Industrial Research Ltd is setting up a new protein science team, led by Andrew Muscroft-Taylor, that will be based at the University of Canterbury’s Biomolecular Interaction Centre in Christchurch and will be assisted with PhD and masters students from the university. In addition, IRL’s unit in Christchurch will also include a Manufacturing Innovation Group that will be assisting companies solve their problems with engineering.

A Stuff article ‘Science team formed to help firms‘ includes an interesting case-study about IRL’s work with gelatine factory Gelita NZ, which makes the product from cow-hide at it’s Woolston plant, which was badly hit during the Christchurch earthquakes. After rebuilding the factory, Gelita/IRL are now turning their attention to reducing gelatine odour which would help it target the pharmaceutical industry with gelatine capsules, which require a higher quality of gelatine. Read more …