Kirsten Benkendorff

Last updated

Kirsten Benkendorff is a marine scientist who works on molluscs, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory properties and cancer fighting properties. She was awarded Young Australian of the Year in 2000 and a Dorothy Hill Medal for Science in 2011.

Contents

Kirsten Benkendorff
Born1973
Alma mater University of Wollongong Macquarie University
OccupationMarine Scientist
TitleProfessor
Scientific career
Institutions Southern Cross University
Thesis Bioactive molluscan resources and their conservation: Chemical and biological studies on the egg masses of marine molluscs
Website https://www.scu.edu.au/marine-ecology-research-centre/people/kirsten-benkendorff

Early life and career

Benkendorff obtained a Bachelor of Science from Macquarie University in 1994, followed by a PhD at the University of Wollongong in 1999. She was a career consultant for the Shellharbour Council in New South Wales, before becoming a lecturer in Marine Biology at Flinders University in South Australia, from 2006 to 2010, and then working at Southern Cross University. [1] [2]

Benkendorff has conducted research on a combination of medical and marine research, investigating the anti-cancer extracts from the Australian marine life including the whelk. [3]

Benkendorff is a Professor of Marine Science, and the Co-Deputy Director of the Marine Ecology Research Centre at Southern Cross University. She is also a Councillor, within the Malacological Society of Australasia as well as an Associate Editor Scientific Reports and Marine Drugs. [4]

In 2011 she was awarded the Dorothy Hill Medal for her research on marine science, molluscs and their medicinal properties. She was awarded the Young Australian of the Year, in 2000, for Science and Technology and NSW Australian of the year, in 2001, for her contributions to the environment.

Benkendorff has research projects on studying the effects of pesticides on both prawns and oysters. She also has a research project on the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties within marine mollusc extracts. She has a research project investigating the influence of ocean climate change stressors on the quality of seafood and marine invertebrates and their lipid profiles.

Publications

Select examples of Benkendorff's publications are as follows:

Prizes and awards

2011Dorothy Hill Medal from Australian Academy of Science.
2008SA Young Tall Poppy Award. [8]
2001NSW Young Australian of the Year Award - Environment Category.
2000Young Australian of the Year Award in Science and Technology. [9]

Media

Benkendorff has published in The Sydney Morning Herald , [10] [11] and The Conversation, on her research into the cancer fighting properties of molluscs. [12] [13] [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benthos</span> Community of organisms that live in the benthic zone

Benthos, also known as benthon, is the community of organisms that live on, in, or near the bottom of a sea, river, lake, or stream, also known as the benthic zone. This community lives in or near marine or freshwater sedimentary environments, from tidal pools along the foreshore, out to the continental shelf, and then down to the abyssal depths.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bioluminescence</span> Emission of light by a living organism

Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by living organisms. It is a form of chemiluminescence. Bioluminescence occurs widely in marine vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as in some fungi, microorganisms including some bioluminescent bacteria, and terrestrial arthropods such as fireflies. In some animals, the light is bacteriogenic, produced by symbiotic bacteria such as those from the genus Vibrio; in others, it is autogenic, produced by the animals themselves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drug discovery</span> Process by which new candidate medications are discovered

In the fields of medicine, biotechnology and pharmacology, drug discovery is the process by which new candidate medications are discovered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holoplankton</span>

Holoplankton are organisms that are planktic for their entire life cycle. Holoplankton can be contrasted with meroplankton, which are planktic organisms that spend part of their life cycle in the benthic zone. Examples of holoplankton include some diatoms, radiolarians, some dinoflagellates, foraminifera, amphipods, krill, copepods, and salps, as well as some gastropod mollusk species. Holoplankton dwell in the pelagic zone as opposed to the benthic zone. Holoplankton include both phytoplankton and zooplankton and vary in size. The most common plankton are protists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common starfish</span> Species of starfish

The common starfish, common sea star or sugar starfish is the most common and familiar starfish in the north-east Atlantic. Belonging to the family Asteriidae, it has five arms and usually grows to between 10–30 cm across, although larger specimens are known. The common starfish is usually orange or brownish in color, and sometimes violet; specimens found in deeper waters are pale. The common starfish is found on rocky and gravelly substrates where it feeds on mollusks and other benthic invertebrates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marine invertebrates</span> Marine animals without a vertebrate column

Marine invertebrates are the invertebrates that live in marine habitats. Invertebrate is a blanket term that includes all animals apart from the vertebrate members of the chordate phylum. Invertebrates lack a vertebral column, and some have evolved a shell or a hard exoskeleton. As on land and in the air, marine invertebrates have a large variety of body plans, and have been categorised into over 30 phyla. They make up most of the macroscopic life in the oceans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Bruce Silverman</span>

Richard Bruce Silverman is the Patrick G. Ryan/Aon Professor of Chemistry at Northwestern University. His group's main focus is basic and translational research into central nervous system disorders and cancer. He is known for the discovery of pregabalin, which is marketed by Pfizer under the brand name Lyrica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asima Chatterjee</span> Indian chemist (1917–2006)

Asima Chatterjee was an Indian organic chemist noted for her work in the fields of organic chemistry and phytomedicine. Her most notable work includes research on vinca alkaloids, the development of anti-epileptic drugs, and development of anti-malarial drugs. She also authored a considerable volume of work on medicinal plants of the Indian subcontinent. She was the first woman to receive a Doctorate of Science from an Indian university.

The hypobranchial gland is a glandular structure which is part of the anatomy of many mollusks, including several different families of gastropods, and also many protobranch bivalves. This gland produces mucus as well as biologically active compounds. The cephalopod ink sac is a modified hypobranchial gland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bromide peroxidase</span> Family of enzymes

Bromide peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.18, bromoperoxidase, haloperoxidase (ambiguous), eosinophil peroxidase) is a family of enzymes with systematic name bromide:hydrogen-peroxide oxidoreductase. These enzymes catalyses the following chemical reaction:

Martina Heide Stenzel is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). She is also a Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) University Ambassador. She became editor for the Australian Journal of Chemistry in 2008 and has served as Scientific Editor and as of 2021, as Editorial Board Chair of RSC Materials Horizons.

Sabine Dittmann is an Australian-based marine biologist and expert on the ecology of tidal flats. She is Associate Professor of Marine Biology at Flinders University in Adelaide, and is President of the Australian Marine Sciences Association.

Jeremy K. Nicholson is a professor and pro vice chancellor of Health Sciences at Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia, where he leads the Australian National Phenome Centre. He is also an emeritus professor of Biological Chemistry at Imperial College London and was the director and principal investigator of the MRC-NIHR National Phenome Centre until 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nerida Wilson</span> American zoologist

Nerida Gaye Wilson is an invertebrate marine molecular biologist at the Western Australian Museum who has interests in diversity, systematics, phylogeny, phylogeography and behavior. Wilson has been instrumental in demonstrating the level of marine cryptic species complexes in Antarctic waters, testing the circumpolar distribution paradigm with molecular data, and using interdisciplinary approaches to show how Antarctic diversity may have been generated. Her work with NOAA on Antarctic Marine Living Resources has been used to regulate exploratory benthic fisheries.

Mary Jean Garson is an organic chemist and academic in Australia. She currently works for the University of Queensland.

Judy Agnes Raper is an Australian chemical engineer and was previously Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the University of Wollongong. She has served as a National Science Foundation Director and led the Atomic Energy Research Establishment. She has been Dean & CEO of TEDI-London, a new engineering higher education provider since its incorporation in June, 2019.

Isabel 'Joy' Bear was an Australian chemist who worked at CSIRO for over forty years. She was the first woman to be awarded the Royal Australian Chemical Institute Leighton Medal. She was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2005. Bear identified several metastable zirconium sulphate hydrates, and with Dick Thomas was the first to scientifically describe "petrichor", the smell of rain on dry soil.

Laura K. Mackay is an Australian immunologist and microbiologist, specialising in tissue-resident memory T cells and their involvement in skin immunity. She is a Laboratory lead at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity. Mackay is listed as an esteemed scientist in the Encyclopaedia of Australian Science and Innovation. Her research on tissue-resident memory T cells has been featured by the University of Melbourne. She has been interviewed by Science on diversity in STEM and ABC Radio National Science Show on the influence of science on public good.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loisette M. Marsh</span> Canadian born Australian marine biologist (1928–2021)

Loisette M. Marsh (1928–2021) was a Canadian-born Australian marine biologist.

Norma A. Alcantar is a Mexican–American chemical engineer. She is a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering at the University of South Florida. In 2019, Alcantar was elected a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering for "outstanding contributions in providing drinking water for low-income communities and contributions to disrupting amyloid fibril formation in Alzheimer's research".

References

  1. Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology. "Benkendorff, Kirsten - Person - Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation". www.eoas.info. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  2. "Kirsten Benkendorff". www.wikidata.org. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  3. newsdesk (10 May 2011). "Flinders congratulates Dr Kirsten Benkendorff". News. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  4. "Kirsten Benkendorff - Southern Cross University". www.scu.edu.au. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  5. Benkendorff, Kirsten; Davis, Andrew R.; Bremner, John B. (1 August 2001). "Chemical Defense in the Egg Masses of Benthic Invertebrates: An Assessment of Antibacterial Activity in 39 Mollusks and 4 Polychaetes". Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. 78 (2): 109–118. doi:10.1006/jipa.2001.5047. ISSN   0022-2011. PMID   11812113.
  6. Benkendorff, Kirsten; Davis, Andrew R.; Rogers, Cary N.; Bremner, John B. (9 March 2005). "Free fatty acids and sterols in the benthic spawn of aquatic molluscs, and their associated antimicrobial properties". Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 316 (1): 29–44. doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2004.10.001. ISSN   0022-0981.
  7. Benkendorff, Kirsten (25 January 2010). "Molluscan biological and chemical diversity: secondary metabolites and medicinal resources produced by marine molluscs". Biological Reviews. 85 (4): 757–775. doi:10.1111/j.1469-185X.2010.00124.x. PMID   20105155. S2CID   19942649.
  8. "Dr Kirsten Benkendorff". AIPS. 17 August 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  9. Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology. "Benkendorff, Kirsten - Person - Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation". www.eoas.info. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  10. Debelle, Penelope (30 May 2008). "Scientists oppose SA desalination plans". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  11. Park, Nicky (5 May 2011). "Australian dog whelk in cancer fight". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  12. "Kirsten Benkendorff". The Conversation. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  13. Benthotage, Chamara; Benkendorff, Kirsten; Cole, Victoria. "Leaf oysters: the unsung heroes of estuaries are disappearing, and we know almost nothing about them". The Conversation. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  14. Creagh, Sunanda. "Could molluscs cure cancer?". The Conversation. Retrieved 12 April 2022.