Dr. Michelle Harnett

Dr. Michelle Harnett

Michelle is a science communicator working for Scion in Rotorua. A recent graduate of Otago University's science communication programme, she is using her background in chemistry, product development and technology transfer to share the ground-breaking research that carried out at the country's Crown research institute for forestry and biobased forest products.

Growing a biofuelled Aotearoa New Zealand

February 27, 2018
Treesel isn’t a word – yet. But tree diesel powering the country is within our reach according to the New Zealand Biofuels Roadmap, a new study by Scion bioenergy specialists....

Biomass in bioplastics

October 28, 2016
Cow poo, squashed grapes and smelly sea shells don’t sound quite as tasty as wine, cheese and seafood, but they may be just valuable. With mankind using resources faster than...

New glue: A New Zealand solution to a sticky problem

July 28, 2016
Bio-based adhesives have been around for a long time. The threat of sending old horses (and people) to the glue factory reflects the centuries-old practice of boiling down animal carcasses...

Tannin in the sun

May 11, 2016
Wiggle, wobble, crack! And you are on your back staring at the sky. Most of us have seen a leg on an old plastic chair break and tumble someone to...

Bats, birds and biodiversity in planted forests

October 06, 2015
Radiata pine forests stretch across nearly two million hectares of New Zealand. Many find them dark, monotonous and sterile, but appearances can be deceiving. Native flora and fauna, including endangered...