New Zealand scientists make mark at the cutting edge

Since arriving on the New Zealand science scene from Britain 12 months ago, I have been astounded by the quality and quantity of original and ground-breaking research coming out of this country.

For me, 1998 was a year of medical breakthroughs with pioneering research in New Zealand offering improved healthcare for people throughout the world.

But it wasn't just medicine which hit the headlines.
Auckland University scientists developed the world's first microwaveable fish finger; a radio-controlled mechanical kakapo was invented to extract sperm from endangered birds for breeding programmes.

Other discoveries shone in 1998:

* A simple invention to treat babies at risk from cerebral palsy was fashioned from an office water-cooler and a baby's bonnet by two Auckland medical-school specialists, Professor Peter Gluckman and Associate Professor Tania Gunn.

They found their "cooling cap" lowered brain temperature in babies and appeared to prevent the death of brain cells which cause cerebral palsy.

The device is now undergoing a worldwide trial and if successful will be used in hospitals around the globe.

* Pioneering work by Dr Simon Mitchell, who specialises in treating divers with the bends at the Royal New Zealand Naval Hospital in Devonport, led to the use of a local anaesthetic, lignocaine, on patients hooked up to heart-lung machines during cardiac surgery.

The study, carried out on 55 patients at Green Lane Hospital, suggested the drug lessens the risk of brain damage arising from air bubbles entering the bloodstream during an operation.

Heart surgeon Paget Milsom also designed a simple circuit to filter out the harmful bubbles and debris after the heart is restarted following surgery.

A further discovery by Green Lane's chief of clinical perfusion, Tim Wilcox, led to the redesign and improvement of a leading brand of venous reservoir in a heart-lung machine to reduce the air-bubble problem.

* University of Otago scientists achieved a world first after isolating the gene that causes stomach cancer.

The discovery came after a whanau from the Bay of Plenty approached the scientists to see if they could help to find a cure for a very high rate of inherited gastric cancer which had claimed 25 of their loved ones in 30 years.

Using a five-generation family tree compiled by the whanau, the researchers, led by Dr Parry Guilford, managed to identify the gene and developed a simple blood test which would identify families at risk from stomach cancer and eliminate the problem before it took hold.

Other developments included:

* Associate Professor Peter Metcalf of Auckland University's School of Biological Sciences, together with colleagues from Massey University, were offered a $456,000 Government grant to trace the origins of human influenza by studying traces of the virus in Adelie penguin dung samples in Antarctica.

* Physicist David Beach from Industrial Research Ltd in Auckland developed the world's most powerful photographic lens, called the Kiwistar, which is set to make millions of dollars worldwide after attracting the interests of the United States military and astronomers.

* Husband and wife blood specialists Phil and Kathy Crosier, from Auckland School of Medicine's department of molecular medicine, are researching the watery world of the tiny zebra fish.

They found the fish have genetic defects which mimic human diseases such as arterial blockages and leukaemia. American biotechnology firms are already pumping millions of dollars into the research.
- Keith Perry,
science reporter