Novel Inhalation Formulation Of Bacteriophages Against ‘superbugs’ Causing Respiratory Infections
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$563,621.00
Summary
Emergence of superbugs has led to life-threatening respiratory infections that are resistant to most antibiotics. There is an urgent need for alternative treatments not relying on antibiotics. Bacteriophages (or ‘bacteria eaters’) are natural predators of bacteria and are unaffected by antibiotic resistance. This multi-disciplinary project will develop novel therapeutics using inhaled bacteriophages against bacterial infections in the lungs.
Eradication Of High-risk Bacterial Clones Using Bacteriophages
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$685,070.00
Summary
Nature offers remedies to the spread of dangerous antibiotic resistant bacteria in the form of predatory viruses (bacteriophages). In this project, we will define optimal mixtures of these for killing problem bacterial types, the mechanisms by which bacterial resistance develops, the best approach to identifying susceptible bacteria and to using these viruses to eradicate them, and we will test a carefully optimised bacteriophage therapy in humans colonised by the dangerous E. coli ST131 strain.
Structural And Functional Analysis Of Glucosyltransferases (Gtr) Involved In O-antigen Modification Of Shigella Flexneri
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$340,976.00
Summary
Shigellosis caused by Shigella flexneri is a medically significant disease in developing countries. Serotypes of S. flexneri are determined by bacterial cell-surface polysaccharides called O-antigens. Bacterial viruses carry the genes which confer O-antigen modification giving rise to different serotypes. The project will address fundamental processes related to the O-antigen modification by studying structure and function of the enzymes encoded by the O-antigen modification gene cluster.