Professor Merilyn Manley-Harris

Qualifications: BSc(Hons) James Cook University, PhD University of Montana

Research Interests

Current research projects include: Studies on NZ honey; carbohydrate profiling,  organic contaminants

General interests include carbohydrate chemistry, all forms of HPLC including ion chromatography; NMR spectroscopy and other forms of natural product analysis and characterization.

Research Supervised

PhD

• Tanner-Dempsey, Greer (in progress). Analysis of volatile organic compounds that alert dogs to the presence of lung cancer.
• Li, Yanan (in progress). Development of a cyanide-free assay for vitamin B12 in infant formulas.
• Shrubsall, Jacob (in progress) Rewarewa honey.
• Sorensen, Stine (submitted) The resilience and recovery of Zostera Muelleri to burial by sedimentation.
• Bernstein, Daniel (in progress). Removal of traces organics using advanced oxidation and biological filtration for drinking water supply.
• MacAskilll, Jessica (2017). Impact of pretreatment chemistry on the biochemical process for biofuel production.
• Grainger, Megan (2015). Kinetics of conversion of dihydroxyacetone to methylglyoxal in honey.
• McDonald-Wharry, John (2015). Carbonisation of harakeke (Phormium tenax) biomass for potential application as composite reinforcement. Embargoed until 22 May 2017.
• Brown, Jolene (2014). Seasonal comparison of lipid composition and metabolism in parasitised and non-parasitised clover root weevil (Sitona lepidus).
• Gill, Brendon (2013). Analysis of nucleosides and nucleotides in milk and infant formula.
• Srinivasan, Prakash (2013). Sorption, degradation and transport of veterinary antibiotics in New Zealand pastoral soils.
• Li, Yi (2003) in vivo utilisation of fructooligosaccharides by sheep faecal bifidobacteria and in vitro antagonistic effects against intestinal pathogens.
• Christian, Ted (1999), Kinetics of formation of di-D-fructose  dianhydrides  from thermal treatments of inulin.

MSc (Research)

• Swears,  Rosemary (submitted).'The bee on honey‐dew hath fed’
  Carbohydrate composition and prebiotic potential of an Australian commercial honey and some New Zealand honeydew honeys.
• Duke, Emily (2018). Development of analytical and preparative liquid chromatography methodsfor the quantitation and fractionation of cannabinoids in hemp extracts.
• Davies, Bryn (2018). Comparison of Supercritical Fluid Extraction and solvent extraction with the traditional steam distillation of Mānuka oil.
• Tanner-Dempsey, Greer (2017).Development of a method for the analysis of amino acids and phenolic acids in manuka honey".
• Willcock, Nathan (2018).  Development of a field test for classification of dihydroxyacetone content of mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium) nectar.
• Owens, Adrian (2016). Kinetics of dedimerisation of dihydroxyacetone in aprotic media.
• Sorensen, Stine (in progress). Seagrass vulnerability and resilience: the threat of sedimentation. (chief supervisor Marnie Campbell).
• Bernstein, Daniel (2015). Development of a method for trace analysis of dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry and its application to samples from the MV Rena incident.
• Lloyd, Alicia (2015). Analysis of amino acids in mānuka honey.

• Yin, Yingjie (2015). Developing a rapid in-field sensor for DHA in nectar of Leptospermum Scoparium.
• Brown, Jolene (2014). Equilibration of D-glucaric acid in aqueous solution
• Cameron, Nicola (2014). Use of LA-ICP-MS to analyse dental enamel in order to locate the geographical origin of teeth.
• MacAskill, Jessica (2013). Quantification of nitro-toxins in Karaka (Corynocarpus laevigatus) Drupes.
• Yang, Wenjuan (2012). Investigation of extractable materials from biochar.
• Chan, Ching (2011). Isolation, charaterisation and synthesis of a phenyl-substituted pyrrole isolated from the flavonoid fraction of mānuka honey.
• Dumté, Mérine (2010). Development of a method for the quantitative detection of honey in imported products.
• Faville, Martyn (2010). Examination of the molecular mass of polyhydroxypolyamides.
• Grainger, Megan (2010). Categorisation and discrimination of Automotive glass fragments by Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass-Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) for forensic purposes.
• McDonald-Wharry, John (2010). Characterisation of water soluble polysaccharides  produced during prehydrolysis of pinus radiata.
• Deadman, Benjamin (2009). The flavonoid profile of New Zealand mānuka honey.

BSC (Hons)

• Haisley Bassard, Connor (2016). Sugar profiles of Dactylanthus.
• Brunton, Richard (2015). The extraction, quantification and characterisation of kavalactones from Piper methysticum (Kava).

Teaching Commitments

Recent Publications

• Clearwater, M. J., Noe, S. T., Manley‐Harris, M., Truman, G., Gardyne, S., Murray, J., . . . Richardson, S. J. (2021). Nectary photosynthesis contributes to the production of mānuka ( Leptospermum scoparium ) floral nectar.. New Phytologist. doi:10.1111/nph.17632

• Swears, R. M., & Manley-Harris, M. (2021). Composition and potential as a prebiotic functional food of a Giant Willow Aphid (Tuberolachnus salignus) honeydew honey produced in New Zealand. Food Chemistry, 345. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.128662

• MacAskill, J. J., Suckling, I. D., Lloyd, J. A., & Manley-Harris, M. (2021). How well do isolated lignins mimic the inhibitory behaviour of cell wall lignins during enzymatic hydrolysis of hydrothermally treated softwood?. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery. doi:10.1007/s13399-020-01217-8

• Zabarte-Maeztu, I., Matheson, F. E., Manley-Harris, M., Davies-Colley, R. J., & Hawes, I. (2021). Fine sediment effects on seagrasses: A global review, quantitative synthesis and multi-stressor model. Marine Environmental Research, 171. doi:10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105480

View All research publications by Merilyn Manley-Harris

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