Biology and evolution of intracellular parasitism. This project will investigate the development of intracellular parasitism in environmental amoebae. The outcomes of this work will help to understand the mechanisms by which bacteria have evolved to survive inside cells and in some cases cause disease.
The protein O-glycosylation pathway in Neisseria meningitidis. Neisseria meningitidis causes bacterial meningitis, a sudden and severe disease of particular concern to children in both the developed and developing worlds. This project will contribute to an understanding of how these bacteria evade the immune system by modifying the proteins displayed on their surface, which will help in the development of a vaccine.
Breaking through the Gram-negative cell barrier. This project aims to develop fundamental knowledge of the cell envelope in Gram-negative bacteria, which functions as a permeability barrier to small molecules. Combining innovative functional genomics with biochemistry, this project will determine how small molecules can pass across the cell envelope, and the chemical properties that they need to do so. Some Gram-negative bacteria are human pathogens and cause serious infections, whereas others a ....Breaking through the Gram-negative cell barrier. This project aims to develop fundamental knowledge of the cell envelope in Gram-negative bacteria, which functions as a permeability barrier to small molecules. Combining innovative functional genomics with biochemistry, this project will determine how small molecules can pass across the cell envelope, and the chemical properties that they need to do so. Some Gram-negative bacteria are human pathogens and cause serious infections, whereas others are used in biotechnology for biosynthetic chemical production or bioremediation. This project expects to help the future development of new antibiotics and assist in the design of strains to be used in biotechnological applications.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL210100071
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,246,000.00
Summary
“L-form” bacteria: basic science, antibiotics, evolution and biotechnology. This Fellowship addresses key gaps in knowledge about cell wall deficient bacteria called L-forms: an altered state of bacteria with intriguing properties both structurally and functionally. The main aims of the research program are to improve our understanding of the basic biology of L-forms and employ them as tools in several important ways: for understanding the mechanisms of cell wall synthesis and how antibiotics wo ....“L-form” bacteria: basic science, antibiotics, evolution and biotechnology. This Fellowship addresses key gaps in knowledge about cell wall deficient bacteria called L-forms: an altered state of bacteria with intriguing properties both structurally and functionally. The main aims of the research program are to improve our understanding of the basic biology of L-forms and employ them as tools in several important ways: for understanding the mechanisms of cell wall synthesis and how antibiotics work, as models for early steps in the evolution of cellular life, and as a significant new platform for the production of proteins and fine chemicals. Outcomes and benefits include improved understanding of how to generate new antibiotics, and the development of new platforms for Australian biotechnology and biocommerce.Read moreRead less