Neil Gemmell

Gemmell received his education at Taita College in Lower Hutt; he graduated from the school as dux in 1984. He was inspired by his science teacher, Saty Candasamy, to pursue this interest and initially aimed to study zoology. When he discovered that zoology was too popular with fellow graduates, he changed his focus to "something less popular" for better career opportunities. Gemmell went to Victoria University of Wellington, from which he graduated in biochemistry and genetics.[1] In 1988, he went to La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia, where he obtained a PhD in 1994. The title of his thesis was Population and evolutionary investigations in the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) : a molecular approach.[2]

In 1994, Gemmell went to England for postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge (1994–1997) and the University of Leicester (1997 – February 1998). In February 1998, he took a position with the University of Canterbury, where he remained until 2008. That year, he moved to a position at the University of Otago where he has remained since.[3] Since 2011, Gemmell has led a team that sequenced the tuatara genome. The scientific interest in the tuatara genome is high given the longevity of the species (tuatara can live for 100 years) and its low susceptibility to diseases. The findings were published in the science journal Nature in August 2020.[4][5]

In 2018, Gemmell was team leader for an expedition to sample environmental DNA (eDNA) at Loch Ness. The research goal was to prove the existence, or otherwise, of the Loch Ness Monster and given that the creature's existence has been debated since the 1930s, their work created much attention. The overall objective was to show the public how science works.[6] The findings were revealed in September 2019 and the team did not find any eDNA that they did not expect (i.e. there was no evidence for a reptilian monster). There was significant DNA of eels and the research team concluded that the sightings are likely those of eels that have grown to a large size. Gemmell concluded by stating that "there may well be a Loch Ness monster, we don't know, we didn't find it."[6]

During 2020, Gemmell advocated the implementation of a wastewater monitoring system to detect ribonucleic acid (RNA) as a method to identify infections with COVID-19. Based on overseas research, Gemmell estimates that new cases may be detected two to three days faster than using standard methods. He cited the case of Arizona State University, where a wastewater sample from a residential college with 300 individuals showed positive results. When the population got tested, two asymptomatic cases were detected which may have caused an outbreak without the wastewater tests in place.[7] The New Zealand wastewater research is led by the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR).[8]

In 2017, Gemmell was voted a fellow of the Linnean Society of London.[9] In December 2017, he was announced as one of six New Zealand scholars who received a Fulbright Scholarship for 2018.[10] Gemmell undertook research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on gene drive for pest control.[11] Gemmell received awards from the Genetics Society of AustralAsia (MJD White Medal – 2018)[12] and the New Zealand Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (NZSBMB Award for Research Excellence – 2019).[13]

In 2019, the University of Otago celebrated its 150th anniversary by creating seven Sesquicentennial Distinguished Chairs (Poutoko Taiea). These were awarded to the highest-achieving professors and Gemmell was awarded one of those positions.[14]

In November 2020, Gemmell was awarded the Hutton Medal, the oldest award bestowed by the Royal Society Te Apārangi. The society's citation said the award was "for fundamentally changing our understanding of animal ecology and evolution and driving the development of new approaches for conservation and management of the world's rarest species".[9][15] Gemmell was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society Te Apārangi in March 2021.[16]