Brain metabolic changes in experimental malaria: a paradigm for the molecular mechanisms of intravascular inflammation. Malaria is endemic in countries directly to the north of Australia, as close as Papua New Guinea and East Timor. This project's findings about malaria also will have relevance to other infectious diseases of national importance. The outcomes will contribute to Australia's research reputation. We will build international links that will increase the national knowledge base and r ....Brain metabolic changes in experimental malaria: a paradigm for the molecular mechanisms of intravascular inflammation. Malaria is endemic in countries directly to the north of Australia, as close as Papua New Guinea and East Timor. This project's findings about malaria also will have relevance to other infectious diseases of national importance. The outcomes will contribute to Australia's research reputation. We will build international links that will increase the national knowledge base and research skill base. Young scientists will be trained in state-of-the-art research techniques in a cross-disciplinary environment that is the way of future biological research. The project may identify potential drug targets for malaria or other infectious diseases. The Intellectual Property will be protected and commercialised.Read moreRead less
Identification of the basic elements of Plasmodium transcription. This Discovery Project falls under the NRP for safeguarding Australia. Australian troops stationed in malaria endemic areas face the threat of infection and require medical attention upon return.Any research on malaria will expand our knowledge on prevention and treatment. Australia near malariaendemic locations such as Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.These countries do not have the means to support effective basic research into ....Identification of the basic elements of Plasmodium transcription. This Discovery Project falls under the NRP for safeguarding Australia. Australian troops stationed in malaria endemic areas face the threat of infection and require medical attention upon return.Any research on malaria will expand our knowledge on prevention and treatment. Australia near malariaendemic locations such as Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.These countries do not have the means to support effective basic research into the disease and wealthier countries such as Australia have the responsibility to fill this void.Furthermore, the aims of this Discovery Project are unique within the Australian malaria research community and the results fully complement other studies on transcription regulation of antigenic genes. Read moreRead less
Analysing the protective role of platelets during malaria infection. Platelets protect the host during malarial infection. This project aims to study how platelets kill the malaria parasite by investigating the role of host molecules and their potential as novel antimalarial agents. The role of platelets in the pathogenesis of cerebral malaria syndrome will also be investigated.
Functional and structural diversity of the cathepsin L peptidase from the human blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni. Peptidases are enzymes that are important in many infectious and physiological disease states. For example, they are used by infectious pathogens to enter human tissues and survive inside their bodies. The same type of enzymes also contribute to tissue damage in many pathological processes in humans such as cancer, arithritis and osteoporosis. There is an urgent need to define their s ....Functional and structural diversity of the cathepsin L peptidase from the human blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni. Peptidases are enzymes that are important in many infectious and physiological disease states. For example, they are used by infectious pathogens to enter human tissues and survive inside their bodies. The same type of enzymes also contribute to tissue damage in many pathological processes in humans such as cancer, arithritis and osteoporosis. There is an urgent need to define their structure and properties so that we can employ rational approaches to develop new drugs that can combat these diseases and ailments. Read moreRead less
Chromera velia - a new organism for understanding malaria and related parasitic diseases. Malaria and related parasitic diseases cause millions of deaths annually. Chromera velia is a recently discovered organism that was isolated from Australian corals and is the closest known relative to these parasites. Chromera is able to photosynthesis and live in the absence of a host, making it an excellent organism for developing antimalarial drugs. In this project we will determine key features of Chro ....Chromera velia - a new organism for understanding malaria and related parasitic diseases. Malaria and related parasitic diseases cause millions of deaths annually. Chromera velia is a recently discovered organism that was isolated from Australian corals and is the closest known relative to these parasites. Chromera is able to photosynthesis and live in the absence of a host, making it an excellent organism for developing antimalarial drugs. In this project we will determine key features of Chromera ecology, morphology, genetics and biochemistry. The resulting data will allow us to exploit Chromera as a model for developing anti-parasitic drugs and for understanding parasite evolution. Read moreRead less
Evolution of immunoregulatory networks: preventing autoimmunity at the expense of perpetuating chronicity in persistent infections. Chronic pathogens like HIV take advantage of human genes that regulate immune responses, which evolved to prevent autoimmunity, enabling them to evade eradication. This project defines the nature and interplays between these genes and will provide valuable clues as to how immunity can be manipulated to promote clearance of persistent infections.
Functional characterisation of poly-histidine triad proteins. This project aims to understand the role and function of a novel family of surface proteins produced by Streptococci. These so-called polyhistidine triad proteins are known to contribute to capacity to cause disease in animals and humans, but we need to know how they work, as they may be excellent targets for novel drugs or vaccines.
Probing sexual transformation of the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, using novel imaging modalities. Malaria parasites adopt a characteristic banana shape prior to sexual recombination; without this shape change disease transmission via mosquitoes cannot occur. This project will use advanced imaging technologies to study sexual recombination of malaria with a view to preventing the millions of deaths due to malaria each year.
Novel perspectives on the function of AB5 toxin B subunits in pathogenic bacterial. AB5 toxins are produced by bacteria that cause important diseases in humans and livestock. This project tests the hypothesis that the components of the toxins responsible for binding to host cells and tissues also directly contribute to cellular damage, thereby providing a better understanding of how AB5 toxin-producing bacteria cause disease.
Post-genomic investigation of the relict plastid and mitochondrion of malaria parasites. Malaria is a major global health problem. The malaria parasite has two substructures, a relict chloroplast and a mitochondrion, that are excellent targets for new and existing drugs. However, we do not know the key functions of these two compartments. The entire genetic blueprint (genome) is now available for the malaria parasite and I propose to determine exactly which parts of the genome service the rel ....Post-genomic investigation of the relict plastid and mitochondrion of malaria parasites. Malaria is a major global health problem. The malaria parasite has two substructures, a relict chloroplast and a mitochondrion, that are excellent targets for new and existing drugs. However, we do not know the key functions of these two compartments. The entire genetic blueprint (genome) is now available for the malaria parasite and I propose to determine exactly which parts of the genome service the relict chloroplast and mitochondria. This will sketch out a picture of their inner workings. Armed with this information we can take a rational approach to seeking an Achilles? Heel of malaria against which parasite-specific drugs can be developed.Read moreRead less