Towards An Understanding Of Dynamic Genetic Regulation At A Global Scale In Bacteria: A Systems Biology Approach
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$486,000.00
Summary
To achieve major breakthroughs in the understanding of the regulation of gene transcription in bacteria at a global scale. High throughput technologies (living cell arrays, tiling DNA microarrays, multidimensional liquid chromatography proteomics and quantitative metabolomics) will be developed in conjunction with new computational modelling concepts to facilitate the understanding of biological complexity. The iterative process of simulations and model driven targeted experiments will generate ....To achieve major breakthroughs in the understanding of the regulation of gene transcription in bacteria at a global scale. High throughput technologies (living cell arrays, tiling DNA microarrays, multidimensional liquid chromatography proteomics and quantitative metabolomics) will be developed in conjunction with new computational modelling concepts to facilitate the understanding of biological complexity. The iterative process of simulations and model driven targeted experiments will generate novel hypotheses about the mechanistic nature of dynamic cellular responses, unravel emerging systems properties, and ultimately provide an efficient roadmap to tackle novel, pathogenic organisms.The role of my laboratory in this project is to perform subcellular localisation of transcription factors, establish standard operating procedures (with other groups) for growth, imaging and image analysis, precisely quantify 6 transcription factors under 3 standardised growth conditions for incorporation into metabolic models, and perform some analysis of transcription complexes.Read moreRead less
The Role Of Interferon-regulatory Factors In The Host Defense Against Bacterial Infection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$355,711.00
Summary
Type I interferons are used in the treatment of viral infection. However, the therapeutic potential of type I interferons for the treatment of bacterial infection is not known because we do not fully understand their functional roles and regulation in hosts infected with bacteria. My proposal aims to investigate the role of one family of regulatory proteins, known as interferon-regulatory factors, in the host defense against foodborne bacteria.
Enhancing Control Of Enteric Bacteria Through Pathogen Genomics
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$645,205.00
Summary
Bacteria part of the Enterobacteriaceae family are responsible for causing significant enteric disease in Australia and internationally. Compounding the public health threat posed by these enteric bacteria is the rise in antimicrobial resistance, which limits treatment options. This project has three complementary research objectives; 1) to investigate new control strategies; 2) to better understand outbreak dynamics and; 3) to explore how bacteria are causing new disease in humans.
Understanding Complex Genomic And Biochemical Landscapes In Human Health Microbiology
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,210,520.00
Summary
There is increasing awareness of the critical roles microbes play in health. The microbes in our gut produce chemicals that control everything from our moods, to food metabolism and immune system function. In this proposal leading-edge technologies from the disciplines of microbiology, genomics, mass-spectrometry and computational biology will be used to reveal for the first time how and why these chemicals are produced by microbes in complex systems that are important for human health.
The Use Of Dosing Software With Bayesian Forecasting To Improve Antimicrobial-plasma Concentrations In The Intensive Care Unit
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$77,422.00
Summary
Emerging technologies such as DSBF is capable of assisting clinicians with selecting dosing regimens that achieve the target antimicrobial concentrations needed for treating infections. We will conduct a clinical trial to investigate the ability of DSBF to improve antimicrobial concentrations of patients in the ICU. The results of this study may lead to clinicians being given a new powerful validated tool for improving the treatment outcomes of patients suffering from infections in the ICU.
Black Death Genomics And The Evolution Of Pathogen Virulence
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$525,412.00
Summary
The Black Death was one of the most lethal plagues of antiquity and changed the course of human history. We will reconstruct and analyse the evolution of its causative agent – the bacterium Yersinia pestis – sampled from human skeletal remains dating back to the Black Death and beyond. We will determine the mutations that changed the virulence of plague epidemics through time, enabling a unique insight into the most dramatic example of pathogen emergence that has ever been available for study.