Alpha Group and Massey University mark 20 years of fungi research partnership

More than two decades after Professor Yihuai Gao first began collaborating with Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University, the founder of the Alpha Group has been honored for his pioneering research into fungi bioactives and their impact on human health.

At a ceremony held at Massey’s historic Turitea House, the university presented Professor Gao with a framed letter acknowledging the longevity and impact of his partnership with the Riddet Institute, a government Centre of Research Excellence hosted by the university. The celebration also included a lunch, the gifting of a ceremonial tea set from the Alpha Group, and a tour of the Institute’s newly equipped food bioprocessing laboratories.

Professor Gao, who established the Alpha Group in 1998, is now a globally recognized expert in medicinal fungi research. His early collaboration with Massey led to the discovery and scientific validation of reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) extracts, long revered in China as lingzhi. These extracts have since been shown to provide immune support as well as regulate blood pressure and cholesterol.

Reflecting on the milestone, Professor Gao highlighted the personal connections at the foundation of the partnership. “Massey University to me is an important part of my science and life,” he said. “I thank Massey University through providing the help of Paul Moughan and Harjinder Singh all those years ago.”

The collaboration began in the late 1990s when Professor Gao first met Distinguished Professors Paul Moughan and Harjinder Singh, who would later establish the Riddet Institute. Their early work together focused on kiwifruit, including identifying beneficial compounds in its skin and seeds. Gao then turned to fermentation of medicinal fungi, a field that would define his scientific career and underpin the rise of the Alpha Group as a global nutraceutical company.

“My research collaboration began with friendship, but finding the practical application for the research has been paramount,” Professor Gao noted.

Chinese-born and now based in New Zealand, Gao credits the country’s diverse plant and food resources as fertile ground for innovation. Today, Alpha Group operates from its head office and biotech manufacturing facility in Auckland, with additional production capacity in China and a worldwide distribution network for its health supplements.

Distinguished Professor Moughan recalled first meeting Gao at Massey in 1997. “In that time, not only has the Alpha Group supported us, but we have watched it grow from very small beginnings to a multi-million-dollar operation,” he said. “It has grown from nothing to be this really substantial New Zealand company, very much leveraging New Zealand science to bridge the gap with China.”

That bridging role has been central to Alpha Group’s growth. By combining New Zealand’s strong agricultural science base with Gao’s expertise and international connections, the company has been able to bring novel nutraceuticals to a global customer base, particularly across China and wider Asia.

Massey University Provost Giselle Byrnes emphasized the unique longevity and alignment of the partnership. “We see a strong values alignment between the Alpha Group and Massey University in this food, nutrition and nutraceutical research that aims to make a difference to people’s health and wellbeing,” she said.

“The length of this partnership is a testimony to Distinguished Professors Moughan and Singh and the deep relationship they have built with Professor Gao and the Alpha Group,” Byrnes added.

She also pointed to the collaboration’s dual impact: advancing the scientific understanding of fungi bioactives and ensuring their translation into products with global reach. “Through high-quality scientific research the collaboration has unlocked the power of specific ingredients for health benefits, while also opening up a global audience through Professor Gao’s connections with a customer base in China and wider Asia,” she said.

While reishi mushroom extracts remain the foundation of Alpha Group’s success, the collaboration is now moving into new territory. A joint biotech research project has begun at the Riddet Institute focusing on shiitake mushrooms, signaling the next chapter in a partnership that has already spanned two decades.

For Professor Gao, the milestone represents both a celebration of past achievements and a commitment to future innovation. The partnership that began with personal friendship and early kiwifruit research has grown into a substantial global nutraceutical enterprise grounded in New Zealand science.

As Gao summed up during the ceremony, the collaboration with Massey has been central to his life’s work: a rare example of academic-industry partnership that has endured for more than 20 years and continues to chart new directions in fungi research.