RP105 Is A New Innate Immune Receptor For Mycobacterium Tuberculosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$525,583.00
Summary
Tuberculosis (TB) is a major global health threat that causes 1.7 million deaths every year. This study will characterise the interactions between the bacteria that cause TB and a new immune sensor. We found that this sensor is involved in controlling TB and this project will determine how it contributes to the immune defence against the infection. Such knowledge will help improve patient management and develop an effective vaccine and better treatments for this devastating disease.
Innate Immune Signalling In Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Infection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$562,857.00
Summary
Tuberculosis (TB) is a major global health threat that causes 1.5 million deaths every year. This study will characterise a new molecular control mechanism that optimises the immune response to the bacteria that cause TB and determine how it contributes to controlling the infection. Such knowledge is essential to help improve patient management and develop better treatments for this devastating disease.
Circuit Breaker: Investigating The Regulatory Circuits Controlling Expression Of Drug Efflux Pumps In The Nosocomial Pathogen Acinetobacter Baumannii
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$515,244.00
Summary
Hospital-acquired infections caused by drug resistant pathogenic bacteria cost billions of dollars and increase patient pain and morbidity. This research will study the genes controlling multidrug efflux pumps in a major hospital-acquired bacterial pathogen, Acinetobacter baumannii. These efflux pumps make the bacteria resistant to antimicrobials by pumping them out of the cell. The results will allow us to better track drug resistant strains and will inform treatment options.
Antibiotic Tolerance And Small RNA Networks In Staphylococcus Aureus
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$521,559.00
Summary
Treatment of MRSA is restricted to last line antibiotics and treatment failure is associated with an intermediate tolerance to vancomycin. Regulatory molecules termed small RNA mediate responses to antibiotic challenge but their functions are poorly understood. This proposal will profile sRNA function to understand how they adapt S. aureus to antibiotic challenge. A molecular understanding of vancomycin-tolerance will inform development of diagnostics and treatment strategies.
Essential Gene Regulation In Multi-drug Resistant Golden Staph: A New Path Towards Control
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$784,452.00
Summary
New antibiotics effective against Golden Staph are urgently needed. This project will investigate a new approach to weaken Golden Staph defences with the potential to make existing antibiotics more effective at killing these bacteria.
Understanding The Role Of The Essential Regulator WalKR In Staphylococcus Aureus
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$555,239.00
Summary
Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common human bacterial pathogens. This project aims to characterise an important global control system in S. aureus, and determine if chemical inhibitors of this control system could be used to treat S. aureus disease in the future.
Combating E. Coli Diarrhoea By Disarming Bacterial Virulence
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$674,737.00
Summary
E. coli causes severe and persistent diarrhoea which affects the health of millions of people worldwide. Although antibiotics may alleviate E. coli diarrhoea, these bacteria are becoming resistant to most drugs. In this study, we will use state-of-the-art technology to discover novel types of drug that treat and prevent infection with E. coli, without harming the beneficial bacteria in the gut.
Global Regulatory Networks That Control Virulence In Clostridium Perfringens
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$531,557.00
Summary
This research focuses on the bacterium that is responsible for clostridial myonecrosis, or gas gangrene, an often fatal human infection. The objective is to determine how this bacterium controls the production of the various factors that are required to cause disease. The aims will be achieved by the integrated application of the latest techniques in microbiology and molecular biology and will result in a significant advancement in our knowledge of this complex regulatory process.
Regulation Of Virulence Gene Expression In Clostridium Perfringens
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$585,497.00
Summary
This project involves the analysis of a bacterium that causes gas gangrene. We have shown that a previously unknown regulatory protein modulates the ability of this bacterium to cause disease. We aim to determine what turns on the protein's activity, how it controls the factors that contribute towards disease and what specific factors are involved in disease. The major outcome will be a better understanding of the mechanisms of virulence gene regulation, which will lead to improved methods of di ....This project involves the analysis of a bacterium that causes gas gangrene. We have shown that a previously unknown regulatory protein modulates the ability of this bacterium to cause disease. We aim to determine what turns on the protein's activity, how it controls the factors that contribute towards disease and what specific factors are involved in disease. The major outcome will be a better understanding of the mechanisms of virulence gene regulation, which will lead to improved methods of disease control.Read moreRead less