From shape to function: how structured RNA defines insect flaviviruses. The goal of this project is to obtain an understanding of how insect-specific flaviviruses (ISFs) utilise viral noncoding RNAs to enable their replication in mosquitoes. These viruses only replicate in mosquitoes, and not in humans or animals. They can be employed as the biocontrol agents for mosquito-borne diseases as they make mosquitoes incapable of disease transmission. However, it is currently unknown how exactly insect ....From shape to function: how structured RNA defines insect flaviviruses. The goal of this project is to obtain an understanding of how insect-specific flaviviruses (ISFs) utilise viral noncoding RNAs to enable their replication in mosquitoes. These viruses only replicate in mosquitoes, and not in humans or animals. They can be employed as the biocontrol agents for mosquito-borne diseases as they make mosquitoes incapable of disease transmission. However, it is currently unknown how exactly insect-specific flaviviruses affect mosquitoes and this information is vital for informed design of ISF-based interventions. The project will generate new knowledge on functions of noncoding RNAs in ISFs that are hypothesised to have immunomodulatory role in mosquitoes. It will also train students and ECRs.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230101284
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$397,003.00
Summary
Insect-specific virus host restriction. Mosquito-borne viruses are a topic of intense research due to their complex biology, ecology and evolution, and their potential to produce unpredictable outbreaks of disease in both humans and animals. Insect-specific viruses (ISVs) are viruses that replicate solely in mosquito cell and are unable to infect vertebrate tissues. This project aims to assess the biodiversity of ISVs in the Australian mosquito population and identify key factors behind their re ....Insect-specific virus host restriction. Mosquito-borne viruses are a topic of intense research due to their complex biology, ecology and evolution, and their potential to produce unpredictable outbreaks of disease in both humans and animals. Insect-specific viruses (ISVs) are viruses that replicate solely in mosquito cell and are unable to infect vertebrate tissues. This project aims to assess the biodiversity of ISVs in the Australian mosquito population and identify key factors behind their restriction in vertebrates. The objectives of the studies proposed will answer clearly defined important biological questions about ISVs, while also delivering technological advances, novel reagents and potential commercial outcomes for the control and prevention of arboviral disease. Read moreRead less
Quantitative Metagenomics. This project aims to revolutionize our view of the microbial world once more by transforming microbiome studies from relative counts of organisms to actual numbers of microbes. This project expects to impact all the microbiome studies that are being performed worldwide by unveiling the actual numbers of microbes. Expected outcomes of this project include new techniques to enumerate the number of bacteria in different environments and new approaches to measure gene expr ....Quantitative Metagenomics. This project aims to revolutionize our view of the microbial world once more by transforming microbiome studies from relative counts of organisms to actual numbers of microbes. This project expects to impact all the microbiome studies that are being performed worldwide by unveiling the actual numbers of microbes. Expected outcomes of this project include new techniques to enumerate the number of bacteria in different environments and new approaches to measure gene expression within individual bacteria in any environment that will be demonstrated with complex microbial communities. This should provide significant benefits because microbes affect every aspect of our lives and those effects are driven by how many microbes are present.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL170100022
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,402,903.00
Summary
Redefining virus ecology and evolution. This project aims to employ novel genomic analyses of viruses from Australian fauna to resolve major questions in RNA virus ecology and evolution, and is expected to reveal the basic processes that shape the virosphere, determine how viruses jump species to emerge and cause disease in new hosts, and how viruses evolve new levels of virulence. The research will provide a new understanding of how viruses evolve and contribute to global ecosystems and develop ....Redefining virus ecology and evolution. This project aims to employ novel genomic analyses of viruses from Australian fauna to resolve major questions in RNA virus ecology and evolution, and is expected to reveal the basic processes that shape the virosphere, determine how viruses jump species to emerge and cause disease in new hosts, and how viruses evolve new levels of virulence. The research will provide a new understanding of how viruses evolve and contribute to global ecosystems and develop new bioinformatics tools to identify and analyse highly divergent genome sequences through studying meta-transcriptomic data from diverse animal phyla, from prokaryotes and basal eukaryotes, from iconic native mammalian species and their major invasive pests. The benefits provided will include determining the viromes of native and invasive species and enhancing the efforts to protect iconic Australian species from infectious disease.Read moreRead less
The cellular basis of sex-specific responses to virus infection. This project aims to explore how the sex of cells impacts virus infections in culture. To date, the sex of cells in culture has been overlooked as an important source of biological variability, but may be found to affect basic science through to anti-viral drug discovery. Using a model in which a virus can be adapted to grow better in cells of a single sex, this project expects to generate new knowledge about how sex differences im ....The cellular basis of sex-specific responses to virus infection. This project aims to explore how the sex of cells impacts virus infections in culture. To date, the sex of cells in culture has been overlooked as an important source of biological variability, but may be found to affect basic science through to anti-viral drug discovery. Using a model in which a virus can be adapted to grow better in cells of a single sex, this project expects to generate new knowledge about how sex differences impact virus-host interactions. This project expects to provide new insights into sex-based differences in how cells detect and respond to virus infection, and the extent to which the sex of cells impacts viruses in general.Read moreRead less
Defining the antiviral effects of Wolbachia in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Mosquitoes that carry a bacterium called Wolbachia do not transmit human pathogenic viruses. These mosquitoes are being developed as a biocontrol tool to prevent mosquito-borne diseases. This project aims to define the molecular basis for virus inhibition by Wolbachia. Using unique biological tools including mosquitoes carrying different strains of Wolbachia that do or do not inhibit dengue virus, the project will define ho ....Defining the antiviral effects of Wolbachia in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Mosquitoes that carry a bacterium called Wolbachia do not transmit human pathogenic viruses. These mosquitoes are being developed as a biocontrol tool to prevent mosquito-borne diseases. This project aims to define the molecular basis for virus inhibition by Wolbachia. Using unique biological tools including mosquitoes carrying different strains of Wolbachia that do or do not inhibit dengue virus, the project will define how Wolbachia modifies its host to create an antiviral state. The findings will provide insight into how viral pathogens can be suppressed in insect hosts. This may guide future viral disease intervention strategies for diverse areas afflicted by insect-borne viral disease, including human health and agriculture.Read moreRead less
Antarctic virus-host interactions. This project aims to determine how hosts and viruses interact in the natural environment and during alien invasions. Viruses are important in Antarctic aquatic systems, but foreign viruses introduced into Antarctica threaten indigenous species. Despite this awareness, big gaps exist in understanding how viruses interact with their hosts and how Antarctic communities respond to invasion. This knowledge is expected to reveal how life in Antarctica evolved, and pr ....Antarctic virus-host interactions. This project aims to determine how hosts and viruses interact in the natural environment and during alien invasions. Viruses are important in Antarctic aquatic systems, but foreign viruses introduced into Antarctica threaten indigenous species. Despite this awareness, big gaps exist in understanding how viruses interact with their hosts and how Antarctic communities respond to invasion. This knowledge is expected to reveal how life in Antarctica evolved, and provide information useful for developing policy to manage the Antarctic environment with scope for collaborations between industry and researchers to find practical solutions for biotechnology industries.Read moreRead less
Koala retrovirus epidemic: genetic diversity, genome invasion and disease. This project aims to study the role the koala retrovirus (KoRV) plays in disease of koalas and the mechanisms of transmission in the advancing epidemic. This project aims to firstly, identify mechanisms that govern the rate of southerly dissemination for the ongoing KoRV epidemic and secondly, identify virulence factors that endow KoRV subtypes with distinct modes of transmission that contribute to disease outcome. Unders ....Koala retrovirus epidemic: genetic diversity, genome invasion and disease. This project aims to study the role the koala retrovirus (KoRV) plays in disease of koalas and the mechanisms of transmission in the advancing epidemic. This project aims to firstly, identify mechanisms that govern the rate of southerly dissemination for the ongoing KoRV epidemic and secondly, identify virulence factors that endow KoRV subtypes with distinct modes of transmission that contribute to disease outcome. Understanding the mechanisms behind this advancing epidemic will have important implications for conservation efforts.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220101221
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$453,614.00
Summary
Revealing bat antibody recognition mechanism against bat-borne viruses. Bats act as asymptomic reservoir hosts for numerous zoonotic viruses that are lethal in humans, indicating that the bat immune system can control these viruses. However, little is known about bat immunity including how bat antibodies recognise bat-borne viruses. This project aims to study bat anti-viral antibodies by utilising innovative protein engineering, cutting-edge cryo-EM technology and single-cell isolation and seque ....Revealing bat antibody recognition mechanism against bat-borne viruses. Bats act as asymptomic reservoir hosts for numerous zoonotic viruses that are lethal in humans, indicating that the bat immune system can control these viruses. However, little is known about bat immunity including how bat antibodies recognise bat-borne viruses. This project aims to study bat anti-viral antibodies by utilising innovative protein engineering, cutting-edge cryo-EM technology and single-cell isolation and sequencing. The project seeks to uncover bat-borne zoonotic virus glycoprotein architecture and reveal how bat antibodies function to inhibit viral infection. Expected outcomes will be new insight and tools to combat emerging and yet to emerge pathogens, enabling pandemic preparedness and increasing global biosecurity.
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Why certain viruses don't get along in mosquitoes. The molecular mechanism. The overall goal of this project is to obtain an understanding of how certain insect-only viruses make mosquitoes incapable of transmitting diseases. These viruses, called insect-specific flaviviruses, can be employed as biocontrol agents for mosquito-borne human and veterinary diseases. However as it is currently unknown how exactly they affect mosquitoes, the safety and efficacy of their use can't be predicted. The pro ....Why certain viruses don't get along in mosquitoes. The molecular mechanism. The overall goal of this project is to obtain an understanding of how certain insect-only viruses make mosquitoes incapable of transmitting diseases. These viruses, called insect-specific flaviviruses, can be employed as biocontrol agents for mosquito-borne human and veterinary diseases. However as it is currently unknown how exactly they affect mosquitoes, the safety and efficacy of their use can't be predicted. The proposed project will dissect the very intricate mechanisms of interactions between insect-specific flaviviruses and mosquitoes and explain how exactly they prevent disease transmission. It should generate novel fundamental knowledge, implement innovative methodologies and provide training for students and junior scientist. Read moreRead less