploring the potential of microbes as biocontrol agents against pests, including the use of biopolymer technology as a delivery
vehicle.
Applied Biotechnologies Group
Discovering and understanding genes in plants and endophytes, providing a strong base to leverage off new product opportunities.
Applying plant functional genomics knowledge for novel developments, such as plant biomembrane technologies.
Discovering and characterising the clover and ryegrass genomes.
Developing improved ryegrasses, clovers and endophyte products, including plants for environmental management.
Identifying key genes responsible for superior productivity of elite livestock, allowing breeders and industry to screen for superior
animals and use them preferentially in breeding programmes and supply chains.
Developing genomic technologies such as transgenics and cloning, offering potential for step changes in genetic improvement (as
versus incremental improvements by traditional methods of animal selection and breeding).
Determining the underlying mechanisms of muscle growth and wasting and applying this knowledge to both livestock production and
human health therapies.
Understanding the biological processes controlling wool and hair growth and developing ways to exploit these.
Applying understanding of reproduction to generate novel solutions for enhancing livestock fertility, management of wildlife pests and
contraception in humans.
Developing and managing bioinformatics tools to facilitate this research.
Developing mathematical models to aid scientific understanding and business decision-making in complex systems within genomics,
physiology, ecology, agro-ecosystems and agribusiness value chains.
Extracting, identifying and characterising valuable bioactives from deer antler velvet.
Food & Textiles Group
Applying an understanding of ruminant nutrition to develop nutritional guidelines and solutions for improved productivity.
Formulating mitigation strategies for greenhouse gases produced by grazing ruminants.
Developing human health therapeutics derived from livestock products, including wound-healing products from deer velvet and
antimicrobials from milk and rumen microbes.
Developing higher value agri-foods (derived from meat and milk) with a focus on safety, quality, human health and performance,
including nutrigenomics - meeting specific nutritional requirements of human genetic conditions.
Developing smart measurement tools for agri-food attributes, diagnostic testing, traceability and biosecurity.
Providing product and process development, and evaluation services, in the fields of fibre, textiles and related consumer and industrial
products.
Development of bio-based products and services including medical and health applications.
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