How bacteria cause disease in the urinary tract. This project will investigate the virulence properties of uropathogenic Escherichia coli, the major causative agent of urinary tract infections (UTI) in humans. The results will help to understand how these bacterial pathogens cause disease and will impact strategies aimed at the prevention and treatment of chronic and recurrent UTI.
New models as tools for defining mechanisms of microbe survival in the urogenital tract. Bacteria that infect the human urogenital tract can cause serious disease and these infections represent a large cost to the health-care system world-wide. This study will focus on how bacteria survive in the human urogenital tract and this will impact on strategies aimed at preventing and treating these infections.
MOLECULAR APPROACHES TO OVERCOME SCABIES AND ASSOCIATED DISEASE. Scabies causes childhood pyoderma predisposing to severe disease in later life. It is a major increasing health burden in Indigenous people of Northern Australia. Drug resistance is developing in mites and bacteria. The lack of clinical material has hampered molecular research and this work will use comparative genomics of parasitic and free living mites and microbiome analysis to understand fundamental aspects of mite biology and ....MOLECULAR APPROACHES TO OVERCOME SCABIES AND ASSOCIATED DISEASE. Scabies causes childhood pyoderma predisposing to severe disease in later life. It is a major increasing health burden in Indigenous people of Northern Australia. Drug resistance is developing in mites and bacteria. The lack of clinical material has hampered molecular research and this work will use comparative genomics of parasitic and free living mites and microbiome analysis to understand fundamental aspects of mite biology and pathogenesis. The understanding of proteins that are essential for mite survival and interfere with host defences will allow the informed design of peptide inhibitors as a new strategy to develop alternative treatment options.Read moreRead less
Understanding the dynamics of malaria infection. Malaria infection kills around one million patients each year and this project involves an interdisciplinary team who will directly measure how the parasite grows and is killed by the immune system. A better understanding of parasite growth and control will help develop better drugs therapy and vaccination for this important infection.
Screening platforms for malaria drug discovery: identification of new therapeutics. Innovative image based technologies will be developed to identify molecules which stop malaria parasite growth and its transmission to the mosquito host. As more resistance is emerging against the current drugs of choice, new molecules acting through different mechanisms are urgently needed.
Regulation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication by viral and cellular proteins. Using a mouse model, human cells will be treated with a very powerful antiviral protein using a gene therapy approach so as to block the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from growing. By learning how this antiviral protein works, this project will assist in the development of new strategies to treat HIV infection.
Ecology and transmission of tick-borne disease in Australia. Ecology and transmission of tick-borne disease in Australia. This project aims to determine the bacterial, protozoal and viral biodiversity in wildlife ticks and their native mammal hosts, and provide new information about the biology and transmission dynamics of these microorganisms and their potential to cause disease in wildlife, domesticated animals and humans. Anticipated outcomes are improved diagnostic tests and management proto ....Ecology and transmission of tick-borne disease in Australia. Ecology and transmission of tick-borne disease in Australia. This project aims to determine the bacterial, protozoal and viral biodiversity in wildlife ticks and their native mammal hosts, and provide new information about the biology and transmission dynamics of these microorganisms and their potential to cause disease in wildlife, domesticated animals and humans. Anticipated outcomes are improved diagnostic tests and management protocols for tick-borne disease in Australia.Read moreRead less
The protein O-glycosylation pathway of Neisseria: a model system for O-glycosylation of bacterial proteins with potential use in biotechnology. Proteins can be modified by the addition of sugar molecules. This process, called glycosylation, has been studied for some time in humans and other higher organisms, but is relatively new in the field of bacteria. This study will use the bacterium Neisseria as a model system for this process and work to harness the system for use in biotechnology.
How auto-transporter proteins mediate bacterial interactions. This project aims to investigate the structure-function relationships that underpin key auto-transporter roles in bacterial cell adhesion, aggregation and biofilm formation. Auto-transporter proteins are extremely common in bacteria where they play a central role in controlling bacterial interactions with other bacteria, with human cells, and with surfaces. This project will define the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes. ....How auto-transporter proteins mediate bacterial interactions. This project aims to investigate the structure-function relationships that underpin key auto-transporter roles in bacterial cell adhesion, aggregation and biofilm formation. Auto-transporter proteins are extremely common in bacteria where they play a central role in controlling bacterial interactions with other bacteria, with human cells, and with surfaces. This project will define the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes. This will have significant benefits, such as providing the basis for the development of approaches to block auto-transporter functions that contribute to the establishment of persistent and difficult to treat bacterial infections.Read moreRead less
Combating invading DNA: a process conserved in evolution? Cells of our body defend against foreign genetic material, or DNA, which indicates an infection or invading DNA capable of causing mutation. These defences are so important that several layers have developed during evolution, and this project compares the responses of different organisms to foreign DNA.