Characterisation and development of adjuvants for new generation veterinary and human vaccines. Vaccination is the most successful and cost-effective means of combating infectious diseases in both veterinary and human medicine. This project will increase our understanding of how vaccines work and will help the development of new vaccines against infections in both animals and man. The results of these studies will also increase the competitiveness of Australian scientists in the field of vaccine ....Characterisation and development of adjuvants for new generation veterinary and human vaccines. Vaccination is the most successful and cost-effective means of combating infectious diseases in both veterinary and human medicine. This project will increase our understanding of how vaccines work and will help the development of new vaccines against infections in both animals and man. The results of these studies will also increase the competitiveness of Australian scientists in the field of vaccine research and development.Read moreRead less
Development of a live vaccine for gut health in poultry. Development of a live vaccine for gut health in poultry. The project aims to develop a live vaccine against necrotic enteritis, a disease of poultry estimated to cost the global poultry industry $5-6 billion USD/annum. It builds on work that has demonstrated the efficacy of an experimental vaccine. The proven antigen, NetB, will be expressed in live delivery vehicles, including the apicomplexan parasite Eimeria and several bacteria strains ....Development of a live vaccine for gut health in poultry. Development of a live vaccine for gut health in poultry. The project aims to develop a live vaccine against necrotic enteritis, a disease of poultry estimated to cost the global poultry industry $5-6 billion USD/annum. It builds on work that has demonstrated the efficacy of an experimental vaccine. The proven antigen, NetB, will be expressed in live delivery vehicles, including the apicomplexan parasite Eimeria and several bacteria strains particularly suited to use in chickens. Comparative analysis of the different vaccine vehicles will allow evaluation of the relative advantages and disadvantage of the different vehicles for delivery of heterologous vaccine antigens, thus informing the choice of appropriate vectors for this and other vaccine applications.Read moreRead less
Mammalian chitinases and gene therapy: new weapons to combat fungal and insect attack in mammals. Plants combat fungal and insect attack by producing chitin degrading enzymes. Related, chitinolytic enzymes have been identified in mammals, but their functions are unclear. We found that chitinases from human macrophages inhibited fungal growth. We hypothesise that, like plants, mammalian chitinases are produced to fight chitin containing pathogens. We will transform cells with a chitotriosidase ge ....Mammalian chitinases and gene therapy: new weapons to combat fungal and insect attack in mammals. Plants combat fungal and insect attack by producing chitin degrading enzymes. Related, chitinolytic enzymes have been identified in mammals, but their functions are unclear. We found that chitinases from human macrophages inhibited fungal growth. We hypothesise that, like plants, mammalian chitinases are produced to fight chitin containing pathogens. We will transform cells with a chitotriosidase gene and encapsulate them, creating bioreactors secreting chitinases. Therapeutic effects will be tested by grafting bioreactors to mice inoculated with Aspergillus. The research is a new approach to fighting chitin containing pathogens, with potential applications from parasite infestations in livestock to fungal infections in humans.Read moreRead less
Equine rhinitis A virus; molecular pathogenesis and methods for control. The horse industry in Australia is primarily based in rural locations and is a major contributor to the national economy both in terms of direct economic contribution to gross domestic product and as a major employer of people in regional Australia. The research proposed in this project will improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of a virus that causes respiratory disease in horses that is related to the virus that c ....Equine rhinitis A virus; molecular pathogenesis and methods for control. The horse industry in Australia is primarily based in rural locations and is a major contributor to the national economy both in terms of direct economic contribution to gross domestic product and as a major employer of people in regional Australia. The research proposed in this project will improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of a virus that causes respiratory disease in horses that is related to the virus that causes foot and mouth disease in ruminants and swine. The technology developed during this project would have a global market.Read moreRead less
Subspecies distribution and virulence of Streptococcus uberis. Streptococcus uberis is a significant cause of bovine mastitis. Attempts to produce a successful vaccine against S. uberis have been hampered by the lack of knowledge of phylogenetic relationships within the species and virulence mechanisms. It is uncertain whether pathogenic strains are clonal or are acquired opportunistically from a diverse population in the environment. This project aims to examine the phylogenetic structure of ....Subspecies distribution and virulence of Streptococcus uberis. Streptococcus uberis is a significant cause of bovine mastitis. Attempts to produce a successful vaccine against S. uberis have been hampered by the lack of knowledge of phylogenetic relationships within the species and virulence mechanisms. It is uncertain whether pathogenic strains are clonal or are acquired opportunistically from a diverse population in the environment. This project aims to examine the phylogenetic structure of S. uberis by multilocus sequence typing and investigate control of virulence gene expression in S. uberis. The information obtained will be used to improve the formulation of a bovine mastitis vaccine developed by RMIT University and Vet Biosearch.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
Defining domains within Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae surface proteins that interact with host extracellular matrix: efficacy testing of candidate vaccines in swine. Over 90% of Australian commercial pig production facilities are affected by Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, the causative agent of swine enzootic pneumonia. This disease causes economic losses in Australia of over $20 million per annum and up to $1 billion per annum in major swine rearing countries worldwide. This project will determine the p ....Defining domains within Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae surface proteins that interact with host extracellular matrix: efficacy testing of candidate vaccines in swine. Over 90% of Australian commercial pig production facilities are affected by Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, the causative agent of swine enzootic pneumonia. This disease causes economic losses in Australia of over $20 million per annum and up to $1 billion per annum in major swine rearing countries worldwide. This project will determine the protective efficacy of new generation vaccines against M. hyopneumoniae, which aim to block the colonisation process and prevent disease .Read moreRead less
Identification and characterisation of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae surface-molecules that interact with the host epithelium. Mycoplasma hyponeumoniae causes porcine enzootic pneumonia, a disease that significantly impacts swine production. Current vaccines are unable to prevent colonisation of the respiratory tract and are costly to produce and administer. The expression of microbial adhesins that mediate adherence to the extracellular matrix is considered the initial step in host colonisation for ....Identification and characterisation of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae surface-molecules that interact with the host epithelium. Mycoplasma hyponeumoniae causes porcine enzootic pneumonia, a disease that significantly impacts swine production. Current vaccines are unable to prevent colonisation of the respiratory tract and are costly to produce and administer. The expression of microbial adhesins that mediate adherence to the extracellular matrix is considered the initial step in host colonisation for many bacterial pathogens. We propose to identify M. hyopneumoniae cell surface moleculaes that interact with components of the extracellular matrix. Targetting these cell surface molecules will lead to therapeutics that prevent disease and block colonisation, eventually eradicating the host pathogen from pig production facilities.Read moreRead less
Determining the impact of protozoan pathogens and strongyle worms on prime lamb production. This research will benefit wool and prime lamb industries nation-wide as sheep scouring is prevalent in high-rainfall areas across Australia. Data generated from the project will be used to educate farmers and reduce the financial burden of sheep scouring. This project will also enhance Australia's reputation in the disease management sector and will result in reduced risk to public health due to a better ....Determining the impact of protozoan pathogens and strongyle worms on prime lamb production. This research will benefit wool and prime lamb industries nation-wide as sheep scouring is prevalent in high-rainfall areas across Australia. Data generated from the project will be used to educate farmers and reduce the financial burden of sheep scouring. This project will also enhance Australia's reputation in the disease management sector and will result in reduced risk to public health due to a better understanding and management of zoonotic parasite and microbacterial contamination of carcasses and water catchments.Read moreRead less
Detection and viability of waterborne pathogens using a gut-on-chip. This project aims to resolve a significant problem for water utilities. Microbial pathogens Cryptosporidium, norovirus and adenovirus are the main public health concern for drinking water in developed nations. Water monitoring is limited by the lack of fast, reliable detection methods and viability assays for these pathogens. This project will use a novel gut-on-a-chip to develop for the first time rapid infectivity assays for ....Detection and viability of waterborne pathogens using a gut-on-chip. This project aims to resolve a significant problem for water utilities. Microbial pathogens Cryptosporidium, norovirus and adenovirus are the main public health concern for drinking water in developed nations. Water monitoring is limited by the lack of fast, reliable detection methods and viability assays for these pathogens. This project will use a novel gut-on-a-chip to develop for the first time rapid infectivity assays for Cryptosporidium, norovirus and adenovirus. Significant benefits include improved diagnostics and water disinfection assays, improved water treatment and reduced costs with global impact.Read moreRead less