“It Felt Right” – Leading Honey Researcher Relaunches Lab Where the Mānuka Industry Began

Citing a need for greater collaboration and coordination among honey researchers, Dr Meghan Grainger of University of Waikato has relaunched the Honey Research Unit (HRU) founded by the late Dr Peter Molan at the institute.

University of Waikato senior lecturer Dr Meghan Grainger has been at the forefront of honey research in New Zealand for the past decade and recently relaunched the Honey Research Unit originally founded by her mentor, Dr Peter Molan.

After first discovering the unique non-peroxide antibacterial properties of mānuka honey in the 1980s, University of Waikato biochemist Peter Molan would go on to extend his findings following the launch of a specialist lab at the Hamilton site, named the Honey Research Unit.

“I debated over it for a long time, but this name just feels right,” Grainger says, after announcing the reforming of the lab which Molan founded in 1995 and operated until 2013.

“I wanted to keep it called the Honey Research Unit as a legacy tribute to Peter.”

While the name may be the same, the scope of operations will be much broader second time around.

“He was very much focused on the antibacterial properties of mānuka, but my vision for the future of the lab is it will go so much further,” Grainger says.

“We want to look into antioxidants, as well as phenolics, and we are also looking at other native honey. We are branching out from just mānuka honey, and including the tree itself, and I do a bit of bee research too.

“We know now there are all these other compounds in mānuka honey, but we don’t really know enough about them. The idea is to have a more coordinated effort because there is some good work being done, but people are dabbling and results are not being shared.”

That leads to inefficiencies, both in work crossover and findings not being fully utilised by industry.

Dr Molan was a mentor to Grainger during her studies and the connection between past, present and future for her at the unit is strengthened by the inclusion of vastly experienced honey researcher and Grainger’s supervisor during those studies, Emeritus Prof. Merilyn Manley-Harris. The focus of Grainger’s PhD, completed in 2015, was the conversion of dihydroxyacetone (DHA) to methylglyoxal (MGO) in honey, therefore putting her at the cutting edge of New Zealand honey research for more than a decade.

Thus far a team of six academic staff has been assembled at the HRU, with Associate Professors Mike Clearwater and Charles Lee, along with Dr Linda Peters and Dr Tameryn Stringer joining the collaboration. Their skillset covers analytical, organic and bioinorganic chemistry, as well as plant physiology, microbial ecology and molecular genetics.

Funding is limited at this early stage, but the Unique Mānuka Factor Honey Association (UMFHA) has provided some, plus in-kind support sourcing honey. Other than that, where is the money coming from? “My research account at the moment,” Grainger explains, adding, “you have to start somewhere and have to get momentum before people come in”.

Initial projects on the work plan will be focused on better understanding what Grainger calls “her nemesis”, diastase, as well as C4 sugar levels in mānuka honey. The lack of understanding of those enzymes and sugars in New Zealand honeys are causing major market access issues.

Mānuka honey’s ‘founding father’, Dr Peter Molan opened the Honey Research Unit at the University of Waikato in 1995 and oversaw it until its completion in 2013. In 2025 it has reformed.

Also up early in the research plan is gaining a better understanding of mānuka honey’s health benefits.

“The antibacterial story can only take us so far. We need to know what happens when we ingest it. We will explore the phenolics, which are known antioxidants,” Grainger says.

There is bound to be no shortage of work – if it can be funded – but Grainger says getting some encouraging early results will be more important than getting out over their skis. Already, after initially announcing the relaunch to UMFHA members on July 16, there has been contact made by people looking to support the HRU.

“I can see there is a need for a coordinated effort,” she says, adding “right now we are really in the beginning stages, but I have a vision and it is going to grow”.

The Honey Research Unit is now actively inviting researchers, supporters, and industry collaborators to help expand its work and share knowledge across disciplines. More information on how you can assist is available at www.waikato.ac.nz/honeyresearch.