Cafe scientifique

The next Alliance Française Wellington Café Scientifique will be held on Wednesday 23 October from 5:15 PM for a 5:30 PM start at Southern Cross – 39 Abel Smith Street (The Guest Room) .

Free entry – All welcome – In English – some French may occur!

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Whakapapa and terroir: Genome analysis for differentiating manuka provenances

A full genome of mānuka was recently developed by Plant & Food Research. We looked at 76 manuka populations and identified genetic variations that showed differences between local provenances within New Zealand, and between New Zealand and Australian related species. This will enable us to discover if any of the genetic variations are associated with key plant traits, such as tolerance to myrtle rust. Parallel to that, we reviewed vegetation plot data and used expert knowledge on phenology to map floral resources and aid beekeeping decisions.


David Chagne’s biography :

I have a PhD in Forest Genetics from University of Nancy, France (2004). I am now a Science Group Leader at Plant & Food Research. My group’s research focuses on the application of molecular genetics and genomics to elucidate the genetic control of important characters in plants, pathogens and animals. I have a strong underpinning interest in the study of DNA variations in plant genomes. For example, I have co-led the sequencing of the mānuka and Myrtle rust genomes, and I catalogued DNA variations in the mānuka genome across the motu in collaboration with Maori stakeholders in the honey industry and Landcare Research Manaaki Whenua. I am project leader in the MBIE SSIF platform Genomics Aotearoa and associate editor for Tree Genetics & Genomes (Springer). ​

Anne-Gaëlle Ausseil’s biography :

Anne-Gaëlle Ausseil has over 15 years of experience as a scientist at Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research. She leads the ‘ecosystem services state and trends’ programme, which develops techniques for mapping and modelling ecosystem services indicators. She is part of the “Honey landscape” research programme where she looks at spatial models to estimate floral resources and aid sustainable beekeeping. She has worked with the Ministry for the Environment as a science advisor for Environmental Reporting. Internationally, she is involved in the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), as a coordinating lead author for the regional assessment of Asia-Pacific. Anne-Gaelle has a PhD in Agricultural Engineering from SupAgro in Montpellier.

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