Lived experiences of treatment for hepatitis C in Australia. This project aims to support uptake of new hepatitis C treatments. With the introduction of new treatments in 2016, the Australian Government adopted the WHO’s goal of eliminating the disease by 2030. While early treatment rates were high, they have since plateaued, with stigma and poor information considered key obstacles. This project will generate new knowledge on treatment decisions and experiences, using a proven qualitative metho ....Lived experiences of treatment for hepatitis C in Australia. This project aims to support uptake of new hepatitis C treatments. With the introduction of new treatments in 2016, the Australian Government adopted the WHO’s goal of eliminating the disease by 2030. While early treatment rates were high, they have since plateaued, with stigma and poor information considered key obstacles. This project will generate new knowledge on treatment decisions and experiences, using a proven qualitative methodology. In doing so, it will produce a website covering personal experiences of treatment, issues in treatment decision-making, and advice on enhancing life on treatment and after. It will tackle hepatitis C-related stigma, and inform and benefit potential treatment users, families and relevant professionals.
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Enabling aerosol delivery of phages to defeat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This project aims to explore the use of bacteriophages towards producing a safe, natural, and highly effective alternative to traditional antibiotics. Respiratory infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria are a major health problem worldwide, and cost Australia over $150 million annually. Some 5,000 Australians die each year from antibiotic resistant infections. The project aims to produce efficac ....Enabling aerosol delivery of phages to defeat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This project aims to explore the use of bacteriophages towards producing a safe, natural, and highly effective alternative to traditional antibiotics. Respiratory infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria are a major health problem worldwide, and cost Australia over $150 million annually. Some 5,000 Australians die each year from antibiotic resistant infections. The project aims to produce efficacious and stable formulations of bacteriophages for easy delivery by inhalation as aerosols with a long shelf-life, making them a commercially viable product. The expected research outcome can lead to an economic and efficient technology to produce phage powders for novel treatment strategies of infections by inhalation.Read moreRead less
Novel peptide mimics for the disruption of chemical communication in bacteria. It is now well established that bacteria communicate with each other via small diffusible signalling molecules and coordinate their activities such as biofilm formation, swarming and expression of virulence factors in a coordinated manner. This project will investigate the synthesis of novel organic molecules that have the capacity to disrupt chemical communication in bacteria. This could allow control of the unwante ....Novel peptide mimics for the disruption of chemical communication in bacteria. It is now well established that bacteria communicate with each other via small diffusible signalling molecules and coordinate their activities such as biofilm formation, swarming and expression of virulence factors in a coordinated manner. This project will investigate the synthesis of novel organic molecules that have the capacity to disrupt chemical communication in bacteria. This could allow control of the unwanted microbial activity without the use of growth inhibitory agents such as antibiotics, preservatives and disinfectants that select for the resistant organisms. This elegant approach to eradicating the virulence behaviour of microbes represents a novel strategy to combat antimicrobial resistance.Read moreRead less
Structure function analysis of the NusA-RNA polymerase interaction. Genes must be turned on at the right time, at the correct level in the appropriate cell in all organisms. This project will determine the role of an essential component of the process in bacteria called NusA. The results will apply to bacteria as well as higher organisms, and also have the potential to identify a new antibiotic target.
Chemical proteomics: proteomics with no detection limit. Half of all drugs are derived from natural products, yet little is known about how most achieve their therapeutic action. This project aims to develop a methodology to rapidly uncover drug-protein interactions and pave the way for faster drug development and a better understanding of drug action.
Reverse chemical proteomics: harnessing yeast display for drug discovery. This project aims to develop a technique that can rapidly identify the cellular protein targets of biologically active natural products. This project expects to provide fundamental biological and chemical insights into Australia's unique biodiversity that will facilitate the development of new therapeutic agents and agrochemicals based on leads provided by Nature. Expected outcomes of this project include an optimised and ....Reverse chemical proteomics: harnessing yeast display for drug discovery. This project aims to develop a technique that can rapidly identify the cellular protein targets of biologically active natural products. This project expects to provide fundamental biological and chemical insights into Australia's unique biodiversity that will facilitate the development of new therapeutic agents and agrochemicals based on leads provided by Nature. Expected outcomes of this project include an optimised and validated platform technology for accelerating drug discovery and development. This should substantially reduce the costs associated with fighting human and animal diseases, leading to improved health, productivity and quality of life.Read moreRead less
How infectious diseases became ecological: a global history. This project aims to investigate the conceptual history of disease ecology. During the twentieth century, infectious diseases researchers, many of them Australian, drew on animal ecology and evolutionary theory so our knowledge of how germs and parasites interact with human hosts might become more dynamic and broadly biological. The goal of this transnational historical research is to clarify the connections of animal ecology and evolu ....How infectious diseases became ecological: a global history. This project aims to investigate the conceptual history of disease ecology. During the twentieth century, infectious diseases researchers, many of them Australian, drew on animal ecology and evolutionary theory so our knowledge of how germs and parasites interact with human hosts might become more dynamic and broadly biological. The goal of this transnational historical research is to clarify the connections of animal ecology and evolutionary biology with biomedicine, and show how contemporary understandings of biosecurity and disease preparedness emerged from this conjunction.Read moreRead less
Combating rising sexually transmitted infections among older Australians. This project aims to explore older Australians' knowledge of, and safe sexual practices in regards to, sexually transmitted infections (STIs). STI rates have increased rapidly amongst older age groups in recent years, yet there is a significant research gap concerning older Australians' knowledge of STIs and the preventative sexual practices they engage in. This project is understood to be the only known Australian study c ....Combating rising sexually transmitted infections among older Australians. This project aims to explore older Australians' knowledge of, and safe sexual practices in regards to, sexually transmitted infections (STIs). STI rates have increased rapidly amongst older age groups in recent years, yet there is a significant research gap concerning older Australians' knowledge of STIs and the preventative sexual practices they engage in. This project is understood to be the only known Australian study considering older people's knowledge and practices in relation to STI prevention. In examining this issue the project aims to contribute towards the development of policy and educational resources for older Australians, and is expected to work towards enabling optimal sexual health for older individuals.Read moreRead less
An interdisciplinary approach to host-pathogen interactions in infection. This project aims to understand the molecular and cellular interactions between host and parasite, as well as providing a quantitative framework for analysing infection dynamics in other systems. Infection involves a complex interaction between the host and the parasite, which is very dynamic and therefore difficult to study by traditional sampling and analysis approaches. This project has combined mathematical modelling w ....An interdisciplinary approach to host-pathogen interactions in infection. This project aims to understand the molecular and cellular interactions between host and parasite, as well as providing a quantitative framework for analysing infection dynamics in other systems. Infection involves a complex interaction between the host and the parasite, which is very dynamic and therefore difficult to study by traditional sampling and analysis approaches. This project has combined mathematical modelling with a novel experimental protocol to allow the study of kinetics of parasite replication in vivo. Expected outcomes will provide significant benefits, such as new avenues for vaccination and immune intervention.Read moreRead less
Understanding the dynamics of malaria infection. Malaria infection kills around one million patients each year and this project involves an interdisciplinary team who will directly measure how the parasite grows and is killed by the immune system. A better understanding of parasite growth and control will help develop better drugs therapy and vaccination for this important infection.