Effectiveness of Antimicrobial Stewardship in Australian Veterinary Clinics. Antimicrobial resistance threatens Australians' health, Australia's animal health and its reputation for providing safe and reliable food. Overuse of antimicrobials is a driver of antimicrobial resistance. This project aims to address the overuse of antimicrobials in animals by implementing antimicrobial stewardship in veterinary practices and developing methods of antimicrobial use surveillance. It is the first compreh ....Effectiveness of Antimicrobial Stewardship in Australian Veterinary Clinics. Antimicrobial resistance threatens Australians' health, Australia's animal health and its reputation for providing safe and reliable food. Overuse of antimicrobials is a driver of antimicrobial resistance. This project aims to address the overuse of antimicrobials in animals by implementing antimicrobial stewardship in veterinary practices and developing methods of antimicrobial use surveillance. It is the first comprehensive study to address and assess inappropriate use of antimicrobials in veterinary medicine- and is expected to improve quality use of antimicrobials by veterinarians and prolong the efficacy of antimicrobials in veterinary medicine. This presents a critical step in reducing community exposure to antimicrobial resistance.Read moreRead less
Improving diagnostic accuracy and treatment options for equine PPID. Equine Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID) is a common, chronic and potentially life-threatening disease of older horses and ponies. Although a treatment is available, the disease is poorly understood and there are some concerns that the current diagnostic technology is not delivering accurate results. Thus, this project aims to develop a more accurate diagnostic test for PPID, while exploring the relationship between ....Improving diagnostic accuracy and treatment options for equine PPID. Equine Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID) is a common, chronic and potentially life-threatening disease of older horses and ponies. Although a treatment is available, the disease is poorly understood and there are some concerns that the current diagnostic technology is not delivering accurate results. Thus, this project aims to develop a more accurate diagnostic test for PPID, while exploring the relationship between PPID and metabolic syndrome, to generate new insights into the cause and consequences of both diseases. As an added benefit, the project will assist horseracing laboratories to improve their detection methods for peptide doping in younger competition horses.
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Pioneering reproductive biotechnology innovations for equine breeding. This project aims to develop the world's first commercially viable system of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) for horses. The equine industry is seeking reproductive technologies that allow rapid genetic gain to improve the health, welfare and quality of progeny. This project will exploit recent breakthroughs in molecular and cell biology, veterinary practice and biotechnology, by assembling these research findings into practical ....Pioneering reproductive biotechnology innovations for equine breeding. This project aims to develop the world's first commercially viable system of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) for horses. The equine industry is seeking reproductive technologies that allow rapid genetic gain to improve the health, welfare and quality of progeny. This project will exploit recent breakthroughs in molecular and cell biology, veterinary practice and biotechnology, by assembling these research findings into practical systems and products optimised for successful production of foals in vitro. These technologies will boost the productivity and international competitiveness of Australia's equestrian sporting disciplines, and position the Australian biotechnology sector as global leaders in animal reproductive technologies. Read moreRead less
A novel drug class for the effective treatment of Giardia infections. Companion animals play a pivotal role in the lifestyle of the average Australian family. The 9 million cats and dogs, residing in >65% of our households, have provided significant health and well-being benefits to owners, especially during COVID. Ensuring pet health is a primary obligation of pet ownership. Giardia infections (Giardia duodenalis, with 94% of infections in dogs identified as Assemblage A) is the most prevalent ....A novel drug class for the effective treatment of Giardia infections. Companion animals play a pivotal role in the lifestyle of the average Australian family. The 9 million cats and dogs, residing in >65% of our households, have provided significant health and well-being benefits to owners, especially during COVID. Ensuring pet health is a primary obligation of pet ownership. Giardia infections (Giardia duodenalis, with 94% of infections in dogs identified as Assemblage A) is the most prevalent enteric parasite identified globally in dogs. Infection rates can be as high as 75% in puppies. Current treatments are failing due to poor efficacy, resistance and poor adherence to treatment schedules. We have identified a novel, extremely rapid acting series of compounds capable of single shot eradication of Giardia.Read moreRead less
Increasing amphibian immunity to combat disease causing mass extinction. This project aims to increase amphibian survival to combat the devastating chytrid fungus by identifying resistance genes and increasing their frequency in the host population. The project is interdisciplinary and uses targeted genetic manipulation techniques developed for agriculture to improve disease resistance in wildlife for the first time. Expected outcomes include 1) enhanced international collaborations in comparati ....Increasing amphibian immunity to combat disease causing mass extinction. This project aims to increase amphibian survival to combat the devastating chytrid fungus by identifying resistance genes and increasing their frequency in the host population. The project is interdisciplinary and uses targeted genetic manipulation techniques developed for agriculture to improve disease resistance in wildlife for the first time. Expected outcomes include 1) enhanced international collaborations in comparative immunology, 2) a comprehensive understanding of immunity to chytridiomycosis, and 3) disease resistant amphibians. The anticipated benefit is ability to apply the optimal method to improve conservation of wildlife threatened by emerging disease, such as marker assisted selective breeding or genetic engineering.Read moreRead less
Developing feasible in situ control of mange disease in wombats. Our goal is the development of feasible in situ control of sarcoptic mange in wombat populations. Globally important, the Sarcoptes scabiei mite infects >100 mammal species and is among the 50 most common human diseases, causing health, welfare and population impacts. This infection is treatable, and we will test a new treatment (fluralaner), develop new models to guide management, and conduct replicated field trials. This will ena ....Developing feasible in situ control of mange disease in wombats. Our goal is the development of feasible in situ control of sarcoptic mange in wombat populations. Globally important, the Sarcoptes scabiei mite infects >100 mammal species and is among the 50 most common human diseases, causing health, welfare and population impacts. This infection is treatable, and we will test a new treatment (fluralaner), develop new models to guide management, and conduct replicated field trials. This will enable science-based guidelines, advancing disease control, local eradication, and regulatory approval for wombats. Our research framework is adaptable to other mange-impacted species, and advance methods and theory for control of treatable disease in wildlife.Read moreRead less
The infectome of NSW dairy calves, a genomic microbial surveillance . Infectious diseases are the main cause of disease and mortality in calves. The knowledge of the diversity of infectious disease-causing agents in NSW dairy cattle is not comprehensive. Thus, the immediate goal of this proposal is to redress this knowledge gap using untargeted microbial genomic sequencing to characterise and identify known and emerging enteric and respiratory pathogens in dairy calves. We will determine the occ ....The infectome of NSW dairy calves, a genomic microbial surveillance . Infectious diseases are the main cause of disease and mortality in calves. The knowledge of the diversity of infectious disease-causing agents in NSW dairy cattle is not comprehensive. Thus, the immediate goal of this proposal is to redress this knowledge gap using untargeted microbial genomic sequencing to characterise and identify known and emerging enteric and respiratory pathogens in dairy calves. We will determine the occurrence and distribution of their microbial species across all NSW dairy regions. This will enable the Australian dairy industry to improve animal health and productivity, and diagnostic capacity, which will allow farmers to make informed management decisions about disease control strategies. Read moreRead less
Maximising the value of Australia’s sheepmeat industry with smart photonics. This project aims to investigate new photonics technologies to measure meat quality in lamb and mutton. It expects to develop new knowledge in the areas of fibre optics and 3D printing for use by the red meat and livestock industries. Expected outcomes of this project include development of a new technology to rapidly identify premium meat during meat processing. This should provide significant benefits for Australia’s ....Maximising the value of Australia’s sheepmeat industry with smart photonics. This project aims to investigate new photonics technologies to measure meat quality in lamb and mutton. It expects to develop new knowledge in the areas of fibre optics and 3D printing for use by the red meat and livestock industries. Expected outcomes of this project include development of a new technology to rapidly identify premium meat during meat processing. This should provide significant benefits for Australia’s red meat industry, helping to establish Australia as a leading supplier of high-quality meat to domestic and international markets.Read moreRead less
Developing an integrated device for on-farm detection of sugarcane diseases. Pathogenic organisms cause yield losses of more than $150M pa to the Australian sugarcane industry and many millions more worldwide. Partnering with Sugar Research Australia, this project aims to develop a novel on-farm diagnostic device, comprising new nanotechnology and magnetism-induced microfluidics with naked eye observation and electrochemical detection. This device is expected to enable improved disease managemen ....Developing an integrated device for on-farm detection of sugarcane diseases. Pathogenic organisms cause yield losses of more than $150M pa to the Australian sugarcane industry and many millions more worldwide. Partnering with Sugar Research Australia, this project aims to develop a novel on-farm diagnostic device, comprising new nanotechnology and magnetism-induced microfluidics with naked eye observation and electrochemical detection. This device is expected to enable improved disease management strategies through the prediction of potential risks and rapid and effective actions to mitigate impending yield loss. In turn productivity and sustainability of Australia’s sugar industry will be enhanced. The new platform device has great potential for improved disease management in other crops in Australia and globally.Read moreRead less
Development of drought tolerant, high protein legume for arid Australia. The aim of this research is to demonstrate the molecular basis of a non-proteinogenic amino acid toxin accumulation by using genomics and genome editing to produce a non-transgenic, protein rich legume. The significance of the outcomes will be a fundamental understanding of how non-proteinogenic amino acids are metabolised in plants and an inexpensive, high-protein feed for the pork and chicken industries thereby reducing p ....Development of drought tolerant, high protein legume for arid Australia. The aim of this research is to demonstrate the molecular basis of a non-proteinogenic amino acid toxin accumulation by using genomics and genome editing to produce a non-transgenic, protein rich legume. The significance of the outcomes will be a fundamental understanding of how non-proteinogenic amino acids are metabolised in plants and an inexpensive, high-protein feed for the pork and chicken industries thereby reducing production costs and increasing profitability. The outcomes from the research are fundamental knowledge of non-proteinogenic amino acid metabolism and turnkey approach to identify, engineer, test and produce value added crops. The benefits of the research are a multi-purpose crop for Australian crop and animal producers.Read moreRead less