Overview
Background
Dr Natasha Hungerford is an organic chemist and has extensive experience in natural products chemistry. She is a Senior Research Fellow leading the Natural Toxin group within the Centre for Animal Science, Queensland Alliance for Agricultural and Food Innovation (QAAFI) and is based at the Health and Food Sciences Precinct (Cooper's Plains). She joined QAAFI in 2016 and specialises in natural plant toxins and their impacts on livestock and human health, including food safety and regulations. Collaborative projects with government/industry have spanned mitigation of toxin impacts on cattle, to evaluation of toxins in honey (and health impacts). Subsequent examinations of stingless bee honey serendipitously led to the ground-breaking discovery of the rare sugar trehalulose as a major component of these honeys. Dr Hungerford continues to lead and manage projects to address agricultural industry challenges, including reducing methane gas emissions for a carbon neutral beef industry and international stingless bee honey development.
Dr Hungerford achieved her PhD in 1998, through the UQ School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, and subsequently conducted postdoctoral research in natural products chemistry and in synthetic organic chemistry, at the University of Oxford, Australian National University, The University of Sydney, Griffith University and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Availability
- Dr Natasha Hungerford is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science, The University of Queensland
- Bachelor (Honours) of Science (Advanced), The University of Queensland
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Research interests
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Natural toxins analysis
Dr Natasha Hungerford's research interests focus on the identification and analysis of natural toxins present in specific plants, with the aim of minimising risks to Australian livestock and to the consumer of certain food products. In particular, the source and identity of pyrrolizidine alkaloid contamination has been assessed by the extraction and identification of pyrrolizidine alkaloids from various plants. Work to mitigate the Pimelea toxin, simplexin, which causes often fatal cattle poisoning in animals grazing inland areas of Australia, is being undertaken. The level of simplexin is being analysed in in vitro rumen trials to monitor and assess the effects of various strategies to breakdown or remove the toxin in the rumen, including microbial degradation, use of adsorbents or biopolymers.
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Atypical sugars in novel foods
The presence of significant quantities of the sugar trehalulose in stingless bee honey has prompted a study, funded by Queensland Health, into the levels of atypical sugars in other novel and emerging foods. Public health implications of atypical sugars identified will be examined.
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Slowed delivery of bioactive compounds that reduce enteric methane
This project involves an interdisciplinary team of researchers from UQ and DAF with the aim of reducing methane emissions from beef cattle. The developed technology will be assessed for the controlled release of active-agents to provide a sustained reduction in enteric methane, applicable to extensive cattle grazing systems.
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Bioactives in stingless bee honey
A recent focus has been the analysis of the properties of stingless bee honey, particularly the unique sugar content of these honeys, with this work culminating in grants from AgriFutures Australia and the Malaysian Government International Collaborative Fund (led by Universiti Putra Malaysia). LCMS technologies, ion chromatography, and stable isotope MS techniques have been used in collaboration with Queensland Health with the aims of optimising stingless bee honey bioactive content. This work provided the first report of the atypical disaccharide trehalulose as a major component of the honey of stingless bees (Meliponini) from Australia (2 species), Malaysia (2 species) and Brazil (1 species). Our research has shown that the low GI sugar trehalulose, which is not found significantly in regular honey or as a major component in any other food, is produced by the bees themselves from nectar sucrose. Further studies seek to understand the mechanism of this bee catalysed isomerisation of sucrose to trehalulose.
Works
Search Professor Natasha Hungerford’s works on UQ eSpace
2022
Conference Publication
Honey authenticity and provenance
Hungerford, Natasha (2022). Honey authenticity and provenance. TropAg International Agriculture Conference 2022, Brisbane, 31 October - 2 November 2022.
2022
Conference Publication
The origin of rare reducing sugar, trehalulose, in Australian stingless bee honey
Zhang, J., Hungerford, N. L., Smith, T. J., Yates, H. S. A. and Fletcher, M. T. (2022). The origin of rare reducing sugar, trehalulose, in Australian stingless bee honey. 34th Australian Association of Animal Sciences Conference, Cairns, QLD Australia, 5-7 July 2022.
2022
Conference Publication
Effects of adsorbents and probiotics in mitigating simplexin poisoning effects in cattle fed Pimelea
Loh, Z. H., Hungerford, N. L., Ouwerkerk, D., Klieve, A. V. and Fletcher, M. T. (2022). Effects of adsorbents and probiotics in mitigating simplexin poisoning effects in cattle fed Pimelea. 34th Biennial Conference of the Australian Association of Animal Sciences, Cairns, QLD, Australia, 5 - 7 July 2022. Clayton, VIC, Australia: CSIRO Publishing.
2022
Conference Publication
Sugar feeding trials establish the origin of trehalulose in stingless bee honey
Hungerford, Natasha L., Zhang, Jiali, Smith, Tobias J., Yates, Hans S. A., Chowdhury, Sadia A., Carter, James F., Carpinelli de Jesus, Matheus and Fletcher, Mary T. (2022). Sugar feeding trials establish the origin of trehalulose in stingless bee honey. RACI National Congress, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 3-8 July 2022.
2022
Conference Publication
Trehalulose formation in Australian stingless bees: an intermolecular isomerization of nectar sucrose
Zhang, Jiali, Hungerford, Natasha L., Yates, Hans S. A., Smith, Tobias J. and Fletcher, Mary T. (2022). Trehalulose formation in Australian stingless bees: an intermolecular isomerization of nectar sucrose. RACI National Congress, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 3-8 July 2022.
2022
Conference Publication
From Nectar to Hive: Stingless Bee Honey
Hungerford, Natasha L. (2022). From Nectar to Hive: Stingless Bee Honey. Crop to Kitchen 2022 Showcase, Coopers Plains, QLD Australia, 29 June 2022.
2022
Conference Publication
The origin and optimization of trehalulose in Australian stingless bee honey
Zhang, J., Lai, C., Yates, H. S. A., Smith, T. J., Hungerford, N. L. and Fletcher, M. T. (2022). The origin and optimization of trehalulose in Australian stingless bee honey. 3rd Australian Native Bee Conference, Rosehill, NSW Australia, 11-12 June 2022.
2022
Conference Publication
Stingless bee honeys feature an unusual bioactive sugar, trehalulose
Hungerford, N. L., Zhang, J., Smith, T. J., Yates, H. S. A., Carpinelli de Jesus, M., Webber, D., Stone, I. S. J. , Blanchfield, J. T., Zawawi, N. and Fletcher, M. T. (2022). Stingless bee honeys feature an unusual bioactive sugar, trehalulose. 3rd Australian Native Bee Conference, Rosehill, NSW Australia, 11-12 June 2022.
2022
Conference Publication
Fingerprinting pyrrolizidine alkaloids in plants and honey
Hungerford, Natasha (2022). Fingerprinting pyrrolizidine alkaloids in plants and honey. Natural Drugs and Toxins in Australia, Coopers Plains, QLD Australia, 18 May 2022.
2022
Journal Article
How is trehalulose formed by Australian stingless bees? - An intermolecular displacement of nectar sucrose
Zhang, Jiali, Hungerford, Natasha L., Yates, Hans S.A., Smith, Tobias J. and Fletcher, Mary T. (2022). How is trehalulose formed by Australian stingless bees? - An intermolecular displacement of nectar sucrose. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 70 (21), 6530-6539. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c01732
2022
Journal Article
Unique physicochemical properties and rare reducing sugar trehalulose mandate new international regulation for stingless bee honey
Zawawi, Norhasnida, Zhang, Jiali, Hungerford, Natasha L., Yates, Hans S.A., Webber, Dennis C., Farrell, Madeleine, Tinggi, Ujang, Bhandari, Bhesh and Fletcher, Mary T. (2022). Unique physicochemical properties and rare reducing sugar trehalulose mandate new international regulation for stingless bee honey. Food Chemistry, 373 (Pt B) 131566, 131566. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.131566
2022
Conference Publication
Determination of phenolic compounds and organic acids of stingless bee honey from Malaysia and Australia
Ramlan, Nurul Ainaa Farhanah Mat, Zaini, Nur Syamimi, Hungerford, Natasha, Fletcher, Mary and Zawawi, Norhasnida (2022). Determination of phenolic compounds and organic acids of stingless bee honey from Malaysia and Australia. TropAg International Agriculture Conference 2022, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 31 October - 2 November 2022.
2021
Book
Optimising bioactive content of Australian stingless bee honey
Fletcher, Mary, Hungerford, Natasha and Smith, Tobias (2021). Optimising bioactive content of Australian stingless bee honey. Wagga Wagga, NSW Australia: AgriFutures Australia.
2021
Journal Article
Extraction and determination of the Pimelea toxin simplexin in complex plant-polymer biocomposites using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometry
Yuan, Yue, Hungerford, Natasha L., Gauthier, Emilie, Ouwerkerk, Diane, Yong, Ken W. L., Fletcher, Mary T. and Laycock, Bronwyn (2021). Extraction and determination of the Pimelea toxin simplexin in complex plant-polymer biocomposites using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometry. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 413 (20), 5121-5133. doi: 10.1007/s00216-021-03475-5
2021
Conference Publication
Stingless bees produce honey rich in the beneficial disaccharide, trehalulose
Hungerford, Natasha L., Zhang, Jiali, Smith, Tobias J., Carpinelli de Jesus, Matheus, Yates, Hans S. A., Chowdhury, Sadia A., Carter, James F., Webber, Dennis, Stone, Isobella S. J., Blanchfield, Joanne T., Zawawi, Norhasnida, Schirra, Horst J., Tran, Trong D. and Fletcher, Mary T. (2021). Stingless bees produce honey rich in the beneficial disaccharide, trehalulose. Symposium of Research & Innovation for Food (SoRIF), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia via WebEX, 23-24 June 2021.
2021
Journal Article
Occurrence of environmental contaminants (pesticides, herbicides, PAHs) in Australian/Queensland Apis mellifera honey
Hungerford, Natasha L., Fletcher, Mary T., Tsai, Heng Hang, Hnatko, Darina, Swann, Lorinda J., Kelly, Cassandra L., Anuj, Shalona R., Tinggi, Ujang, Webber, Dennis C., Were, Stephen T. and Tan, Benjamin L. L. (2021). Occurrence of environmental contaminants (pesticides, herbicides, PAHs) in Australian/Queensland Apis mellifera honey. Food Additives and Contaminants: Part B, 14 (3), 1-13. doi: 10.1080/19393210.2021.1914743
2021
Journal Article
The validity of protein in Australian honey as an internal standard for C4 sugar adulteration
Chowdhury, Sadia A., Carter, James. F., Anuj, Shalona R., Cozzolino, Daniel, Hungerford, Natasha L. and Fletcher, Mary T. (2021). The validity of protein in Australian honey as an internal standard for C4 sugar adulteration. Food Analytical Methods, 14 (4), 823-833. doi: 10.1007/s12161-020-01938-6
2021
Conference Publication
Enriching for rumen bacteria to degrade the Pimelea plant toxin simplexin, in an anaerobic in vitro fermenter
Ouwerkerk, D., Gilbert, R. A., Gravel, J. L., Maguire, A. J., Minchin, C. M., Hungerford, N. L., Loh, Z. H. and Fletcher, M. T. (2021). Enriching for rumen bacteria to degrade the Pimelea plant toxin simplexin, in an anaerobic in vitro fermenter. Australian Association of Animal Sciences Biennial Conference (AAAS 2021), Fremantle, WA Australia, 1-3 February 2021. Australian Association of Animal Sciences and CSIRO. doi: 10.1071/ANv61n3abs
2021
Conference Publication
Pimelea toxin simplexin and its potential degradation products
Loh, Z. H., Hungerford, N. L., Ouwerkerk, D., Klieve, A. V. and Fletcher, M. T. (2021). Pimelea toxin simplexin and its potential degradation products. Australian Association of Animal Sciences Biennial Conference (AAAS 2021), Fremantle, WA Australia, 1-3 February 2021. Australian Association of Animal Sciences and CSIRO. doi: 10.1071/ANv61n3abs
2021
Journal Article
Study gets the buzz on stingless bee honey
Hungerford, Natasha L., Fletcher, Mary T. and Zawawi, Norhasnida (2021). Study gets the buzz on stingless bee honey. TheScienceBreaker, 7 (1). doi: 10.25250/thescbr.brk453
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Natasha Hungerford is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Available projects
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Slow-release rumen inserts to deliver bioactive compounds that reduce enteric methane
Methane emissions could be substantially cut through a $7.5-million project to develop slow-release rumen insert technology for cattle containing a gas-reducing bioactive.
The University of Queensland and Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) collaboration is being funded by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) and the MLA Donor Company Limited, to help producers meet the CN30 target to make the meat industry carbon neutral by 2030. The ability to ensure each animal receives a sustained dose of a methane-reducing active agent over an extended timeframe would be a fantastic win for the beef cattle industry, helping it achieve its goal to reduce methane emissions – particularly in cattle grazing extensive pastures.
This is a large multdisciplinary project and there is opportunity for PhD candidates with either an animal science or analytical chemistry background to be part of this biotechnology project.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Stingless bee enzymes for biotransformation of cane sugar to a low GI sugar
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor James De Voss, Emerita Professor Mary Fletcher, Dr Loan Nguyen
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Doctor Philosophy
Atypical saccharides in emerging and novel foods
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Emerita Professor Mary Fletcher, Dr Viviene Santiago
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Doctor Philosophy
Investigating the nutritional and bioactive properties of native Australian Citrus species
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Yasmina Sultanbawa, Dr Michael Netzel
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Doctor Philosophy
Computer-guided characterisation of molecules to reduce methane emission in ruminants
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Elizabeth Krenske
Completed supervision
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
Mitigation of Pimelea poisoning of livestock using adsorbents
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Bronwyn Laycock, Emerita Professor Mary Fletcher
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Mitigating the effects of the toxin simplexin in Pimelea poisoning of cattle by development of a microbial probiotic
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emerita Professor Mary Fletcher
Media
Enquiries
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