MECHANISMS AND MARKERS OF TUBERCULOSIS TRANSMISSION WITHIN AUSTRALIA
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$799,978.00
Summary
Tuberculosis (TB) kills nearly 2 million people each year. The emergence of drug resistant TB in the Asia-Pacific region poses a particular threat to Australia, due to frequent population mixing and ongoing TB transmission that may facilitate its spread within vulnerable communities. The proposed study will develop advanced tools to monitor and limit TB transmission within Australia. It will also provide novel insight into the evolution of the global TB epidemic and key factors that sustain it.
Optimising Temporal Genomic Surveillance Of Salmonella Infections In Australia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$763,447.00
Summary
Salmonella is a leading cause of the food-borne disease – salmonellosis. It is responsible for considerable morbidity and has an enormous economic cost. Molecular typing is the key to rapidly identify and control outbreaks. This project will optimise the use of whole genome sequencing for outbreak investigation and long term epidemiology. A surveillance system that integrates genome sequence and epidemiological data will be highly significant for outbreak investigation and disease prevention.
Interactions Between Host And The Gut Microbiome In The Pathogenesis Of Ankylosing Spondylitis And Crohn's Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$572,227.00
Summary
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and Crohn's disease (CD) are common immune-mediated diseases affecting primarily the joints of the spine and the gut respectively. Genes play a major role in determining the risk of each disease, and it is likely that those genes cause the disease by interaction with some environmental factor, most likely bacteria residing in the gut. This study aims to test that hypothesis by profiling the bacteria in the gut of patients with the diseases and healthy subjects.
Impact Of Pneumococcal Vaccination And Environmental Factors On Pneumococcal Carriage And Disease.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$455,872.00
Summary
Pneumonia is the leading killer of children <5y of age worldwide, and the pneumococcal bacterium is a common cause. Pneumococci are carried in the noses of healthy children. In this project we will determine 1) whether carriage can be used to monitor the impact of vaccination in resource-poor settings, 2) the effect of new vaccines on ear disease and transmission using infant mouse models and 3) if exposure to smoke effects the ability of pneumococci to cause disease and altered gene expressi ....Pneumonia is the leading killer of children <5y of age worldwide, and the pneumococcal bacterium is a common cause. Pneumococci are carried in the noses of healthy children. In this project we will determine 1) whether carriage can be used to monitor the impact of vaccination in resource-poor settings, 2) the effect of new vaccines on ear disease and transmission using infant mouse models and 3) if exposure to smoke effects the ability of pneumococci to cause disease and altered gene expression.Read moreRead less
Understanding The Complex Relationship Between Host, Pathogen And Antibiotic Factors On Treatment Outcome In Serious Bacterial Infections
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$380,945.00
Summary
Millions of people still die every year from bacterial infections despite the availability of antibiotics. The same bacterial infection in one person can behave very differently in another person, so infections can range from trivial to life-threatening or fatal. Understanding the relationship between the patient, the infecting bacteria and the antibiotic treatment given will ultimately help to predict and improve outcomes for patients with serious bacterial infections.
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
Non-coding RNA Regulation Of Virulence In Enterohaemorrhagic E. Coli
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$389,313.00
Summary
Shiga toxins cause potentially fatal haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and are transferred between bacterial pathogens by bacteriophage (bacterial viruses). We have recently found that the Shiga toxin encoding bacteriophage encodes an unusually large number of non-coding RNAs (RNA regulators of gene expression). This Project aims to understand how these RNA regulators benefit the Shiga toxin bacteriophage and use this knowledge to develop interventions that will prevent expression of the toxin.
Targeting Nucleic Acid Synthesis And Cell Division In Gram-negative Bacterial Pathogens
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$966,800.00
Summary
Some bacteria like Acinetobacter species cause infections in hospitals that are difficult to treat because they have acquired resistance to most antibiotics. This project will combine the complementary expertise of five research groups to develop knowledge of, and how to block, three essential processes in these worrying pathogenic species: copying of DNA, RNA synthesis, and cell division. This promises to lead to development of new antibacterial therapies.
Targeting Lagging Strand DNA Replication In Model And Pathogenic Bacteria
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$590,426.00
Summary
An increasing concern is the growing number of hospital acquired infections that cannot be treated effectively with antibiotics because the bacteria that cause them are resistant to drug treatments. This project will develop our basic understanding of how DNA is copied in bacteria that are about to reproduce themselves, and we will use this knowledge to discover ways to stop them from copying their DNA, thus killing them. This will provide the foundation for development of new antibiotics.
Role In Disease Of A Novel Epigenetic Regulator Associated With The Hypervirulent Neisseria Meningitidis Clonal Complex 41/44
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$403,249.00
Summary
Neisseria meningitis is a major cause of meningococcal septicaemia and meningitis worldwide. We have identified a phase variable DNA methyltransferase present in disease isolates, some of which have caused meningococcal epidemics. This methyltransferase is involved in the regulation of proteins involved in infection and disease processes. We will investigate whether this regulation increases the ability of the bacteria to adapt to changing host environments and cause disease.