A mechanism for pathogen detection highly conserved in mammals. This project aims to delineate biochemically how mammals fight pathogens by alerting their immune system to Vitamin B compounds produced by certain bacteria and fungi. The protein MR1 binds the compounds and displays them on the cell surface, activating pathogen-fighting MAIT cells. The MR1-MAIT cell axis is highly conserved in mammals and is thought to defend the host. This project expects to lead to new products to improve veterin ....A mechanism for pathogen detection highly conserved in mammals. This project aims to delineate biochemically how mammals fight pathogens by alerting their immune system to Vitamin B compounds produced by certain bacteria and fungi. The protein MR1 binds the compounds and displays them on the cell surface, activating pathogen-fighting MAIT cells. The MR1-MAIT cell axis is highly conserved in mammals and is thought to defend the host. This project expects to lead to new products to improve veterinary and human health services with new technology developed throughout the project and high-level training which will increase the competitiveness of the strategic biotechnology sector in Australia.Read moreRead less
Regulating nutrient uptake in intracellular parasites. Parasites impose a major economic and medical burden on human societies. In order to grow and reproduce, parasites scavenge nutrients from their animal or human hosts. As they move within and between hosts they encounter different levels of nutrients; how they adapt to these differences is poorly understood. This project aims to investigate the mechanisms by which the model parasite Toxoplasma senses and responds to the nutrients in its envi ....Regulating nutrient uptake in intracellular parasites. Parasites impose a major economic and medical burden on human societies. In order to grow and reproduce, parasites scavenge nutrients from their animal or human hosts. As they move within and between hosts they encounter different levels of nutrients; how they adapt to these differences is poorly understood. This project aims to investigate the mechanisms by which the model parasite Toxoplasma senses and responds to the nutrients in its environment, thereby shedding light on how they adapt to the different environments that they inhabit and, in the longer term, informing novel treatment strategies that aim to limit the parasites’ nutrient supply.Read moreRead less
A novel family of amino acid transporters in Apicomplexan parasites. Apicomplexan parasites are single celled organisms that are the causative agents of major diseases in livestock and humans. However, the basic biochemistry of these intracellular parasites is poorly understood, and there are limited treatments available for the diseases these parasites cause. The project hypothesis is that a novel family of proteins that are unique to apicomplexan parasites play a key role in the uptake of esse ....A novel family of amino acid transporters in Apicomplexan parasites. Apicomplexan parasites are single celled organisms that are the causative agents of major diseases in livestock and humans. However, the basic biochemistry of these intracellular parasites is poorly understood, and there are limited treatments available for the diseases these parasites cause. The project hypothesis is that a novel family of proteins that are unique to apicomplexan parasites play a key role in the uptake of essential nutrients (amino acids) into these organisms. This project aims to use a combination of genetic, biochemical and physiological methods to understand the function of these proteins, the role(s) that they play in apicomplexan biology, and their importance for parasite survival.Read moreRead less