MSc Student

MSc project in Genetics or Statistics Position: Student (MSc). Location: Invermay Campus, Mosgiel. This is a full-time position over 1 year. Bioeconomy Science Institute Ltd is unable to provide support for relocation and visa activities. Mō te Pakihi | About the Company The Bioeconomy Science Institute is New Zealand’s newest Public Research Organisation, formed through the merger of AgResearch, Plant & Food Research, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, and Scion. The Institute exists to power New Zealand’s transition to a circular, resilient, and prosperous bioeconomy. Through world‑leading science, it drives innovation across agriculture, horticulture, forestry, aquaculture, biotechnology, and manufacturing, protects and enhances ecosystems, strengthens biosecurity and climate resilience, and develops cutting‑edge bio‑based products and technologies. Kōrero mōte tūranga | About the role Topic: Detecting and characterising parental contamination in open‑pollinated orchards. Supervisors: Prof Phillip Wilcox (Mathematics and Statistics, Otago) and Dr Ken Dodds (Bioeconomy Science Institute, Invermay, Mosgiel). Funding: One‑year domestic tuition fees plus stipend of $NZ22,000, contributed by the Radiata Pine Breeding Company (Christchurch). Open‑pollinated orchards are often used to multiply genetically improved plants and generate seeds for commercial populations. These orchards rely on natural pollination, and the intention is that the pollen is from trees within the orchard. Sometimes pollen is carried from outside the orchard (“contamination”) and is of unknown genetic merit, devaluing the seed. The project will examine methods and strategies for estimating the contamination rate using genotyping. It will consider sampling strategies, genotyping requirements and options, and completeness of parental genotyping. The research may involve both simulation and analysis of actual datasets, and may also consider spatial effects whereby the contamination rate differs across the orchard and relate this to environmental and management factors. The successful applicant must be eligible to enrol in an MSc in genetics or statistics at the University of Otago. The student is expected to split their time between the University of Otago and the Invermay Agricultural Centre (Mosgiel) while working on the project (2 or 3 days per week at each site). Dr Sai Arojju from the Radiata Pine Breeding Company will be an advisor to this project. Other staff from the University of Otago, Bioeconomy Science Institute, or Radiata Pine Breeding Company may be added as additional advisors depending on the final requirements of the project. Ōpūmanawa | About you A Bachelor of Science with Honours or a Postgraduate Diploma in Science that includes a thesis or dissertation. Must be eligible to enrol in a MSc in genetics or statistics at the University of Otago (average undergraduate grade of B+). Strong communication skills, especially writing. Effective interpersonal and critical thinking skills. Demonstrated capacity for collaborative work. For further information regarding your application please contact Ken Dodds at [email protected]. Applications close: 1 March 2027. #J-18808-Ljbffr