Iron/hemin Transport Systems Of Porphyromonas Gingivalis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$392,036.00
Summary
Periodontitis is a bacterial-associated disease of the supporting structures of the teeth and can result in tooth loss. The disease is classified as a major public health problem with an enormous economic burden. A bacterium, Porphyromonas gingivalis, has now been implicated as a major causative agent of periodontitis in adults. To survive and grow within humans pathogenic bacteria must be able to acquire essential elements, including iron. The human host has developed a variety of mechanisms to ....Periodontitis is a bacterial-associated disease of the supporting structures of the teeth and can result in tooth loss. The disease is classified as a major public health problem with an enormous economic burden. A bacterium, Porphyromonas gingivalis, has now been implicated as a major causative agent of periodontitis in adults. To survive and grow within humans pathogenic bacteria must be able to acquire essential elements, including iron. The human host has developed a variety of mechanisms to restrict the amount of iron available as a means of limiting the growth of bacterial pathogens. In response to this iron limitation Porphyromonas gingivalis has developed novel ways of obtaining this essential element. We have identified a novel iron transport system that P. gingivalis uses to obtain iron from the human host. A component of this transport system, FetB is a surface protein antigen. The aims of this project are to: i. Determine the mechanism by which this novel iron transport system functions by genetic manipulation of the organism using molecular biology techniques. ii. Determine how important this transport system is for the pathogenicity of the bacterium. iii. Prepare the FetB protein using recombinant DNA technology. iv. Test the recombinant FetB protein and another iron transport protein (Tlr) in animal models to determine their efficacy as a vaccine for periodontitis. The expected outcomes of this research are:- i. the understanding of how P. gingivalis transports iron. ii. an understanding of the importance of iron transport systems to the pathogenicity of the bacterium. iii. a P. gingivalis vaccine with efficacy in animals based on an iron transport protein(s).Read moreRead less
MHCC ACT Community Mental Health Pathways Project”
Funder
Mental Health Community Coalition ACT
Funding Amount
$50,000.00
Summary
This project was commissioned by the Mental health Community Coalition in the ACT (MHCC ACT), to explore the connection and pathways between psychosocial services in the ACT. It was based on interviews held with every NGO providing psychosocial services in the ACT. It aimed to to provide a detailed picture of the connections and pathways which exist between the ACT Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) providing psychosocial services, and other organisations; to better understand those elements w ....This project was commissioned by the Mental health Community Coalition in the ACT (MHCC ACT), to explore the connection and pathways between psychosocial services in the ACT. It was based on interviews held with every NGO providing psychosocial services in the ACT. It aimed to to provide a detailed picture of the connections and pathways which exist between the ACT Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) providing psychosocial services, and other organisations; to better understand those elements which contribute to strong pathways and identify opportunities for improvement; and to use this information as the basis for next step advocacy for the ACT psychosocial
sector.Read moreRead less