Development of Novel Pesticidal Agents. We have discovered a family of naturally occurring plant proteins called the cyclotides that have potent insecticidal activity against Helicoverpa species, one of the major pests on cotton and corn in Australia and world wide. Preliminary evidence has shown that they also have activity against major pests to livestock in Australia, including sheep blowflies. To develop these proteins as potential pesticidal agents it is necessary to understand the struct ....Development of Novel Pesticidal Agents. We have discovered a family of naturally occurring plant proteins called the cyclotides that have potent insecticidal activity against Helicoverpa species, one of the major pests on cotton and corn in Australia and world wide. Preliminary evidence has shown that they also have activity against major pests to livestock in Australia, including sheep blowflies. To develop these proteins as potential pesticidal agents it is necessary to understand the structural basis for their activity. We will do this by chemically synthesising peptides with selected residues mutated to determine their effects on activity.Read moreRead less
Novel vaccines and serotyping scheme for Haemophilus parasuis. Glasser's disease, caused by the bacterium Haemophilus parasuis, is a significant problem in Australian and overseas pig industries. Current approaches to the management of Glassers disease utilise antibacterials and also vaccines. However, antibacterials are of limited effectiveness in juvenile pigs (weaners) that are difficult to medicate other than by injection, and current vaccines are only protective against the serotypes incl ....Novel vaccines and serotyping scheme for Haemophilus parasuis. Glasser's disease, caused by the bacterium Haemophilus parasuis, is a significant problem in Australian and overseas pig industries. Current approaches to the management of Glassers disease utilise antibacterials and also vaccines. However, antibacterials are of limited effectiveness in juvenile pigs (weaners) that are difficult to medicate other than by injection, and current vaccines are only protective against the serotypes included in the vaccine. We propose to examine the immune response to natural infection and identify potential vaccine candidates which will then be tested in vaccine trials. The APAI will focus on developing a DNA-based typing scheme for H. parasuis.Read moreRead less
Development of a proto-type vaccine against gastrointestinal nematode larvae. Gastrointestinal parasites are the major cause of production losses in the Australian sheep and wool industries. Drug treatment is predominantly used to control infections but drug resistance has reached critical levels and is threatening the viability of sheep production in many rural areas. In collaboration with an international Animal Health company, we aim to develop vaccines against these parasites and provide a c ....Development of a proto-type vaccine against gastrointestinal nematode larvae. Gastrointestinal parasites are the major cause of production losses in the Australian sheep and wool industries. Drug treatment is predominantly used to control infections but drug resistance has reached critical levels and is threatening the viability of sheep production in many rural areas. In collaboration with an international Animal Health company, we aim to develop vaccines against these parasites and provide a clean, non-toxic alternative to drug treatment. The groundbreaking research involved in this project will also keep Australian animal scientists at the forefront of vaccine research and increase their capacity to attract further support from Industry.Read moreRead less
Topical and cryoanaesthesia for livestock husbandry. The livestock industries contribute $15billion annually to Australia's economy, playing a vital role in rural communities. However we must respond to changing demands of our customers, by complementing our competitive disease-free advantage with welfare-conscious production systems. This project will address the threat of growing international demands for improved animal welfare in farming. We will provide research and technical solutions, pro ....Topical and cryoanaesthesia for livestock husbandry. The livestock industries contribute $15billion annually to Australia's economy, playing a vital role in rural communities. However we must respond to changing demands of our customers, by complementing our competitive disease-free advantage with welfare-conscious production systems. This project will address the threat of growing international demands for improved animal welfare in farming. We will provide research and technical solutions, providing pain mangement products for on-farm use that will reduce animal suffering during routine husbandry interventions. The project offers significant benefits for producers by protecting their industries against the threats of a welfare embargo on our livestock products. Read moreRead less
Flea Control by Immunological Intervention. Fleas are bloodsucking parasites that are the major cause of skin disease in pets. Currently, all available flea products rely upon chemical control and many have active components that have real or perceived health problems. Given that insect growth regulators do not kill adult fleas and pet owners are interested in using alternatives to insecticides, there is a clear need for a complementary form of flea control. We describe the novel use of Prote ....Flea Control by Immunological Intervention. Fleas are bloodsucking parasites that are the major cause of skin disease in pets. Currently, all available flea products rely upon chemical control and many have active components that have real or perceived health problems. Given that insect growth regulators do not kill adult fleas and pet owners are interested in using alternatives to insecticides, there is a clear need for a complementary form of flea control. We describe the novel use of Proteomic technology to identify flea proteins that are "switched on" during feeding and are specifically located in the gut. This project will enable the development of a vaccine that is systemic, kills adult fleas, is long-lasting and residue-free.Read moreRead less
The routes of infection with sheep scrapie and agents that cause related prion diseases. We will define the routes by which the infective agents for scrapie, a debilitating disease of sheep, reach the nervous system after being consumed with food. Scrapie is from the same disease group (prion diseases) as mad cow disease. There would be a large economic cost were prion diseases to infect agricultural animals in Australia, through bioterrorism or accident. An outbreak in sheep could ruin the indu ....The routes of infection with sheep scrapie and agents that cause related prion diseases. We will define the routes by which the infective agents for scrapie, a debilitating disease of sheep, reach the nervous system after being consumed with food. Scrapie is from the same disease group (prion diseases) as mad cow disease. There would be a large economic cost were prion diseases to infect agricultural animals in Australia, through bioterrorism or accident. An outbreak in sheep could ruin the industry, as our export markets would be immediately blocked, and thousands of animals would be killed to stop disease spread. The benefit of clearly understanding how the infective agents reach the nervous system is that this may lead to strategies to intervene, and thus limit the spread and seriousness of infection.Read moreRead less
Understanding the molecular basis of virulence in Brachyspira hyodysenteriae to improve vaccine design. Swine dysentery is a colonic infection of pigs caused by Brachyspira hyodysenteriae. The disease is widespread in Australia and causes great economic loss. An effective vaccine is not available. This study aims to identify factors associated with the bacterium's virulence, using comparative genomic and proteomic information. Virulence factors then will be targeted and tested as recombinant vac ....Understanding the molecular basis of virulence in Brachyspira hyodysenteriae to improve vaccine design. Swine dysentery is a colonic infection of pigs caused by Brachyspira hyodysenteriae. The disease is widespread in Australia and causes great economic loss. An effective vaccine is not available. This study aims to identify factors associated with the bacterium's virulence, using comparative genomic and proteomic information. Virulence factors then will be targeted and tested as recombinant vaccine candidates. This project will result in the development of an improved vaccine to control swine dysentery in rural Australia. Control of swine dysentery through vaccination will reduce antibiotic use on infected farms and improve the productivity and competitiveness of the Australian pig industry.Read moreRead less
Development of an attenuated vaccine to control the emerging bovine respiratory pathogen Mycoplasma bovis. The project will develop an attenuated vaccine to control the emerging bovine respiratory pathogen Mycoplasma bovis. This pathogen is a major contributor to bovine pneumonia in the feedlot industry and improved control will reduce reliance on antibiotics in cattle production.
Peptidic spider toxins: a novel paradigm for control of insect pests. Many insects are serious pests of Australian crops, livestock, and pets. Australian farmers spend about $300 million per annum on insecticides and acaricides, while Australian consumers spend more than $100 million annually on insecticides for use around the home and garden, and on pets. Viruses disseminated by insects are also responsible for diseases such as dengue, Japanese encephalitis, and Ross River fever. Unfortunately, ....Peptidic spider toxins: a novel paradigm for control of insect pests. Many insects are serious pests of Australian crops, livestock, and pets. Australian farmers spend about $300 million per annum on insecticides and acaricides, while Australian consumers spend more than $100 million annually on insecticides for use around the home and garden, and on pets. Viruses disseminated by insects are also responsible for diseases such as dengue, Japanese encephalitis, and Ross River fever. Unfortunately, many of these insect pests have developed resistance to chemical insecticides. The aim of this research program is to develop a new generation of environmentally-friendly natural products and insect-resistant crops that can be used to control insect pests on farms and around the home and garden.Read moreRead less
Development of environmentally-friendly insecticides for the Australian livestock industry. Many insects and other arthropods are serious pests of Australian livestock. Australian farmers spend about $300 million per annum on insecticides and acaricides, while Australian consumers spend more than $100 million annually on insecticides for use on pets and around the home and garden. Unfortunately, many of these arthropod pests have developed resistance to chemical insecticides. This aim of this re ....Development of environmentally-friendly insecticides for the Australian livestock industry. Many insects and other arthropods are serious pests of Australian livestock. Australian farmers spend about $300 million per annum on insecticides and acaricides, while Australian consumers spend more than $100 million annually on insecticides for use on pets and around the home and garden. Unfortunately, many of these arthropod pests have developed resistance to chemical insecticides. This aim of this research program is to develop a new generation of environmentally-friendly natural products that can be used to control arthropod pests on farms and around the home and garden.Read moreRead less