Molecular Genetics And Evolution Of Antibiotic Resistant Staphylococci
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$437,545.00
Summary
Potentially life-threatening infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, commonly known as Golden Staph, often arise as complications in patients within hospitals. These infections compromise the health of the patient and jeopardise their recovery from the condition for which they were initially admitted, which significantly increases healthcare costs. Hospital-acquired infections caused by Golden Staph are a major problem in Australia and globally. The problem is largely due to the pre ....Potentially life-threatening infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, commonly known as Golden Staph, often arise as complications in patients within hospitals. These infections compromise the health of the patient and jeopardise their recovery from the condition for which they were initially admitted, which significantly increases healthcare costs. Hospital-acquired infections caused by Golden Staph are a major problem in Australia and globally. The problem is largely due to the presence in hospitals of strains that have become resistant to most clinically-useful antibiotics and are therefore very difficult to eradicate. This research project will reveal detailed information about strains of Golden Staph that are currently prevalent in hospitals in Australia, USA, Europe, and South East Asia. It will also provide important insights into the mechanisms that enable this organism to become resistant so readily, and identify factors that promote the development of resistant strains. The results of this research project will lead to improved methods for the characterisation of clinical strains and the monitoring of antibiotic resistance. The findings will also be of relevance to other types of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Most importantly, the application of knowledge arising from these studies has potential to minimise the emergence of strains that are even more resistant, thereby extending the effectiveness of existing and future antibiotics. The design and implementation of strategies to limit the proliferation of resistant bacteria are essential if we are to avoid a scenario similar to that prior to the introduction of antibiotics, when serious infectious diseases were often untreatable.Read moreRead less
I am a molecular and cellular biologist with particular interest in understanding the regulation of DNA damage surveillance pathway and its role in the maintenance of genome stability.
As women age, the quality of their eggs decline and their chance of having a healthy baby plummets. The accumulation of DNA damage within the egg, and the reduced ability to repair this damage, may be one cause of compromised reproductive success in older women. This project will investigate the ability of eggs to repair DNA damage during maternal aging and will explore the importance of DNA repair to fertility and the transmission of high quality genetic material to their offspring.