Biotech at home

Dr Vicky Webb leads a team of scientists at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) in the search for useful chemicals found in organisms living in the ocean. She is a molecular biologist, which she says means "I look at molecules, tiny little things. I look for useful things you can get from organisms from the sea".

In this video conference with students from Cobden Primary School, she talks about two of the chemicals they have discovered and found a use for.

Watch clips of Vicky talking about:

• The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA)
• Fish waste and ways to reduce it
• Changing fish waste into cosmetics

Cobden School is a primary pchool on the West Coast of the South Island.

Video clips

NIWA scientist Dr Vicky Webb (V0090)

What does Dr Vicky Webb do?

Duration: 0:16
National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research (V0093)

NIWA is New Zealand's main provider of environmental research, with a focus on the atmosphere, coast and oceans, freshwater, fisheries, and aquaculture

Duration: 0:46
What is fish waste? (V0096)

What is fish waste, and why should we care?

Duration: 0:41
Looking for ways to reduce fish waste (V0091)

What do fish waste and cosmetics have in common?

Duration: 0:41
Changing fish waste into cosmetics (V0092)

How do you change bits of fish into a face cream?

Duration: 1:04
Will I smell fishy? (V0098)

Will cosmetics containing ingredients from fish waste make us smell like fish?

Duration: 0:35
Turn bad into good (V0094)

Algal blooms are dangerous because of the large quantities of poison they can produce.

Duration: 1:23
Developing an anti-fouling compound for marine paint (V0097)

Why don't boaties want barnacles growing on the bottom of their boats?

Duration: 1:18
Testing anti-fouling marine paints (V0099)

What do you need to think about when making a paint for a specific purpose?

Duration: 1:08
What is biotechnology? (V0095)

'Biotechnology' as a word is becoming much more common.

Duration: 0:53