Rate My Professor Craig Bunt

Professor Craig Bunt is the Inaugural Professor of Agricultural Innovation at the University of Otago, based in the Department of Food Science. He earned his PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences in 1995 and BPharm (Hons) from the University of Otago. His career trajectory includes serving as a Research Officer at InterAg, a veterinary pharmaceutical company; Senior Lecturer in Pharmaceutics at the University of Auckland; Senior Research Scientist at AgResearch; and Associate Professor in Animal Science at Lincoln University before joining Otago in 2021. As Programme Director of Agricultural Innovation and leader of the Ag/Vet Controlled Release lab, Bunt specializes in bioactive delivery systems, with expertise spanning veterinary pharmaceutics, agriculture, and nutraceuticals. His current research emphasizes electro-spinning/spraying and 3D printing technologies for controlled release formulations. He also serves as Kaiāwhina Māori in Food Science.

Bunt is an author on over 120 research publications and holds 16 patents, including six granted in the USA. Notable publications include 'Progress in peptide and protein therapeutics: Challenges and strategies' (Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B, 2025), 'Advancements in oral insulin: A century of research and the emergence of targeted nanoparticle strategies' (European Journal of Lipid Science & Technology, 2024), 'Stability of Bovine Lactoferrin in Luminal Extracts and Mucosal Homogenates from Rat Intestine: A Prelude to Oral Absorption' (year not specified in sources), and 'The Mobility of Silver Nanoparticles and Silver Ions in the Soil-Plant System' (year not specified). His achievements include an OECD fellowship; Chiasma, Uniservices, and Ideas Challenge prizes from the Spark Ideas Entrepreneurship Challenge; Supreme Winner of the Waikato Agribusiness Innovation Awards; and the Controlled Release Society's Outstanding Veterinary Paper award. Bunt's work contributes to advancements in biotechnology, agriculture, and wildlife solutions, enhancing New Zealand's agricultural sector.