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Search Marsden awards 2008–2017

Search awarded Marsden Fund grants 2008–2017

Fund Type: Marsden Fund

Category: Fast-Start

Year Awarded: 2016

Title: Uncovering the physiological roles of the multiple NDH2 in bacterial genomes

Recipient(s): Dr Y Nakatani | PI | University of Otago

Public Summary: A fundamental feature in the adaptation of bacteria to different environments is the ability to generate energy from variable sources and to sustain metabolism. A key enzyme in this adaptation is the type II NADH dehydrogenase (NDH2) that catalyzes the transfer of electrons from NADH to various quinones. This enzyme has important roles in energizing the electron transport chain and maintaining a NAD+/NADH balance for cell metabolism through NADH oxidation. Multiple ndh2 genes exist in bacterial genomes, but the reasons for this remain unknown. I will use the intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes as a model system to uncover the physiological roles of each NDH2 in both the extracellular and intracellular environments, genetically, biochemically and structurally. Such understanding could provide new rationales for targeting NDH2 for antibiotic development.

Total Awarded: $300,000

Duration: 3

Host: University of Otago

Contact Person: Dr Y Nakatani

Panel: CMP

Project ID: 16-UOO-185


Fund Type: Marsden Fund

Category: Standard

Year Awarded: 2011

Title: Under the weather: warming and acidification effects under the ice in Antarctica

Recipient(s): Dr VJ Cummings | PI | NIWA - The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd
Dr AM Lohrer | PI | NIWA - The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd
Dr SF Thrush | AI | NIWA - The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd

Public Summary: Hidden beneath Antarctic sea ice, covering millions of square kilometres of the Southern Ocean, are unique multi-trophic assemblages that cling to the under-surface of the ice and form a vital component of the overall Antarctic marine ecosystem. Ocean warming and acidification are imminent threats in Antarctica and pose a complex set of challenges for these under-ice communities and the seafloor animals that rely on them for food. Through innovative field experiments involving manipulations of seawater temperature and pH under coastal Antarctic sea ice, we will investigate how the functioning and dynamics of intact sea ice ecosystems might respond in a modified environment. We will investigate (1) the separate and interactive effects of warming and acidification on sea ice communities, and (2) the way in which warming and acidification together may influence, and be modified by, the activities of seafloor animals. We anticipate major advances in linking under-ice processes to those occurring on the seafloor, better predictions of the effects of climate change on the coastal ecosystems of the Ross Sea and, especially, a greater appreciation of the feedbacks between the different components of a critically important ecosystem, one which is threatened by altered climatic and atmospheric conditions.

Total Awarded: $765,217

Duration: 3

Host: National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research

Contact Person: Dr VJ Cummings

Panel: EEB

Project ID: 11-NIW-008


Fund Type: Marsden Fund

Category: Standard

Year Awarded: 2010

Title: Understanding and improving the transition from novice to expert performance with user interfaces

Recipient(s): Prof A Cockburn | PI | University of Canterbury
Prof C Gutwin | AI | University of Saskatchewan

Public Summary: Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) mediate most communication between humans and computing devices. Their success is partly due to their natural support for novice users, but the visual search and direct manipulation mechanisms that make GUIs effective for novices fail to support users as they become more experienced, and GUIs often trap users in ‘beginner mode.’ Conversely, interfaces explicitly designed for experts (typified by command-line interaction) allow high levels of performance, but only after extensive training. While interfaces for novices or for experts have been well investigated, the transition from novice to expert is poorly understood.

We will establish new fundamental understanding of the interface and human factors that influence users’ transition from novice to expert performance with computing systems. Methods will include the design, implementation, and evaluation of interfaces to test theories and demonstrate new interactive capabilities, as well as construction of predictive performance models. Research outcomes will demonstrate how interface designers can support rapid attainment of high levels of performance, as well as enabling them to predict the impact of design decisions without the expense of implementation and evaluation. Funding will enable Canterbury to continue building its reputation as an international centre of excellence for Human-Computer Interaction.

Total Awarded: $431,304

Duration: 3

Host: University of Canterbury

Contact Person: Prof A Cockburn

Panel: EIS

Project ID: 10-UOC-020


Fund Type: Marsden Fund

Category: Fast-Start

Year Awarded: 2014

Title: Understanding corporate welfare in an age of austerity

Recipient(s): Dr GA Cotterell | PI | The University of Auckland

Public Summary: The global financial crisis has seen governments world-wide scrutinising their spending as they seek to control budget deficits under conditions of economic austerity. Spending on government support for business, labelled ‘corporate welfare’ by some, however, has been largely overlooked. This lack of scrutiny is puzzling for two reasons. First, in New Zealand the size of government support for business could be as much as 24% of total government expenditure, twice the amount spent on social security and welfare, which have been subject to cuts. Second, this spending is contrary to neoliberal economic orthodoxy which argues for a reduced role of the state along with less government spending. The proposed study examines this anomalous treatment in New Zealand. It will estimate the size of government support for business and through in-depth interviews analyse the attitudes of government ministers and key stakeholders in the business sector towards such support. The study will contribute to public policy debates in New Zealand by presenting a broader understanding of what constitutes government-funded support. Information and insights obtained from the research will also be used to contribute to theorising the role of the state under times of austerity.

Total Awarded: $300,000

Duration: 3

Host: The University of Auckland

Contact Person: Dr GA Cotterell

Panel: SOC

Project ID: 14-UOA-014


Fund Type: Marsden Fund

Category: Fast-Start

Year Awarded: 2017

Title: Understanding friction in granular mixtures: an experimental and modelling study

Recipient(s): Dr LA Fullard | PI | Massey University
Professor CE Davies | AI | Massey University Manawatu
Dr DJ Holland | AI | University of Canterbury
Dr AP Raudsepp | AI | Massey University Manawatu

Public Summary: Millions of tonnes of milk-powder are exported from New Zealand each year, our farm silos are full of grain, and we live under the threat of dangerous natural phenomena (e.g. pyroclastic flows, landslides, avalanches). Our understanding of the physical processes governing these granular flows lags far behind that of liquids and gases. Granular flows consist of billions of particles and the interactions between these determine the overall flow. The number of particles in these flows is too large to model all individually, but too small to model with the established continuum techniques used for gases and liquids. Continuum granular models exist, but only for mono-sized particles; real-world flows contain particles of a wide variety of sizes, densities, and frictions and their behaviour cannot be accurately predicted using existing models. Therefore, we plan to extend the applicability of continuum models to include particle blends of different sizes, densities, and surface frictions. We will measure friction of particle blends using a shear-cell and use the obtained knowledge to develop new models. The models will be validated using Magnetic Resonance Imaging and silo sampling experiments. This research will enable accurate prediction of large-scale granular dynamics in nature and industry.

Total Awarded: $300,000

Duration: 3

Host: Massey University

Contact Person: Dr LA Fullard

Panel: EIS

Project ID: 17-MAU-029


Fund Type: Marsden Fund

Category: Standard

Year Awarded: 2013

Title: Understanding how listeners comprehend distorted speech

Recipient(s): Associate Professor MJ McAuliffe | PI | University of Canterbury
Dr DG Sinex | AI | University of Canterbury

Public Summary: Human listeners have the remarkable ability to turn the complex variations in acoustic energy that comprise the speech signal into something understandable. When we read, this task is made easy by the presence of white spaces between words, but in connected speech it is not that simple. So how do listeners identify words within the speech stream and turn it into something meaningful? And, is this process influenced by differences across listeners, such as those in hearing, memory and linguistic knowledge?

Current understanding of this issue is based predominantly on experiments involving young university students. However our recent research suggests that theoretical models of speech perception developed and tested on young university students may not be representative of perceptual processing as we age. In a systematic and theoretically driven investigation we aim to determine the extent to which age, hearing, memory and vocabulary knowledge are predictive of speech processing in a large population of younger and older listeners. We expect that this study will highlight the key role that differences in vocabulary, hearing and memory play in speech perception. We also anticipate that the findings may have significant implications for the development of hearing technologies.

Total Awarded: $543,478

Duration: 3

Host: University of Canterbury

Contact Person: Associate Professor MJ McAuliffe

Panel: EHB

Project ID: 13-UOC-066


Fund Type: Marsden Fund

Category: Standard

Year Awarded: 2016

Title: Understanding internal communication within proteins

Recipient(s): Dr JM Johnston | PI | The University of Auckland
Dr G Bashiri | PI | The University of Auckland
Dr EMM Bulloch | AI | The University of Auckland
Dr W Jiao | AI | University of Canterbury
Associate Professor JS Lott | AI | The University of Auckland

Public Summary: The binding of a ligand to one site on a protein can influence binding and/or catalysis at a second site. This phenomenon, termed protein cooperativity, is a vital regulatory mechanism that underpins life. Cooperativity offers ways for proteins to modulate their functions and adapt metabolic processes to changes in the environment. We know that proteins utilise movements of their atoms to communicate binding events over long distances; however, the precise molecular mechanisms by which cooperativity regulates protein activity are seldom well defined. Here, we aim to use an enzyme that displays cooperative behaviour, MenD from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, as a model system to unravel the underlying communication networks. We have already visualised key steps of the catalytic cycle of MenD by crystallography and we now aim to define the molecular mechanisms by which its binding sites communicate. We will use an integrative approach, with a variety of structural and biophysical techniques, to build a picture of the different factors that underlie communication. This will enhance our understanding of protein cooperativity, provide insight into how a vital enzyme from a human pathogen is regulated, and build a knowledge base for future drug design and protein engineering efforts.

Total Awarded: $870,000

Duration: 3

Host: The University of Auckland

Contact Person: Dr JM Johnston

Panel: PCB

Project ID: 16-UOA-269


Fund Type: Marsden Fund

Category: Fast-Start

Year Awarded: 2011

Title: Understanding New Zealand's prehistoric climate through kauri chemistry

Recipient(s): Dr AM Lorrey | PI | NIWA - The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd
Assoc Prof MN Evans | AI | University of Maryland
Dr AM Fowler | AI | The University of Auckland
Dr TW Horton | AI | University of Canterbury
Prof DA Schrag | AI | Harvard University

Public Summary: The Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) and Little Ice Age (LIA) are widely documented climatic
excursions that profoundly impacted the Northern Hemisphere. MCA and LIA climate and weather
history illustrates the range of natural variability and extremes that are possible, which is required
knowledge for successful adaptation to global climate change. However, MCA-LIA characteristics
are poorly understood for New Zealand. To address this knowledge gap, we will use the chemistry of precisely dated kauri tree rings to open New Zealand's pre-historic climate and weather log book. High-resolution chemical signatures unlocked from the iconic kauri are expected to shed light on
past climate variability and storm activity for a pivotal Southern Hemisphere location. The
previously untold MCA and LIA story extracted from kauri will help clarify the triggers of abrupt
climate shifts, and highlight the significance of global circulation reorganisations for New Zealand.

Total Awarded: $260,871

Duration: 3

Host: National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research

Contact Person: Dr AM Lorrey

Panel: ESA

Project ID: 11-NIW-003


Fund Type: Marsden Fund

Category: Fast-Start

Year Awarded: 2012

Title: Understanding quantum thermodynamics with the smallest heat engine

Recipient(s): Dr O Fialko | PI | Massey University

Public Summary: There is nothing that envisages the idea of classical physics more than a heat engine, but how can this stem from quantum mechanics? The time-reversible nature of quantum mechanics suggests that the simplest ingredient of a heat engine, the system being in thermal equilibrium, is not possible. Recently, however, thermal equilibrium has been demonstrated in several systems that were described fully quantum mechanically. Sadly, these were too complex to study heat engines.
Our recent theoretical work has shown for the first time that an isolated quantum system not only
demonstrates thermalization of a small number of atoms, but can also perform a heat engine cycle, where the laws of thermodynamics are put to work. If experimentally realised, this would be the smallest heat engine ever. Investigating the smallest heat engine will help us to deeper understand
the quantum origin of thermodynamics by addressing numerous open questions in this new and active research field and to look for its potential applications in quantum technology.

Total Awarded: $300,000

Duration: 3

Host: Massey University

Contact Person: Dr O Fialko

Panel: PCB

Project ID: 12-MAU-129


Fund Type: Marsden Fund

Category: Fast-Start

Year Awarded: 2011

Title: Understanding species-level consequences from a community perspective

Recipient(s): Dr DB Stouffer | PI | University of Canterbury

Public Summary: We are presently faced with numerous environmental threats, such as climate change, that permeate across entire communities. Unfortunately, contemporary ecological understanding is largely based on studies of one to a few species. In contrast, recent studies of ecological networks, the web of interactions between species in a community, demonstrate an intricate and important link between a community's structure and dynamics. The prevailing community focus, however, has meant that the interplay between individual species and community-level dynamics has largely got lost in the shuffle. For example, increased diversity often leads to greater community stability but, paradoxically, reduced stability of species' populations. The root cause behind this difference remains unresolved. We propose to return the focus to species by bringing ecology full circle, from the species to the network to the species embedded within their community. We attest that a network understanding based at the species level will be paramount when developing successful responses to the pressing environmental concerns of our day.

Total Awarded: $300,000

Duration: 3

Host: University of Canterbury

Contact Person: Dr DB Stouffer

Panel: EEB

Project ID: 11-UOC-052


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