Dr Jo Stanton is a senior research fellow in the University of Otago's Department of Anatomy.
Dr Stanton, along with international scientists, helped develop the PDQeX, a prototype technology which made it possible to carry out genome sequencing on a remote African farm.
The device (PDQeX) from New Zealand company ZyGEM that permits on-site DNA extraction, was used together with the MinIT basecalling mini-supercomputer made by UK company, Oxford Nanopore.
This process allowed scientists to identify a plant pathogen which destroys crops.
The device has been in the making since 2008, and was taken to Africa in July this year where it was tested.
Dr Stanton said her vision was to take complex molecular diagnostics out of the lab and into the hands of non-experts to enable rapid, accurate and cost-effective responses to real life situations.
This project is achieving exactly that.
''We wanted to create something we could use without any infrastructure, take into the field and extract DNA using it.''
Using handheld molecular diagnostic devices, Dr Stanton and the team were able to carry out whole genome sequencing on the farms.
''We could do it in the field with no infrastructure.''
She said cassava was a staple African crop and if affected by the mosaic virus could turn a farmer's yield from 30 tonnes per hectare to practically zero. ''Using this technology we were able to save someone's entire crop before it was too late ... these crops are not only what they eat but also their livelihood.''
She said the next thing to do was refine the technology to develop it further.
''We need to simplify the process so people who are not specialists can use it.''
''We're currently trying to develop a technology that is sample in, result out.''
She said in the future it could definitely be used on New Zealand farms.
''It could be used in crops, for environmental DNA ... and even human medicine but, that's looking far into the future.''
Dr Stanton said she loved research and her job involved leading the research team to create in field diagnostic screening processes.
