Browsing Open Theses & Dissertations by Thesis Supervisor "Higgins, Colleen"
Now showing items 1-15 of 15
-
Assessment of ethanol, honey, milk and essential oils as potential postharvest treatments of New Zealand grown fruit.
(Auckland University of Technology, 2008)Brown and Penicillium rot (blue and green mould) are the most common postharvest diseases in New Zealand, causing significant postharvest fruit losses. Current practice uses fungicides to control the postharvest diseases; ... -
Calcium-dependent Protein Kinases: Understanding Functional Diversification and Specificity of Plant Signalling Hubs Using the Most Conserved Members
(Auckland University of Technology, 2016)Agricultural productivity and food security are declining globally, because of factors such as climate change, crop disease, natural calamities, population growth and pollution. Research on how to improve plant stress ... -
Characterisation of Pigmentation in a Novel Isolate of Arthrobacter Recovered from Soils of the Namib Desert
(Auckland University of Technology, 2022)The high solar irradiation of desert systems is biologically stressful upon their indigenous soil bacteria, and has major influences on the complexity of their irradiation resistomes (Yuan et al. 2012; Paulino-Lima et al. ... -
Diagnosis and genome analysis of lettuce necrotic yellows virus subgroups
(Auckland University of Technology, 2018)Lettuce necrotic yellows virus is the type species of Cytorhabdovirus. This plant virus causes a disease that is most frequently reported in lettuce in Australia and New Zealand. The lettuce necrotic yellows virus (LNYV) ... -
Do virus-encoded suppressors of RNA silencing reduce plant eIF2a kinase activity and thereby increase susceptibility to infection?
(Auckland University of Technology, 2014)Plant cells inhibit viral infection using a process which targets double stranded RNA (dsRNA), a necessary intermediate in viral infection. This process is known as RNA silencing. Many plant viruses, and some animal viruses, ... -
Exploring the disease resistance response (chitinase, lysozyme, acid phosphatase and total phenolic content) of Kowhai (Sophora microphylla x S. chathamica) to hormones (salicylic acid and ethylene)
(Auckland University of Technology, 2011)The aim of this research is to find out if the disease resistance of kowhai (New Zealand native Sophora species) is induced by hormones. Kowhai is an indigenous legume belonging to the Sophora genus. Disease resistance in ... -
Functional Diversity of Microbial Communities in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica
(Auckland University of Technology, 2016)In dryland ecosystems species richness for all domains decreases with increasing aridity. Several environmental stressors (desiccation, thermal and radiation stress) in hyper-arid drylands limit the complex life forms, ... -
Genetic variability of Dasheen mosaic virus and consequences for detection
(Auckland University of Technology, 2012)The genus Potyvirus is one of the largest groups of plant viruses having RNA genomes. RNA viruses show high genetic diversity which can influence virus infectivity and host selection. In this study, deep sequencing profiles ... -
Genome Analysis and Geographical Distribution of a Novel Emaravirus in Karaka
(Auckland University of Technology, 2021)Chlorotic spot symptoms were observed on a specimen of a tree endemic to New Zealand, karaka (Corynocarpus laevigatus), leading to an investigation of the potential viruses associated with the symptoms. RNA-seq analysis ... -
Genomic Characterisation and Comparison of Antibiotic Resistant and Sensitive Helicobacter Pylori in New Zealand
(Auckland University of Technology, 2021)Helicobacter pylori is an important and prevalent human pathogen present in approximately 50 % of the world’s population; causing a range of clinical outcomes from chronic gastritis and gastric ulcers to gastric carcinoma ... -
Identification of Reference Genes and Quantification of Gene Expression Changes in Nicotiana glutinosa Plants Infected by Subgroups I & II of Lettuce Necrotic Yellows Virus
(Auckland University of Technology, 2020)Lettuce necrotic yellows virus (LNYV) is a plant virus that has been reported to cause widespread crop losses in lettuce in Australia and New Zealand for the last 60 years. Phylogenetic analysis has determined two subgroups ... -
Phenotypic and Genomic Insights Into Ultraviolet Resistance of Arthrobacter and Pseudarthrobacter Isolated From Desert Soil
(Auckland University of Technology, 2020)Soil microbial communities are important contributors to the desert ecosystem. Top soil is vital for biological activity but is often exposed to large amounts of DNA damaging ultraviolet (UV) radiation. In this thesis, ... -
Temporal and Spatial analyses of Dasheen mosaic virus
(Auckland University of Technology, 2012)Exploring the genetic diversity and evolutionary history of plant viruses is critical to understanding their ecology and epidemiology. Like many other plant RNA viruses, Dasheen mosaic virus (DsMV) is an important and ... -
Towards the analysis of Potyvirus VPg Interacting Protein (PVIP) gene expression in response to potyvirus infection
(Auckland University of Technology, 2013)Potyvirus is the largest genus in the RNA plant virus family of Potyviridae. Potyviruses infect most of the economically important agricultural and ornamental crops; Dasheen mosaic virus (DsMV) is a potyvirus which infects ... -
When too much sun is never enough: association of the VDR gene polymorphisms with insulin resistance
(Auckland University of Technology, 2010)The metabolism of vitamin D commences with exposure of the skin to sunlight. The growing recognition of its role in insulin resistance, autoimmune disorders, infections, cancer, as well as the health of cells that influence ...