Artificial Synthesis Of The Type III Secretion System Translocon. A New Approach To Vaccine Design
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$668,742.00
Summary
Today hospitals are plagued with bacterial infections that do not respond to antibiotics. The problem exists because although antibiotics are effective at killing bacteria, this paradoxically also helps the drug-resistant bacteria thrive. We will pioneer a completely new approach to vaccine design that allows us to construct a vaccine that protects us from bacterial infection without killing the bacteria. The vaccine should therefore be far less susceptible to drug resistance.
Enhancing The Immune Response To Disordered Malaria Antigens
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$643,739.00
Summary
Half of the worlds population live at risk of malaria, and the disease kills half a million people a year, predominantly young children. Despite recent progress, a vaccine with the efficacy required to help control and ultimately eradicate malaria remains out of reach. This project studies an important class of proteins likely to form part of a future malaria vaccine, and will develop new ways to improve their effectiveness as vaccine components.
Glycan Specificity And Dependence In Rotavirus Host Cell Invasion
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$636,602.00
Summary
Rotavirus is a global pathogen that causes acute gastroenteritis resulting in dehydration and high levels of infant mortality. Annually, infections cause 138 million cases of infantile gastroenteritis and an estimated average of 600,000 deaths. Within Australia ~10,000 children under 5 yrs old are admitted to hospital annually with severe rotavirus-induced diarrhoea. This project will investigate the role of carbohydrates in rotavirus infection to help design new vaccines and inhibitors.