John Mackay

John has been working in the PCR area for over 30 years and has been developing and optimising real-time PCR and molecular diagnostic assays for most of them ! Prior to establishing dnature, John held a range of positions in Applied Science and Molecular Diagnostics for Roche before leaving Auckland to move to Gisborne and work on grapevine virus diagnostics.

John brings a strong sales, technical support and laboratory background to dnature. Over the years John has developed diagnostic qPCR assays and DNA/RNA extraction methods for a range of primary industry applications.  Examples of this work include Psa3 (kiwifruit), bonamia (Bluff oyster), honeybee pathogens and the industry Manuka honey DNA test.

John has developed a number of multiplex qPCR assays, including the detection of 5 grapevine viruses plus internal control in the one reaction. In 2008-9 he developed a novel duplex hydrolysis (‘TaqMan’) probe assay for Avocado Sunblotch Viroid (ASBVd) that was used to declare country of freedom for New Zealand, from this dangerous pathogen. When the virus behind COVID-19 loomed, he used international contacts to bring the first tests into New Zealand and went on to develop the first tests to differentiate strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, as well as champion saliva testing for surveillance.

He has a special interest in high resolution melting analysis and has designed a number of genotyping SNP assays using both amplicon and probe (unlabelled and snapback) formats. He developed and published a DNA fingerprinting method using the high resolution melting of microsatellites for determining plant cultivars – this method has now been extended to other plant and human microsatellite analyses by others. More recently, he has lead the development of novel eDNA methods to detect the devastating bee disease, American Foulbrood. This test has now been commercialised under the name of ‘The Foster Method’.

The major drive of the testing applications for dnature is using DNA methods to help solve issues facing various industries (DNA in a range of nature = dnature).

RECENT PUBLICATIONS:

  • MACKAY, J. F., Hewett, R. E., Smith, N. T., Waters, T. L., & Scandrett, J. S. (2024). The Foster method: rapid and non-invasive detection of clinically significant American Foulbrood disease levels using eDNA sampling and a dual-target qPCR assay, with its potential for other hive pathogens. Journal of Apicultural Research, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/00218839.2024.2306445
  • Woon ST, Tjandra F, MACKAY J, Lumley T, Grainger P, Wood A, Hsiao KC, Ameratunga R. Detection of interferon alpha and beta receptor subunit 1 (IFNAR1) loss-of-function Glu386∗ variant by tri-allelic genotyping. Pathology. 2024 Feb;56(1):92-97. doi: 10.1016/j.pathol.2023.09.006. Epub 2023 Oct 29. PMID: 37973454.
  • Khan S., MACKAY J.F., Liefting L. and Ward L. (2015). Development of a duplex one-step RT-qPCR assay for the simultaneous detection of Apple scar skin viroid and plant RNA internal control. J. Virol. Methods 221: 100-105
  • Taking it to the Extreme: PCR at Wittwerspeed. MACKAY J.F. (2015). Clinical Chemistry 61(1): 4-5
  • Vanneste, J.L., Yu, J., Cornish, D.A., Tanner, D.J., Windner, R., Chapman, J.R., Taylor, R.K., MACKAY, J.F., Dowlut. (2013). Identification, virulence and distribution of two populations of Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae in New Zealand. Plant Disease 96 (6): 708-719
  • MACKAY J.F. and Wittwer C.T. (2011). High Resolution Melting Analysis. In PCR Troubleshooting and Optimization: The Essential Guide. Horizon Press.