David HOPKINS

Research interests

• Factors impacting on the tenderisation of meat 
• Growth, carcase composition and meat quality in sheep 
• Application of electrical technologies to the sheep processing industry 
• Dehydration of lambs and sheep pre-slaughter 
• Development of an eating quality scheme for Australia 
• Methods to improve the quality of lamb, beef and goat meat

Background

David Hopkins has two degrees from the University of Melbourne and completed his PhD at the University of New England focussing on biochemical mechanisms responsible for tenderisation in meat. He worked for the Tasmanian Department of Agriculture for six years before moving into a newly created position with NSW DPI. As a Principal Research Scientist with a focus on meat science he has built a team of people, with two other researchers and two technical staff and also supervises post-graduate students from around the world.

He is the sole meat scientist in NSW DPI and has published extensively (more than 250 papers) on meat and carcase studies and sits on the Editorial board of four journals. He has authored a number of seminal papers and been invited to write several book chapters. He has led several projects in the Australian Sheep Industry Cooperative Research Centre and has conducted numerous studies with Meat & Livestock Australia funding.
David is a born-again Christian who grew up on a grazing property in the South West of Victoria.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Agricultural Science (B. Agr. Sc.)
  University of Melbourne, 1978-81 
• Master of Agricultural Science (M. Agr. Sc.)
  University of Melbourne, 1982-84 
• Doctor of Philosophy (Meat Science) (PhD)
  University of New England, 1998-2000

Current projects

• Accelerated sheep meat processing 
• Application of processing and measurement technologies for sheep meat 
• New meat phenotypes described for integration into sheep selection systems 
• Production aspects associated with an Information nucleus 
• Study of the biology and production systems for expression of meat phenotypes 
• Enzymes for tenderisation
• Value adding to sheep, beef and goat meat

Select Publications

Hopkins DL and Geesink GH (2009)  Protein degradation post mortem and tenderisation. In Applied Muscle Biology and Meat Science, pp. 149-173, (Ed Du, M. and McCormick, R.), CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, USA.

Karumendu L, van den Ven R, Kerr MJ, Lamb TA, Lanza M, and Hopkins DL (2009) Particle Size Analysis of lamb meat: Effect of homogenization speed, comparison with myofibrillar fragmentation index and its relationship with shear force. Meat Science 82, 425-431.

Ponnampalam EN, Hopkins DL, Butler KL, Dunshea FR, Sinclair AJ, and Warner RD (2009) Polyunsaturated fats in meat from Merino, first- and second-cross sheep slaughtered at yearling stage. Meat Science 83, No. 2. 314-319.\

Allingham PG, Barris W, Reverter A, Hilsenstein V, van de Ven R, and Hopkins DL (2009) Sire and growth path effects on sheep meat production 3. Fascicular structure of lamb loin muscle (m. longissimus lumborum) and the impact on eating quality. Animal Production Science 49, No. 3. 239-247.

Hopkins DL, Toohey ES, Pearce KL and Richards I (2008)  Some important changes in the Australian sheep meat processing industry. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48, No. 6-7. 752-756.

Refshauge G, Hatcher S, Hinch GN, Nielsen S and Hopkins DL (2008) The impact of clean fleece weight and bodyweight selection in Merinos on meat traits in the progeny. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48, No. 8. 1076-1084.

Pearce KL, Hopkins DL, Jacob RH, Williams A, Pethick DW and Phillips JK (2008)  Alternating frequency to increase the stimulation response from medium voltage electrical stimulation and the effects on meat traits. Meat Science 81, No. 1. 188-195.

Safari E, Fogarty NM, Hopkins DL, Greeff JC, Brien FD, Atkins KD, Mortimer SI, Taylor PJ, and van der Werf JHJ (2008) Genetic correlations between ewe reproduction and carcass and meat quality traits in Merino sheep. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics 125, 397-402.

Hopkins DL and Taylor RG (2004) Post-mortem muscle proteolysis and meat tenderness.  In Muscle Development of Livestock Animals: Physiology, Genetics, and Meat Quality, pp. 363-388, (Ed Everts, M, te Pas, M. and Haagsman, H.), CAB International, UK.

Hwang IH, Devine CE and Hopkins DL (2003) The biochemical and physical effects of electrical stimulation on beef and sheep meat tenderness a review. Meat Science, 65, No.2, 677-691.

Hopkins DL and Thompson JM (2002) The degradation of myofibrillar proteins in beef and lamb meat using denaturing electrophoresis An overview. Journal of Muscle Foods 13, No. 2, 81-102.

Hopkins DL and Thompson JM (2002) Factors contributing to proteolysis and disruption of myofibrillar proteins and the impact on tenderisation in beef and sheep meat. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 53, No. 2, 149-166.

Professional associations and activities

• Editorial Board member of the International Journal of Meat Science
• Associate editor of Animal Production Science 
• Associate editor of the International Journal of Sheep and Wool Science
• Editorial board member of Recent Patents on Food, Nutrition & Agriculture 
• Australian Society of Animal Production 
• New Zealand Society of Animal Production 
• Co-ordinating Editor for a Special Issue of Australian Journal of Agricultural Research: Growth and Carcass Characteristics of Lambs Nutritional and Genetic Influences 2006. 
• Co-ordinating Editor for a Special Issue of Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture: Lamb and hogget growth, carcase composition, muscle and fat biochemistry and meat quality 2007.

Fields of Research

• 060107 Enzymes 
• 060807 Animal Structure and Function 
• 060603 Animal Physiology Systems 
• 070202 Animal Growth and Development 
• 070203 Animal Management 
• 070299 Animal Production not elsewhere classified

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

Keyword/phrase list of research interests

• Meat 
• tenderisation 
• carcase composition 
• eating quality

Related web links

• Sheep CRC 'Practical wisdom' notes
• A series of technical notes on enterprise management, nutrition and quality sheepmeat.
  

Contact details