Helen Woolner
Kua ‘ōronga’ia atu kia Dr Helen Woolner o Te Herenga Waka Victoria University o Wellington te New Zealand Mana Tūānuku Research Leader Fellowship. Na roto i te rotai'anga i te kite tupuna o te Pasifika ki te au ravenga taieni e manganui ka kimikimi ‘o’onu atu ‘ā Dr Woolner ki roto i te au apinga ora o te moana no te ‘ōronga mai i tetai au vairakau paruru maki no te tuatau ki mua.
Kua rauka to Dr Woolner peapa PhD no te Chemistry i te mataiti 2017 no ko i te Victoria University o Wellington. I te mataiti 2018, kua ‘ōronga atu te Health Research Council o Aotearoa kiaia te Pacific Health Research Postdoctoral Fellowship I te mataiti 2022, kua iki'ia aia ei puapi’i ki ko i te Victoria University o Wellington. I te mataiti 2020, kua peke iaia te re no te Zonta Biennial Science Award. Kua mou ana aia i te taonga mema arataki no te pupu o te Centre for Biodiscovery i ko i te Victoria University o Wellington mei te mataiti 2022 ki te 2024. Kua riro katoa aia ei Tauturu Tangata Kimikimi Matatio i ko i te Centre for Research Excellence (CoRE) Maurice Wilkins no te Molecular Biodiscovery. E ‘anga’anga kapiti ana a Dr Woolner ki te au taunga kimi kite no va’o ake e i Aotearoa, e au Taunga e mou nei i te kite tupuna e pera te au pupu kimi kite o te Māori e te Pasifika e mema ratou no te taokotai'anga Te Vairanga Kite Pakari Cook Islands Research Association. I teia tuatau ua nei kua kitea mai eia tetai vairakau paruru ou (antibiotic) e pera tetai pakau pu’apinga i roto i tetai rakau vairakau a te Amoa e ta'anga'anga ia ana no te 'aka'ēē (inflammation).
Te marie nei te au kamupani vairakau i te maani i te au vairakau paruru no te paruru atu i te au manumanu kino ou e tupu mai nei. Te neke nei te reira ki te turanga tumatetenga e kare e vairakau paruru tau no te rapakau i te au maki kino. No te reira tumu, ka neke te kimi vairakau ki tetai ngai ou mei te moana. Ka angaanga kapiti atu a Dr Woolner ki te au Taunga Kite Tupuna o te Pasifika no te ko'i mai i te au pakau ora i roto i te moana o te Kuki Airani e Amoa no te kimi ‘o’onu atu no tetai au vairakau i roto i te reira au tu pakau tuketuke. Ka kiriti mai aia i te kite tupuna o te Pasifika e te au tu akarakara'anga genetics e te biochemical kia kitea mai tetai au pakau te ka riro i te anga mai i tetai vairakau paruru.
Four different types of marine fungi and two types of marine bacteria found in sea sponges that are being studied for new antimicrobials (Supplied)