Characterizing The Molecular Mechanisms Of Clinically Important Bacterial-fungal Interactions; The Potential To Uncover Novel Therapeutic Targets
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$480,492.00
Summary
In hospitals and in nature, diverse microbes, such as bacteria and fungi, often live in close proximity to each other. Their interactions can either be helpful or detrimental to one another, and such interactions are likely important for their ability to cause human disease. This proposal aims to study the mechanisms by which bacteria interact with fungi and by doing so, will identify important mechanisms of how microbes cause human illness and also uncover new targets for antibiotic development ....In hospitals and in nature, diverse microbes, such as bacteria and fungi, often live in close proximity to each other. Their interactions can either be helpful or detrimental to one another, and such interactions are likely important for their ability to cause human disease. This proposal aims to study the mechanisms by which bacteria interact with fungi and by doing so, will identify important mechanisms of how microbes cause human illness and also uncover new targets for antibiotic development.Read moreRead less
Role Of Streptococcus Agalactiae Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate Dehydrogenase (GAPDH) In Infection And Potential As A Target To Control Colonization In The Female Genital Tract
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$677,177.00
Summary
Extracellular proteins produced by pathogenic bacteria can facilitate microbial colonization of the host by mediating binding to host cells and by modulating the immune system. These proteins exert their effects by subverting specific elements of the immune system and this can allow infection to worsen. This project will increase our understanding of how this bacterium chronically colonizes humans and will identify the potential of a bacterial protein, termed GAPDH, as a target for control.
Characterising The Role Of IL-37 In The Development Of H. Pylori Infection.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$641,992.00
Summary
H. pylori infects more than 50% of the worlds population and is the causative agent of gastric cancer, the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Infection with H. pylori occurs during early childhood and persists within the host for life, causing immune suppression and therefore preventing clearance of the infection from the individual. We will examine a newly identified mechanism of H. pylori-induced immune suppression in humans in an attempt to provide novel treatments.
Integrated Bacterial Genomics And Virulence Analysis Of Uropathogenic Streptococcus Agalactiae
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$747,457.00
Summary
Urinary tract infections (UTI), which start as a bladder infection and often evolve to encompass the kidneys, are among the most common infectious diseases in humans. Streptococcus agalactiae is an important cause of gram-positive bacterial UTI. We will study the genomes and functions of specific genes in reference strains of this bacterium isolated from patients with different forms of infection to elucidate how bacterial genes and virulence factors contribute to these types of infections.
Uncovering Novel Roles Of Escherichia Coli Flagella And LPS In Uropathogenesis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$404,677.00
Summary
Urinary tract infections (UTI) are common infectious diseases in humans. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) cause most UTI. UPEC produce factors that promote their survival and influence disease such as flagella. We have identified anti-inflammatory responses as a key element of UTI and have shown that these responses contribute to control of UTI. In this project, we will investigate how the UPEC flagella component, FliC, contributes to anti-inflammatory responses and what this means for UTI.
Functional Characterisation Of The Malaria Protein Export Machinery
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$556,104.00
Summary
The ability of malaria parasites to cause one of the most devastating infectious diseases of humans is in part due to their ability to export hundreds of proteins into their host red blood cells to obtain nutrients, evade the immune system and contribute to associated pathologies. Recently, we discovered the molecular machine that exports proteins into the host cell and so now we wish to establish how it works so that drugs can be tailored to block it to kill these parasites.
Understanding The Development Of Humoral Immunity To Malaria Merozoites
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$642,804.00
Summary
We will examine the acquisition of antibody responses to various P. falciparum surface antigens and their association with reduced risk of re-infection and symptomatic malaria in a treatment re-infection study of children from a malaria endemic area of Papua New Guinea. The effector mechanisms by which protective antibodies control parasite burden will be idendify. Defining the antigenic targets and effector mechanisms of immunity is essential for developing anti-malarial vaccines.
The Role Of Varicella Zoster Virus In Modulating Cutaneous Infection
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$555,892.00
Summary
Varicella zoster virus (VZV) causes two skin diseases: chickenpox and shingles. VZV can causes significant morbidity in children and adults and life-threatening disease in immunocompromised people. This project aims to improve our understanding of how VZV affects the function of specialised skin cells to provide information for the development of a better vaccine to lessen the impact of VZV disease on the community.
Glycan-glycan Interactions Between Bacterial Pathogens And Host Cells: A Novel Mechanism Of Bacterial Adherence, A New Opportunity For Strategies To Treat And Prevent Disease And A New Paradigm In Interactions Between Macromolecules.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,059,344.00
Summary
Cell surface carbohydrates are ubiquitous throughout nature. Human cell surface carbohydrates are specifically targeted by microbial proteins. These interactions are crucial in causing disease. We have recently shown that the carbohydrates on our cells and those on pathogenic bacteria can interact with one another. Understanding the nature and role of these newly discovered interactions may lead to strategies to block them via new drugs and vaccines.
Black Death Genomics And The Evolution Of Pathogen Virulence
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$525,412.00
Summary
The Black Death was one of the most lethal plagues of antiquity and changed the course of human history. We will reconstruct and analyse the evolution of its causative agent – the bacterium Yersinia pestis – sampled from human skeletal remains dating back to the Black Death and beyond. We will determine the mutations that changed the virulence of plague epidemics through time, enabling a unique insight into the most dramatic example of pathogen emergence that has ever been available for study.