Dr Marie E Magnusson

Senior Research Fellow
Qualifications: MSc (2004, Gothenburg University, Sweden) PhD (2009,James Cook University, Australia)
Personal Website: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3141-8544
About Marie
I am a biologist with a strong applied research focus and experience in the fields of applied algal biology and cultivation, biochemistry, and product development for food, feed, and human and animal health applications. As Program Leader for the Entrepreneurial Universities Macroalgal Biotechnology Programme, I lead a team focusing on the development of a sustainable seaweed aquaculture industry in NZ, the cultivation of freshwater and marine macroalgae for bioremediation of nutrient rich waste waters, and the development of novel bioproducts from the resulting biomass. Specific research interests are algal product development for food, feed, and human and animal health applications in circular bioeconomy models, and the use of seaweed for enteric methane mitigation in ruminants.
Research Supervised
Available projects:
Applications and expressions of interest for Higher Research Degree projects are always welcome
Research Supervised
PhD
- Nepper-Davidsen, Jacob (in progress). Developing sustainable aquaculture of the kelp Ecklonia radiata in New Zealand
- Jayasooriya, Nethmie (in progress). Cellulose bioproducts from freshwater macroalgae
- Robertson, Holly (in progress). Brews and Blooms - development of novel seaweed biostimulants supporting sustainable primary industry practices
- Mihaila, Alisa (in progress) The biology of Asparagopsis armata for closed life-cycle cultivation in New Zealand
- Novak, Indira (in progress) Use of high rate filamentous algae ponds for rural waste water treatment
- Kidgell, Joel (in progress). Sulfated polysaccharides (ulvan) from Ulva ohnoi (Chlorophyta): Identifying parameters for structure-activity relationships (external)
MSc (Research)
- Battershill, Zoe (in progress) Bioavailability of seaweed protein
- Ross, Beth (in progress) Novel seaweed for bioremediation
- Mihaila, Alisa (2020). Investigating the anti-methanogenic properties of select species of seaweed in New Zealand
MEnvSc
- Novak, Indira (2020). Nutrient dynamics, growth and bioremediation performance in the freshwater macroalga Oedogonium
Other supervision
Salinity tolerance of Ulva species B and Ulva species 5 to support commercial scale land-based aquaculture biomass production and bioremediation in New Zealand (international internship, U Bremen)
Research Interests
Patents
International Patent Application: PCT/AU2019/051335; ”Novel composition” Inventors: Magnusson, Marie Elisabeth, De Nys, Peter Canisius, relating to novel processing options for the seaweed Asparagopsis spp. for retention of bromoform
Publication Number: AU2015208661 (AusPat, WIPO). ”Method For Reducing Total Gas Production And/or Methane Production In A Ruminant Animal”. Inventors: De Nys, Peter Canisius; Kinley, Robert Douglas; Machado, Lorenna; Magnusson, Marie Elisabeth; Paul, Nicholas Andrew; Tomkins, Nigel William
Publication Number: AU2016/050689, “Growth performance improvements in pasture and feedlot systems” Inventors: De Nys, Peter Canisius; Kinley, Robert Douglas; Machado, Lorenna; Magnusson, Marie Elisabeth; Paul, Nicholas Andrew; Tomkins, Nigel William
Publication Number: WO2018/018062, “Growth performance improvements in pasture and feedlot systems” Inventors: Tomkins, Nigel William; De Nys, Rocky; Kinley, Robert Douglas; Paul, Nicholas Andrew; Magnusson, Marie Elisabeth; Machado, Lorenna
Recent Publications
Lawton, R. J., J. E. Sutherland, C. R. K. Glasson and M. E. Magnusson, 2021. Selection of temperate Ulva species and cultivars for land-based cultivation and biomass applications. Algal Res. 56: 102320.
Kidgell, J. T., S. M. Carnachan, M. Magnusson, R. J. Lawton, I. M. Sims, S. F. R. Hinkley, R. de Nys and C. R. K. Glasson, 2021. Are all ulvans equal? A comparative assessment of the chemical and gelling properties of ulvan from blade and filamentous Ulva. Carbohydr. Polym.: 118010.
du Preez, R., M. Magnusson, M. E. Majzoub, T. Thomas, C. Praeger, C. R. K. Glasson, S. K. Panchal and L. Brown, 2021. Brown Seaweed Sargassum siliquosum as an Intervention for Diet-Induced Obesity in Male Wistar Rats. Nutrients 13(6): 1754.
M. Magnusson, M.J. Vucko, T.L. Neoh, R. de Nys, Using oil immersion to deliver a naturally-derived, stable bromoform product from the red seaweed Asparagopsis taxiformis, Algal Res., 51 (2020) 102065.
J.T. Kidgell, C.R.K. Glasson, M. Magnusson, G. Vamvounis, I.M. Sims, S.M. Carnachan, S.F.R. Hinkley, A.L. Lopata, R. de Nys, A.C. Taki, The molecular weight of ulvan affects the in vitro inflammatory response of a murine macrophage, Int. J.Biol. Macromol., 150 (2020) 839-848.
R.D. Kinley, G. Martinez-Fernandez, M.K. Matthews, R. de Nys, M. Magnusson, N.W. Tomkins, Mitigating the carbon footprint and improving productivity of ruminant livestock agriculture using a red seaweed, Journal of Cleaner Production, (2020) 120836.
For a complete list of publications, please see my Orcid or Scopus profile
Recent Publications
Mihaila, A. A., Glasson, C. R. K., Lawton, R., Muetzel, S., Molano, G., & Magnusson, M. (2022). New temperate seaweed targets for mitigation of ruminant methane emissions: an in vitro assessment. Applied Phycology, 1-11. doi:10.1080/26388081.2022.2059700
Glasson, C. R. K., Kinley, R. D., de Nys, R., King, N., Adams, S. L., Packer, M. A., . . . Magnusson, M. (2022). Benefits and risks of including the bromoform containing seaweed Asparagopsis in feed for the reduction of methane production from ruminants. Algal Research, 64. doi:10.1016/j.algal.2022.102673
Pratap, K., Majzoub, M. E., Taki, A. C., Miranda Hernandez, S., Magnusson, M., Glasson, C. R. K., . . . Kamath, S. D. (2022). The algal polysaccharide ulvan and carotenoid astaxanthin both positively modulate gut microbiota in mice. Foods, 11(4). doi:10.3390/foods11040565
Romanazzi, D., Sanchez-Garcia, C., Svenson, J., Mata, L., Pes, K., Hayman, C. M., . . . Magnusson, M. (2021). Rapid analytical method for the quantification of bromoform in the red seaweeds Asparagopsis Armata and Asparagopsis Taxiformis using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. ACS Agricultural Science & Technology. doi:10.1021/acsagscitech.1c00161
Find more research publications by Marie Magnusson
Keywords
Biotechnology; Environmental Science and Technology; Science
aquaculture, seaweed, macroalgae, algal biomass and bioproducts
Contact Details
Email: [email protected]Room: Coastal Marine Field Station
Cellphone: 022 0110763