Genomics For Combating Antimicrobial Resistant Bacterial Pathogens
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,027,364.00
Summary
Applying genomics to bacterial pathogens is revolutionising the way we understand infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). There is a major opportunity to now bring the technology into routine clinical and public health practice. This research program will investigate and deliver the technology of pathogen genomics directly into public health disease surveillance, outbreak detection and the diagnosis and response to infectious diseases and AMR in hospitalised patients.
This project uses latest genomic technologies to advance our understanding of how bacteria cause disease and finding new antibiotics/approaches to stop the spread of multi-drug resistant hospital superbugs.
Dissecting The Molecular Basis For Emerging Alcohol Tolerance In VRE
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$836,620.00
Summary
Infections caused by vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) are a major and growing problem in health care facilities around Australia. We have observed that VREfm is becoming significantly more resistant to killing by alcohol, probably due the increasing use of alcohol-based hand wash products. This project will identify how VREfm is becoming alcohol tolerant, knowledge that will be used to develop alternative disinfection methods or other intervention strategies to stop its spread.
Bacterial Pathogenomics: Whole-genome Sequencing To Investigate Infection Transmission, Pathogenesis And Antibiotic Resistance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$475,946.00
Summary
As bacterial superbugs – resistant to multiple antibiotics – dominate the headlines, the pipeline for new antibiotics has all but dried up. High-throughput DNA sequencing heralds a golden opportunity for infectious disease research. By studying the entire collection of genes - the genome - of large numbers of multidrug resistant bacterial strains, we aim to better understand the genetic changes that govern the emergence and global spread of superbugs and translate these findings into the clinic.
Understanding, Reducing And Preventing Communicable Diseases Using Applied Pathogen Genomics
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$303,014.00
Summary
Infectious diseases are a major threat to human health. New molecular methods, particularly whole genome sequencing, promise a revolution in the way in which infections are diagnosed, detected and tracked in the 21st century. This research will use cutting edge molecular technologies to understand the factors that lead to the emergence, evolution and spread of important bacteria, including bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.
Identifying Key Players In The Spread Of Antimicrobial Resistance
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$817,448.00
Summary
Antibiotic drugs are essential to treat bacterial infections. However some bacteria have genes that allow them to resist certain drugs, which can be transferred among bacteria to create 'superbugs' that can resist nearly all the drugs we have. This project investigates the transfer of drug resistance genes between Gram negative bacteria (common agents of food poisoning, hospital infection, UTI, etc) and aims to identify the bacteria and genes most important in the spread of superbugs in Australi ....Antibiotic drugs are essential to treat bacterial infections. However some bacteria have genes that allow them to resist certain drugs, which can be transferred among bacteria to create 'superbugs' that can resist nearly all the drugs we have. This project investigates the transfer of drug resistance genes between Gram negative bacteria (common agents of food poisoning, hospital infection, UTI, etc) and aims to identify the bacteria and genes most important in the spread of superbugs in Australia.Read moreRead less
Understanding The Development And Spread Of Pan Resistance In Acinetobacter Baumannii
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,339,215.00
Summary
Resistance to all antibiotics available for treatment of bacterial infections is a cause for global concern (Word Health Organization, US Centres for Disease Control) as it also compromises therapies relying on antibiotics such as transplantation and cancer chemotherapy. Extensively antibiotic resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, mainly causes hospital-acquired infections. This project will seek to track different types of these bacteria as they repeatedly spread around the world.
How Are Klebsiella Pneumoniae Infections Acquired In Hospital?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$496,228.00
Summary
Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp) bacteria are among the top causes of hospital infections and are often resistant to a wide range of antibiotics. While some hospital bugs are well-studied, we are considerably behind in our understanding of Kp, which can be carried in our bodies as a commensal without causing disease. Bacterial genomics will be used to dissect how Kp infections are acquired in hospital, including investigating the evidence for hospital transmission and the role of commensal carriage in ....Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp) bacteria are among the top causes of hospital infections and are often resistant to a wide range of antibiotics. While some hospital bugs are well-studied, we are considerably behind in our understanding of Kp, which can be carried in our bodies as a commensal without causing disease. Bacterial genomics will be used to dissect how Kp infections are acquired in hospital, including investigating the evidence for hospital transmission and the role of commensal carriage in causing serious hospital infections.Read moreRead less
Identification Of Novel Colonisation Factors In Helicobacter Pylori
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$336,142.00
Summary
The discovery by Drs Marshall and Warren of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, and its role in stomach disease, has proven to be one of the major break-throughs of the late 20th century. Indeed, several common ailments of the upper digestive tract that were once thought to be untreatable, or which could only be treated by radical surgery, are now managed through the use of antibiotics and acid-blocking substances. The efficacy of these treatments has, however, been affected by the increasing rat ....The discovery by Drs Marshall and Warren of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, and its role in stomach disease, has proven to be one of the major break-throughs of the late 20th century. Indeed, several common ailments of the upper digestive tract that were once thought to be untreatable, or which could only be treated by radical surgery, are now managed through the use of antibiotics and acid-blocking substances. The efficacy of these treatments has, however, been affected by the increasing rates of H. pylori resistance to these antibiotics in the general community. Furthermore, the limited choice of antibiotics available for use in anti-H. pylori treatment regimens, and the side-effects associated with several of these compounds, suggest that there is a need to develop new therapies against this bacterial infection. This, however, will necessitate a greater understanding of the mechanisms by which H. pylori is able to colonise and survive in the mucus layer covering the stomach. To address this point, we have used a gene profiling technique to compare gene expression in H. pylori bacteria displaying high and low levels of colonisation in a mouse model. For this, mouse-colonising H. pylori bacteria were attenuated through extensive passaging on culture media in the laboratory. Five genes were identified as being poorly expressed in the attenuated bacteria. These genes are proposed to encode putative H. pylori colonisation factors. The aim of the project is to characterise these factors, and to determine the roles of two of these, which are involved in the production of vitamin B6, in the colonisation of the stomach. This work will contribute to a greater understanding of the factors involved in H. pylori colonisation of the stomach. Amongst the possible public health benefits of this work is the identification of molecular targets for the development of new therapies for the prevention and treatment of H. pylori infection.Read moreRead less