The team
Science Centres: Fisheries
Dr Vicky Webb is the leader of the biotechnology team at NIWA and she has been involved in natural products research for more than a decade.
She has conducted research on anticancer, antiviral, and antimicrobial drugs.
Dr Hoe Chang is an expert in microalgae, their culture and identification.
Dr Ben Diggles is an expert in the diagnosis and provision of remedial information on fish diseases, and is involved in the probiotics work.
Dr Trevor Mathieson is a natural products chemist expert in catalysis and crystallographic research. He has experience in environmental chemical research.
Mike Page is responsible for the development of techniques for the culture of bioactive species for the supply of raw material. He organises the collection and identification of marine species.
Dr Els Maas is an environmental microbiologist with expertise in isolating and identifying bacteria from the environment. She is involved in the development and commercialisation of probiotic bacteria for the aquaculture industry. Previously she set up techniques for identifying unusual human pathogens by using molecular methods.
Dr Sally Anderson is an environmental microbiologist. Currently she is investigating the production of bioactive compounds by bacterial symbionts.
Debbie Hulston oversees and runs the assays for screening for nutraceuticals. She has considerable experience with animal cell culture.
Wendy Imlach is a microbiologist with experience with viruses, conducts isolation and screening of bacteria for bioactive compounds.
Sarah Allen is an expert in the development and maintenance of cultures of microalgae.
Dr Michael Ahrens is a natural products and environmental chemist involved in the analysis of samples for the nutraceutical programme.
Dr Craig DePree is a natural products chemist currently involved in protein analyses for the nutraceutical programme.