DR TOMMI
VATANAN
(Liggins Institute)
A major international study charting the
developing gut bug populations of babies
and toddlers who are later diagnosed
with type 1 diabetes is the culmination
of many years’ work by Vatanen, who
conducted the study while based at the
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in
Massachusetts. Now based at the Liggins
Institute as a research fellow, Vatanen
used bacterial gene sequencing to track
the gut microbiome of 783 children
spread across Finland, Sweden, Germany
and the US to generate the richest
data set of its kind to date. He believes
healthy children have more Lactobacillus
rhamnosus, common in fermented milk
products such as yoghurt and linked to
better gut digestion, than those children
susceptible to diabetes, and harboured
more bacterial genes that fuel short-chain
fatty-acid production. Probiotics may be
protective against type 1 diabetes for
children with high genetic risk, but more
research is needed. “First, we need to run
controlled clinical trials of, for example,
carefully selected pro- and/or pre-biotic
supplements. It also may be possible to
protect children from type 1 diabetes by
radically changing their gut microbiome
by way of a gut bugs transfer – another
exciting research direction,” Vatanen says.
www.auckland.ac.nz
RAEWYN McPHILLIPS (QUANTEC)
Hamilton dairy biotechnology company Quantec
appointed Raewyn McPhillips in 2018 as its first
chief executive to lead its next phase of growth.
Established in 2009, Quantec specialises in
extracting high-value bioactives from natural
ingredients which are developed into proprietary
ingredient formulations for use in human and
animal health products – such as IDP which is
used to make dietary health supplements and
skincare products. McPhillips joins Quantec
from Tatua Dairy Co-operative, where she was
international trade manager. Prior to that she
held leadership roles in operations and business
improvement at Waikato District Health Board
and Fonterra. She has a strong science and
business background, beginning her career as a
laboratory technician before moving to technical
and management roles across Fonterra. “I’m
excited to be working with this highly respected
and innovative team to help deliver profitable
and sustainable growth, and to continue to bring
innovative products to customers around the
world.” http://www.quantec.co.nz
SARAH KENNEDY
(LIFESTREAM)
As chief executive of Lifestream
International and Calocurb, Sarah
Kennedy is a results-driven leader
who has grown companies through
innovation and strategic acquisitions.
The Auckland University graduate has
worked in the past for Designer Textiles
International, Fonterra, Vitaco and
Healtheries, and has extensive operating
and management experience, including
integrating two successful companies to
form Vitaco, a market-leading health and
wellbeing company with turnover of NZ
$185million. Kennedy moved to China
in 2011 to drive the $1.8b investment to
develop milk pools for Fonterra. She won
the New Zealand International Business
award for inspiring women leader for
2018. www.lifestream.co.nz
Ask Sue Arthur why she started
turning premium cow, sheep and
goat milk into specialty cheese, and
she’d say it was simply a retirement
project that grew big. Surrounded
by perfect dairying conditions for
more than 20 years, Arthur decided
New Zealand was ready for her
dream to excite the cheese-tasting
public. So she traversed the nation
and globe to experience, make
and sample cheese and, in 2007,
brought her inspiration back to the
Waikato to set up Over the Moon
and its affiliate New Zealand Cheese
School. The next year she won
gold and two silvers – just a tiny
selection of more than 120 medals
and trophies at national and world
championships that Over the Moon
has collected. This includes Best
New Zealand cheese in the 2017
International Cheese Awards for its
Black Truffle Brie.
www.overthemoondairy.co.nz
SUE ARTHUR
(OVER THE MOON
DAIRY IN PUTARURU)
www.foodtechnology.co.nz 25
/www.auckland.ac.nz
/www.quantec.co.nz
/www.lifestream.co.nz
/www.overthemoondairy.co.nz
/www.foodtechnology.co.nz
