How bacteria form resistant aggregates and biofilms. This research aims to use interdisciplinary approaches to advance fundamental knowledge on bacterial aggregates and biofilms. These bacterial clusters are a significant problem as they have extraordinary resistance to disinfectants and antibiotics, and currently no effective methods are available to disrupt them. The expected outcomes of this project are to dissect how autotransporters, the most common group of bacterial cell-surface proteins, ....How bacteria form resistant aggregates and biofilms. This research aims to use interdisciplinary approaches to advance fundamental knowledge on bacterial aggregates and biofilms. These bacterial clusters are a significant problem as they have extraordinary resistance to disinfectants and antibiotics, and currently no effective methods are available to disrupt them. The expected outcomes of this project are to dissect how autotransporters, the most common group of bacterial cell-surface proteins, promote aggregation and biofilm formation, and to develop inhibitors that prevent the formation of these damaging bacterial clusters. Ultimately, this new knowledge will help address the increasing economic and social burden of industrial, environmental and biomedical biofilms.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230101284
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$397,003.00
Summary
Insect-specific virus host restriction. Mosquito-borne viruses are a topic of intense research due to their complex biology, ecology and evolution, and their potential to produce unpredictable outbreaks of disease in both humans and animals. Insect-specific viruses (ISVs) are viruses that replicate solely in mosquito cell and are unable to infect vertebrate tissues. This project aims to assess the biodiversity of ISVs in the Australian mosquito population and identify key factors behind their re ....Insect-specific virus host restriction. Mosquito-borne viruses are a topic of intense research due to their complex biology, ecology and evolution, and their potential to produce unpredictable outbreaks of disease in both humans and animals. Insect-specific viruses (ISVs) are viruses that replicate solely in mosquito cell and are unable to infect vertebrate tissues. This project aims to assess the biodiversity of ISVs in the Australian mosquito population and identify key factors behind their restriction in vertebrates. The objectives of the studies proposed will answer clearly defined important biological questions about ISVs, while also delivering technological advances, novel reagents and potential commercial outcomes for the control and prevention of arboviral disease. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220101221
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$453,614.00
Summary
Revealing bat antibody recognition mechanism against bat-borne viruses. Bats act as asymptomic reservoir hosts for numerous zoonotic viruses that are lethal in humans, indicating that the bat immune system can control these viruses. However, little is known about bat immunity including how bat antibodies recognise bat-borne viruses. This project aims to study bat anti-viral antibodies by utilising innovative protein engineering, cutting-edge cryo-EM technology and single-cell isolation and seque ....Revealing bat antibody recognition mechanism against bat-borne viruses. Bats act as asymptomic reservoir hosts for numerous zoonotic viruses that are lethal in humans, indicating that the bat immune system can control these viruses. However, little is known about bat immunity including how bat antibodies recognise bat-borne viruses. This project aims to study bat anti-viral antibodies by utilising innovative protein engineering, cutting-edge cryo-EM technology and single-cell isolation and sequencing. The project seeks to uncover bat-borne zoonotic virus glycoprotein architecture and reveal how bat antibodies function to inhibit viral infection. Expected outcomes will be new insight and tools to combat emerging and yet to emerge pathogens, enabling pandemic preparedness and increasing global biosecurity.
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The molecular mechanism of bacterial ABC toxins. This project aims to establish that the ABC family of bacterial protein toxins, the main virulence factors in many species of naturally-occurring bacterial pathogens of insect pests, represent a protein machinery that cells and other organisms may use to deliver bioactive proteins to specific cells. ABC toxins are the main virulence factors in many species of naturally-occurring bacterial pathogens of insect pests. This project aims to establish t ....The molecular mechanism of bacterial ABC toxins. This project aims to establish that the ABC family of bacterial protein toxins, the main virulence factors in many species of naturally-occurring bacterial pathogens of insect pests, represent a protein machinery that cells and other organisms may use to deliver bioactive proteins to specific cells. ABC toxins are the main virulence factors in many species of naturally-occurring bacterial pathogens of insect pests. This project aims to establish that ABC toxins represent a new protein machinery that may be used more widely throughout cells and other organisms to direct the intercellular delivery of bioactive proteins in a highly cell-specific manner. The project expects these findings to enable the development of biopesticides based on ABC toxins, and generic intercellular protein delivery devices for biotechnological use.Read moreRead less