Joint Graduate School in Plant and Food Science
Postharvest science
Find below a list of potential supervisers in this research area.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss graduate research opportunities in more detail, please email jgs-auckland@plantandfood.co.nz
Dr Ross Atkinson
Plant & Food Research
Areas of supervision:
- Characterisation of flavour and aroma genes in plants
- Molecular biology of fruit development and ripening
- Physiology and biochemistry of fruit cell walls
- Overexpression of genes in plants and E.coli (biofermentation) for high throughput functional analysis
- Fruit allergens
Dr Keith Funnell
Plant & Food Research
Areas of supervision:
- New Crops Development - pipeline from breeding through to production blueprints of ornamental crops
- Plant growth regulator involvement in optimising crop architecture of ornamental crops for yield, quality and timing
- Physiological basis of dormancy in Zantedeschia, Acer, and Gentiana
- Flowering Control -reducing the variability in and scheduling of time to flower in Gentiana, Clivia, Cyrtanthus, and Hydrangea
- Controlling the postharvest changes in pigmentation expression in flower spathes of Zantedeschia
Sravani Gupta
Plant & Food Research
Areas of supervision:
- Novel food processing technology (e.g. high pressure processing of foods)
- Food Microbiology
- Seafood processing and preservation technology
- Food Science
- Food Engineering
Associate Professor Paul Kilmartin
University of Auckland, School of Chemical Sciences
Areas of supervision:
- Wine maturation processes - aroma development and oxidation issues
- Harvesting effects on aroma profiles of New Zealand wines
- Development of sensor systems for beverage antioxidants
- Smart packaging for prolonging food and beverage shelf-life
- Interactions of antioxidant and aroma compounds with beverage polyphenols
Professor Laurence Melton
University of Auckland, School of Chemical Sciences
Areas of supervision:
- Changes in fruit and vegetable cell walls during development and ripening
- Pectic methylesterase and fruit ripening and processing
- Interaction of food proteins and polysaccharides
- Changes in fruit and vegetable cell walls on processing
Professor Conrad Perera
University of Auckland, School of Chemical Sciences
Areas of supervision:
- Chemistry and technology of food processing
- Development of functional food ingredients and their characterisation
- Optimisation of drying processes
- Physico-chemical modification of functional characteristics of food components
- Optimisation of juice procesing and juice characteritics
Dr Siew-Young Quek
University of Auckland, School of Chemical Sciences
Areas of supervision:
- Extraction and evaluation of bioactives from food including phytochemicals, marine lipid and nutraceutical
- Microencapsulation and bioactive delivery system using emulsion, liposome and drying techniques
- Flavour chemistry
- Processing, properties and quality of food (plant and seafood)
- Sensory properties of food and the relation to food ingredient, structure and flavour
Dr Daryl Rowan
Plant & Food Research
Areas of supervision:
- Metabolomics/metabolic profiling to understand plant responses using GCMS and LCMS
- Biomarker discovery and validation in animal/humans for validation of functional foods
- Flavour volatiles, key odorants in foods
- Biosynthesis using stable isotope labelling and GCMS and LCMS
Dr Bronwen Smith
University of Auckland, School of Chemical Sciences
Areas of supervision:
- Plant cell walls, including their composition and architecture, changes with development and influence on human health
- Food texture and microstructure, and breakdown of food in the mouth
- Plant foods in general
Dr Allan Woolf
Plant & Food Research
Areas of supervision:
- Postharvest science, including disorders, disease control, cool chain development, technologies such as modified atmosphere and controlled atmosphere storage, 1-MCP (anti-ethylene treatment), ethylene ripening, and measurement of texture and fruit firmness
- Response of fruit and vegetables to high pressure processing
- Disinfestation research, including heat and cold treatments, role of heat shock proteins in thermotolerance of insects and fruit, and metabolic stress disinfestation and disinfection (MSDD)
- Avocado and olive oil research - extraction of these fruit oils using cold pressed extration yields high health oils
- Fresh-cut (minimal processing) - including the patented method of combining UV, moderate heat treatment and cold antioxidant dips
