Welcome
We manage the Government's investment in health research. Our vision is to improve the health and quality of life of all New Zealanders.
Funding Opportunities
The HRC allocates funding through an annual funding round for researcher initiated projects, Requests for Proposals, and a range of career development awards.
About Us
We invest in a broad range of research on issues important to New Zealand, and support the development of health research careers. Our mission is 'benefiting New Zealand through health research'.
News and Publications
We produce a wide range of publications and documents, which provide information about funding opportunities, research outcomes and HRC-related news.
Ethics and Regulatory
We help ensure all research involving human participants is based on good science, meets ethical standards and complies with best practice.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about the HRC or would like to know more about how our funding process works, please drop us a line.
Gene Technology Advisory Committee
Dr David Ackerley
2016 Funding Round - Project
Dr
David
Ackerley
Victoria University of Wellington
Biodiscovery and biosynthesis of new drug candidates
$1,195,266
36 months
Lay summary
Less than one percent of the earth’s microbial diversity has been successfully cultivated in a laboratory setting, however the antibiotics and other natural products produced by this small fraction have provided some of the most important medicines in clinical use today. The emerging field of metagenome-driven drug discovery provides a proven means of accessing the biosynthetic potential of the uncultured microbial majority via the direct extraction, cloning and heterologous expression of environmental DNA. This project will employ cutting-edge metagenomic approaches to access the biosynthetic potential of New Zealand’s terrestrial and marine microbial communities, leading to discovery and high-yield biosynthesis of new bioactive drug candidates.
Print