Manawatū Microscopy and Imaging Centre

This microscope is commonly used for ultrastructural determination of thin sections and on-the-grid preparations.

Key features include:

• high resolution (3nm) imaging of thin sections
• automated tomography and 3D reconstructions.

Key features include:

• ~1.7x improvement over traditional scanning confocal imaging in XYZ resolution: 120nm (lateral) x 350nm (axial) with 488nm excitation
• excitation lines at 405nm, 488nm, 561nm and 640nm for imaging all commonly used stains and fluorescent proteins
• three high sensitivity GaAsP PMT detectors for low light imaging
• multiplex standard and super-resolution confocal modes for high speed recordings
• acquisition tiling of large samples
• transmitted light detector.

Key features include:

• fully shuttered transmitted and epi-fluorescence light for time-lapse studies
• intensity controllable, rapid switching, LED illumination from 365nm to 770nm with filterwheel-based transmitted light (DIC) imaging
• rapid z-stepping
• automated multi-dimensional image acquisition (x,y,t,lambda)
• programmable automated stage for multi-point and tiling scans
• low light CCD imaging camera
• temperature control.

• Zeiss Axiophot microscope with differential interference contrast (DIC) optics and colour CCD camera
• Leica MZ12 stereomicroscope with CCD camera.

• Olympus BX51 microscope with micropublisher five-colour CCD camera
• Leica DM RBE microscope (phase contrast optics) and CCD camera.

Dhanuskodi, R., Dong, Y., Matthew, C., Gechev, T., & Dijkwel, P. P. (2026). The Rhizobium symbiosis in Medicago truncatula induces a priming-like response and enhances drought tolerance. Plant Stress, 101229.

Gonapinuwala, S. T., Jones, J. R., Kirk, S., de Croos, M. D. S. T., & Bronlund, J. E. (2026). Optimized Conditions for Extracting Native Type-I Collagen from Discarded Fish Skin Using Hydrochloric Acid to Overcome the Drawbacks of Acetic Acid. Marine Drugs, 24(1), 28.

Lu, D., Roy, D., Acevedo-Fani, A., Singh, H., Waterland, M., & Ye, A. (2026). Physical properties and microstructure of hybrid processed cheeses formulated with plant protein and milk protein ingredients. Food Hydrocolloids, 170, 111688.

Card, S., Christensen, M., Ellison, N., Faville, M., Hume, D., Johnson, R., ... & Stewart, A. (2025). An Epichloë endophyte associated with the Afromontane grass Festuca simensis.

Gonapinuwala, S. T., Kirk, S., Jones, J. R., de Croos, M. D. S. T., & Bronlund, J. E. (2025). Collagen with Native Triple-Helical Structure from Representative Cold-Water and Warm-Water Fish Skins Using a Modified Protocol. Food and Bioprocess Technology, 1-15.

Gonapinuwala, S. T., Jones, J. R., Kirk, S., de Croos, M. D. S. T., & Bronlund, J. E. (2025). Collagen fibrils with native D-periodicity from fish skin: A simplified fibrillogenesis method. Food and Bioprocess Technology, 18(4), 3834-3847.

Gunaratnam, A., Bishop, P., Jeyakumar, P., Grafton, M., Davies, C. E., & McCurdy, M. (2025). Epoxy-lignite composite coated controlled-release fertilizers: formulation and characterization. Journal of Coatings Technology and Research, 1-12.

León‐Quezada, R. I., Miró, M. G., Khanum, S., Sutherland‐Smith, A. J., Gold, V. A., & Rakonjac, J. (2025). A Single‐Plasmid Inducible‐Replication System for High‐Yield Production of Short Ff (f1, M13 or fd)‐Phage‐Derived Nanorods. Microbial Biotechnology, 18(4), e70113.

Li, D., Ma, Y., Acevedo-Fani, A., Lu, W., Singh, H., & Ye, A. (2025). Heat-induced modifications of pea protein: Implications for solubility and digestion behaviour. Current Research in Food Science, 101173.

Li, S., Mungure, T., Ye, A., Loveday, S. M., Ellis, A., Weeks, M., & Singh, H. (2024). Intragastric restructuring dictates the digestive kinetics of heat-set milk protein gels of contrasting textures. Food Research International, 195, 114944.

Lu, D., Roy, D., Acevedo-Fani, A., Singh, H., & Ye, A. (2025). Investigation of various plant protein ingredients for processed cheese analogues: physical properties and microstructure compared with milk proteins. International Journal of Food Science and Technology, 60(1), vvae018.

Ma, S., Ye, A., Singh, H., & Acevedo-Fani, A. (2025). Heat-induced interactions between microfluidized hemp protein particles and caseins or whey proteins. Food Chemistry, 463, 141290.

Navneet, Singh, J., Ajomiwe, N. I., & Kaur, L. (2025). Physico‐Chemical, Microstructural, and Cooking Characteristics of Faba Bean (Vicia faba) Varieties From New Zealand. Legume Science, 7(3), e70044.

Scheltema, E., Morgan, K., Singh, P., Adlington, B., & Howe, L. (2025). Morphological and molecular description of a novel species of Eimeria (Apicomplexa) that infects extraintestinal tissues of kiwi (Aves: Apteryx spp.). Systematic Parasitology, 102(3), 1-20.

Singh, J., Ajomiwe, N. I., & Kaur, L. (2025). Physico-Chemical, Microstructural, and Cooking Characteristics of Faba Bean (Vicia faba) Varieties From New Zealand.

Stevens, D. W., Braid, H. E., Meynier, L., Escobar-Flores, P. C., Pinkerton, M. H., Hopcroft, D., ... & Cherel, Y. (2024). A guide to the otoliths of Southern Ocean lanternfishes (Myctophidae). Polar Biology, 47(12), 1543-1558.

Wang, X., Zhu, P., Ye, A., Singh, H., & Acevedo-Fani, A. (2025). Interfacial composition of coenzyme Q10 emulsions impacts coagulation of fortified milk during gastric digestion. Food Research International, 203, 115774.

Willems, E., Purba, A., Savoian, M. S., Hefer, C., Maes, E., & Ulluwishewa, D. (2025). Effects of whey protein treatment in an in vitro intestinal cell model following oxidative stress or inflammatory challenge. International Dairy Journal, 164, 106187.

Zhang, Y., McHugh, L. N., Bennett, T. D., Yin, B. H., & Telfer, S. G. (2025). Metal− Organic Framework Crystal‐Glass Composite Membranes for the Separation of Carbon Dioxide. Advanced Functional Materials, 2505539.

Deng, L., Golding, M., Lentle, R., MacGibbon, A., & Matia-Merino, L. (2024). The role of gastric lipase and pepsin in lipid digestion of a powder infant formula using a simulated neonatal gastric system. Food Biophysics, 19(2), 369-385.

Do, D. T., Ye, A., Singh, H., & Acevedo-Fani, A. (2024). Protein bodies from hemp seeds: Isolation, microstructure and physicochemical characterisation. Food Hydrocolloids, 149, 109597.

Descallar, F. B., Roy, D., Wang, X., Zhu, P., Ye, A., Liang, Y., ... & Acevedo-Fani, A. (2024). Investigation of the gastric digestion behavior of commercial infant formulae using an in vitro dynamic infant digestion model. Frontiers in Nutrition, 11, 1507093.

Gawat, M., Boland, M., Chen, J., Singh, J., & Kaur, L. (2024). Effects of microwave processing in comparison to sous vide cooking on meat quality, protein structural changes, and in vitro digestibility. Food chemistry, 434, 137442.

Ma, S., Acevedo-Fani, A., Ye, A., & Singh, H. (2024). Heat-induced interactions of hemp protein particles formed by microfluidisation with β-lactoglobulin. Lwt, 203, 116370.

Qin, Y., Yang, Z., Roy, D., & Ye, A. Modulating Structure and Gelation Properties of Mung Bean Protein via Controlled Enzymatic Hydrolysis. Available at SSRN 5887404.

Song, X., Wang, X., Yang, M., Acevedo-Fani, A., Singh, H., & Ye, A. (2024). Dynamic in vitro gastric digestion behaviour of commercial infant formulae made with cow, goat and sheep milk. Foods, 13(9), 1286.

Stevens, D. W., Braid, H. E., Meynier, L., Escobar-Flores, P. C., Pinkerton, M. H., Hopcroft, D., ... & Cherel, Y. (2024). A guide to the otoliths of Southern Ocean lanternfishes (Myctophidae). Polar Biology, 47(12), 1543-1558.

Voloschina, M., Lube, G., Moebis, A., Bonadonna, C., Pistolesi, M., & Procter, J. (2024). Long-lasting, small-to-moderate eruptions at composite volcanoes: reconstructing the largest eruption of Mt. Ruapehu (New Zealand) of the last two millennia. Bulletin of Volcanology, 86(4), 34.

Yang, Z., & Cheng, L. (2024). Impact of ultrasound emulsification on the physicochemical properties of emulsions stabilised by quinoa protein isolates at different pHs. Food Biophysics, 19(1), 160-171.

Zhang, Y., Anderson, R. C., You, C., Purba, A., Yan, M., Maclean, P., ... & Ulluwishewa, D. (2024). Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ST-III and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus KF7 enhance the intestinal epithelial barrier in a dual-environment in vitro co-culture model. Microorganisms, 12(5), 873.

Abhiram, G., Bishop, P., Jeyakumar, P., Grafton, M., Davies, C. E., & McCurdy, M. (2023). Formulation and characterization of polyester-lignite composite coated slow-release fertilizers. Journal of Coatings Technology and Research, 20(1), 307-320.

Ahlborn, N. G., Montoya, C. A., Hodgkinson, S. M., Dave, A., Ye, A., Samuelsson, L. M., ... & McNabb, W. C. (2023). Heat treatment and homogenization of bovine milk loosened gastric curd structure and increased gastric emptying in growing pigs. Food Hydrocolloids, 137, 108380.

Chen, X., Mesarich, C. H., Kerckhoffs, H., Hutchins, D., & Sofkova-Bobcheva, S. (2023). Pucciniastrum minimum is the causal agent of blueberry leaf rust on different Vaccinium species in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. Australasian Plant Pathology, 52(2), 155-162.

Coker, S. M., McInnes, K., Vallee, E., Biggs, P., Pomroy, W. E., Howe, L., & Morgan, K. J. (2023). Molecular characterisation and additional morphological descriptions of Eimeria spp.(Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli Bartlett). Systematic Parasitology, 100(3), 269-281.

Descallar, F. B., Roy, D., Wang, X., Zhu, P., Ye, A., Liang, Y., ... & Acevedo-Fani, A. (2024). Investigation of the gastric digestion behavior of commercial infant formulae using an in vitro dynamic infant digestion model. Frontiers in Nutrition, 11, 1507093.

Hawley, H. R., Roberts, C. J., & Fitzsimons, H. L. (2023). Comparison of neuronal GAL4 drivers along with the AGES (auxin-inducible gene expression system) and TARGET (temporal and regional gene expression targeting) systems for fine tuning of neuronal gene expression in Drosophila. Micropublication Biology, 2023, 10-17912.

Li, Z., Kim, H., Kim, J., & Park, J. H. (2023). EP400NL is involved in PD-L1 gene activation by forming a transcriptional coactivator complex. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)-Gene Regulatory Mechanisms, 1866(1), 194889.

Longuet-Higgins, J. M., Li, M., Urbańska, M. A., Rivera, S. A., Heyes, J. A., & East, A. R. (2023, May). Use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) to detect and quantify changes during shrivel development in kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis Planch.). In VII International Conference Postharvest Unlimited 1396 (pp. 149-158).

Mahmoud, A. E., Morel, P. C. H., Potter, M. A., & Ravindran, V. (2023). Poultry red mite (Dermanyssus gallinae) poses a risk in the rearing of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens). Journal of Insects as Food and Feed, 9(1), 55-64.

Mao, S., Kaur, L., Mu, T. H., & Singh, J. (2023). Preparation and characterisation of plant and dairy-based high protein Chinese steamed breads (mantou): microstructural characteristics and gastro-small intestinal starch digestion in vitro. Food Hydrocolloids for Health, 3, 100111.

Marinea, M., Ellis, A., Golding, M., & Loveday, S. M. (2023). Delivering phenolic acids in soy protein gels: noncovalent interactions control gastrointestinal bioaccessibility. Food Biophysics, 18(2), 218-227.

Mosen, A. M., Guo, Y., Hassing, B., Mesarich, C. H., & Bradshaw, R. E. (2023). An RNA interference (RNAi) target with potential to control Dothistroma needle blight. New Zealand Plant Protection, 76, 35-53.

Nakano, M., Morgan-Richards, M., Clavijo-McCormick, A., & Trewick, S. (2023). Abundance and distribution of antennal sensilla on males and females of three sympatric species of alpine grasshopper (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Catantopinae) in Aotearoa New Zealand. Zoomorphology, 142(1), 51-62.

Palmer, M. J., & Fitzsimons, H. L. (2023). Herzog is not required for mushroom body development or courtship learning & memory but is required for eye development in Drosophila melanogaster. Micropublication Biology, 2023, 10-17912.

Phan, N. L. B., Nguyen, T., Pedley, J., & Flint, S. (2023). Inactivation of Cronobacter sakazakii biofilms using high voltage atmospheric cold plasma on various food-contact surfaces—a preliminary study. Letters in Applied Microbiology, 76(1), ovac046.

Qazi, H. J., Ye, A., Acevedo-Fani, A., & Singh, H. (2023). The impact of differently structured starch gels on the gastrointestinal fate of a curcumin-containing nanoemulsion. Food & Function, 14(17), 7924-7937.

Rashidinejad, A., Nieuwkoop, M., Singh, H., & Jameson, G. B. (2023). Assessment of various food proteins as structural materials for delivery of hydrophobic polyphenols using a novel co-precipitation method. Molecules, 28(8), 3573.

Schaefer, L. N., Kereszturi, G., Kennedy, B. M., & Villeneuve, M. (2023). Characterizing lithological, weathering, and hydrothermal alteration influences on volcanic rock properties via spectroscopy and laboratory testing: a case study of Mount Ruapehu volcano, New Zealand. Bulletin of Volcanology, 85(8), 43.

Schwartz, S., Wilson, S. J., Hale, T. K., & Fitzsimons, H. L. (2023). Ankyrin2 is essential for neuronal morphogenesis and long-term courtship memory in Drosophila. Molecular Brain, 16(1), 42.

Yang, Z., Cheng, L., de Campo, L., Gilbert, E. P., Mittelbach, R., Luo, L., ... & Hemar, Y. (2023). Microstructural evolution during acid induced gelation of cow, goat, and sheep milk probed by time-resolved (ultra)-small angle neutron scattering. Food Hydrocolloids, 137, 108381.

Abhilasha, A., Kaur, L., Monro, J., Hardacre, A., & Singh, J. (2022). Effects of hydrothermal treatment and low-temperature storage of whole wheat grains on in vitro starch hydrolysis and flour properties. Food chemistry, 395, 133516.

Berry, D., Lee, K., Winter, D., Mace, W., Becker, Y., Nagabhyru, P., ... & Scott, B. (2022). Cross-species transcriptomics identifies core regulatory changes differentiating the asymptomatic asexual and virulent sexual life cycles of grass-symbiotic Epichloë fungi. G3, 12(4), jkac043.

Chen, Y. F., Singh, J., Midgley, J., & Archer, R. (2022). Sous vide processed potatoes: Starch retrogradation in tuber and oral-gastro-small intestinal starch digestion in vitro. Food Hydrocolloids, 124, 107163.

Cheng, L., Ye, A., Hemar, Y., & Singh, H. (2022). Modification of the interfacial structure of droplet-stabilised emulsions during in vitro dynamic gastric digestion: Impact on in vitro intestinal lipid digestion. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 608, 1286-1296.

Dittmer, K. E., Neeley, C., Perrott, M. R., Reynolds, E., Garrick, D. J., & Littlejohn, M. D. (2022). Pathology of the peripheral neuropathy Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 4H in Holstein Friesian cattle with a splice site mutation in FGD4. Veterinary Pathology, 59(3), 442-450.

Gonzaga, Z. J. C., Zhang, J., & Rehm, B. H. (2022). Intranasal delivery of antigen-coated polymer particles protects against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. ACS Infectious Diseases, 8(4), 744-756.

Gunaratnam, A., Bishop, P., Jeyakumar, P., Grafton, M., Davies, C. E., & McCurdy, M. (2022). Formulation and characterization of polyester-lignite composite coated slow-release fertilizers.

Hura, A. J., Hawley, H. R., Tan, W. J., Penny, R. J., Jacobsen, J. C., & Fitzsimons, H. L. (2022). Loss of Drosophila Coq8 results in impaired survival, locomotor deficits and photoreceptor degeneration. Molecular Brain, 15(1), 15.

Kumar, S., Altermann, E., Leahy, S. C., Jauregui, R., Jonker, A., Henderson, G., ... & Janssen, P. H. (2022). Genomic insights into the physiology of Quinella, an iconic uncultured rumen bacterium. Nature Communications, 13(1), 6240.

Le, V. V. H., León-Quezada, R. I., Biggs, P. J., & Rakonjac, J. (2022). A large chromosomal inversion affects antimicrobial sensitivity of Escherichia coli to sodium deoxycholate. Microbiology, 168(8), 001232.

Li, S., Pan, Z., Ye, A., Cui, J., Dave, A., & Singh, H. (2022). Structural and rheological properties of the clots formed by ruminant milks during dynamic in vitro gastric digestion: Effects of processing and species. Food Hydrocolloids, 126, 107465.

Li, S., Ye, A., Pan, Z., Cui, J., Dave, A., & Singh, H. (2022). Dynamic in vitro gastric digestion behavior of goat milk: Effects of homogenization and heat treatments. Journal of Dairy Science, 105(2), 965-980.

Pahalagedara, A. S., Flint, S., Palmer, J., Brightwell, G., & Gupta, T. B. (2022). Antibacterial efficacy and possible mechanism of action of 2-hydroxyisocaproic acid (HICA). PLoS One, 17(4), e0266406.

Pan, Z., Ye, A., Dave, A., Fraser, K., & Singh, H. (2022). Kinetics of heat-induced interactions among whey proteins and casein micelles in sheep skim milk and aggregation of the casein micelles. Journal of Dairy Science, 105(5), 3871-3882.

Patole, S., Cheng, L., & Yang, Z. (2022). Impact of incorporations of various polysaccharides on rheological and microstructural characteristics of heat-induced quinoa protein isolate gels. Food Biophysics, 17(3), 314-323.

Pradhan, S., Williams, M. A., & Hale, T. K. (2022). Changes in the properties of membrane tethers in response to hp1α depletion in mcf7 cells. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 587, 126-130.

Rashidinejad, A., Jameson, G. B., & Singh, H. (2022). The effect of pH and sodium caseinate on the aqueous solubility, stability, and crystallinity of rutin towards concentrated colloidally stable particles for the incorporation into functional foods. Molecules, 27(2), 534.

Sattar, S., Ullah, I., Khanum, S., Bailie, M., Shamsi, B., Ahmed, I., ... & Altermann, E. (2022). Phenotypic characterization and genome analysis of a novel Salmonella Typhimurium phage having unique tail fiber genes. Scientific reports, 12(1), 5732.

Sattar, S., Ullah, I., Khanum, S., Bailie, M., Shamsi, B., Ahmed, I., ... & Altermann, E. (2022). Genome analysis and therapeutic evaluation of a novel lytic bacteriophage of Salmonella Typhimurium: Suggestive of a new genus in the subfamily Vequintavirinae. Viruses, 14(2), 241.

Qazi, H. J., Ye, A., Acevedo-Fani, A., & Singh, H. (2022). Impact of recombined milk systems on gastrointestinal fate of curcumin nanoemulsion. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9, 890876.

Tu, Y. H., Ahn, M., Rakonjac, J., Holmes, G., & Norris, G. (2022). Milk provides the basis for an eco-friendly shorter process for skin preservation and leather manufacture. Cleaner Engineering and Technology, 8, 100464.

van der Walt, K., Burritt, D. J., & Nadarajan, J. (2022). Impacts of rapid desiccation on oxidative status, ultrastructure and physiological functions of Syzygium maire (Myrtaceae) zygotic embryos in preparation for cryopreservation. Plants, 11(8), 1056.

Wang, X., Ye, A., Dave, A., & Singh, H. (2022). Structural changes in oat milk and an oat milk‒bovine skim milk blend during dynamic in vitro gastric digestion. Food Hydrocolloids, 124, 107311.

Wang, X., Wolber, F. M., Ye, A., Stroebinger, N., Hamlin, A., Zhu, P., ... & Singh, H. (2022). Gastric digestion of cow milk, almond milk and oat milk in rats. Food & Function, 13(21), 10981-10993.

White, D. W. (2022). PEAPOD repressors modulate and coordinate developmental responses to light intensity in Arabidopsis. New Phytologist, 235(4), 1470-1485.