Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine
Brian Cooke
- Adjunct Professor
- brian.cooke@jcu.edu.au
Amanda Murphy
- Senior Research Fellow
- amanda.murphy@jcu.edu.au
Tessa Knox
- Principal Research Fellow
- tessa.knox@jcu.edu.au
Justin Sexton
- Adjunct Research Fellow
- justin.sexton1@jcu.edu.au
Adeshina Adekunle
- Adjunct Research Fellow
- adeshina.adekunle@jcu.edu.au
Brogan Amos
- Adjunct Research Fellow
- brogan.amos@jcu.edu.au
Rachael Ryan
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- rachael.ryan1@jcu.edu.au
Emma McBryde
- Adjunct Professor
- emma.mcbryde@jcu.edu.au
Juergen Reichardt
- Adjunct Professor
- juergen.reichardt@jcu.edu.au
Tanya Russell
- Principal Research Fellow
- tanya.russell@my.jcu.edu.au
TB vaccination-challenge study. (Old ID 27368)
Andreas Kupz
19 Aug 2021 - 31 Mar 2022
This project will test the efficacy of new tuberculosis vaccine formulations developed by Lipotek Pty Ltd in a small animal model of tuberculosis at JCU.
Does leaving an untreated box jellyfish tentacle on a victim increase the amount of venom delivered? (Old ID 27569)
Jamie Seymour
11 Apr 2022 - 11 Apr 2023
We wish to determine if the number of stinging organelles discharging from tentacles of the box jellyfish Chironex fleckeri actually increases with time after the tentacles come in contact with the envenomed victim. If they do not, then this adds further weight to the suggested first aid advice of NOT using vinegar in box jellyfish and Irukandji stings.
Evaluation of BCGΔBCG1419c:ESAT6-PE25SS in immunocompetent and immunocompromised mouse models of TB (Old ID 27605)
Ana Maria Valencia Hernandez
01 Jun 2022 - 31 May 2023
Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health concern that causes more than 1.5 million deaths each year. Vaccination is considered one of the most effective ways to eliminate TB. However, the only licensed TB vaccine, called BCG, provides limited protection against the disease in adults and can cause dangerous side effects in people with weaker immune systems. This project aims to investigate whether a new vaccine candidate can induce a stronger immune response and better protection against tuberculosis in mice with normal immune systems and is well-tolerated in mice with compromised immune systems, when compared with the original BCG vaccine.
Pathogen Genomics North Queensland (Old ID 26564)
Emma McBryde
03 Jul 2019 - 03 Dec 2020
This project will develop pathogen genomics to improve time to best treatment of serious infectious diseases. We aim to incorporate pathogen genomics into the workflow of clinical microbiology units in regional Queensland Health Hospitals for investigation of potential or known infectious disease.
Development of disulfide-rich peptides for drug design (Old ID 19353)
Norelle Daly
01 Mar 2012 - 31 Dec 2016
Peptides are an outstanding source of potential drug candidates for therapeutic applications because of their potency and specificity for a range of different drug targets. However, the inherent poor stability of peptides limits their application. This project seeks to overcome this limitation by using tightly folded scaffolds, such as those found in the venom of spiders and scorpions, to improve stability. It is anticipated that these studies will significantly expand the potential of peptides as therapeutics. In particular, peptide-based drug leads for cancer and autoimmune diseases will be explored because of the enormous impact they have on health care in Australia and the urgent need for more effective treatments.
Pre-clinical development of a liver fluke growth factor for treating non-healing wounds (Old ID 23529)
Alex Loukas
01 Aug 2017 - 30 Jun 2020
This research proposal aims to develop more effective treatments for wound healing, improving treatment options for diabetic patients in Australia and eventually worldwide. This is likely to alleviate suffering from the disease and also decrease the AUD$3.6 billion financial burden of diabetic wound ulcers on the healthcare system. Although we showed that the liver fluke granulin protein has wound healing properties, it is difficult to produce in recombinant form. We have now developed a minimized version of granulin and produce it as a synthetic peptide that when applied topically displays wound-healing properties as potent as the full-length protein. Using the peptide as a topical agent is ideal because it capitalizes on the potency and specificity often associated with peptide-based drugs but does not require the high levels of bioavailability necessary for orally administered drugs. Our research will also provide advances in the field regarding the structure and folding of Ov-GRN-1, which will be of significant interest to researchers working specifically on growth factors and more broadly for those working on disulphide-rich peptides and proteins. Moreover, we believe that our decision to be guided in drug discovery by millennia of host-parasite coevolution will ensure that the most efficacious and safe drugs are identified and developed.
Enhancing Australian biodiscovery molecule generation, storage and access. (Old ID 28931)
Alex Loukas
24 Feb 2023 - 31 Dec 2023
The project aims to establish the Australian Biodiscovery Network with the following integrated infrastructure: sample processing robotics and storage to enhance national biomolecule curation and access at Compounds Australia and automated LC/MS to increase natural product extraction at NatureBank at Griffith Uni; a robotic colony picker to expand the Uni Queensland Microbes Australia library; a protein purification system to facilitate pathogen biologic discovery at James Cook Uni; live cell imaging to enable biodiscovery for aquaculture at Uni Sunshine Coast. This infrastructure will enhance biodiscovery capacity of QLD universities and benefit hundreds of researchers nationally across health, aquaculture, agriculture and food security.
Statistical Data Mining Algorithms for Optimising Analysis of Spectroscopic Data from On-line NIR Mill Systems: Improving System Calibrations for Quality Measures (Old ID 22492)
Justin Sexton
01 Jan 2016 - 30 Jun 2019
NIR spectroscopy is a rapid, non-invasive method for determining cane quality attributes (e.g. CCS, brix, fibre and biomass). NIR methods for sugarcane are advanced and work well for 90% of cases. When NIR methods fail, industry must resort to expensive laboratory analysis. This project will involve using novel statistical data mining techniques applied to large NIR databases to investigate improved calibrations for cane quality measures. Specifically this project is interested cases that were previously difficult to calibrate. Improved calibrations will benefit industry through reduced costs associated with extensive laboratory analysis for samples unsuited for standard industry calibrations.
Tools to diagnose carcinogenic liver fluke infection (Old ID 26496)
Alex Loukas
01 Mar 2020 - 28 Feb 2023
This program aims to develop molecular tests to diagnose carcinogenic infections with parasitic liver flukes. Throughout Eurasia, ingestion of raw or undercooked fish infected with Opisthorchis species flukes leads to infection, which over decades culminates in fatal liver cancer. Sensitive point-of-care tests to diagnose fluke infection are urgently needed and will be the focus of this proposal.
Carcinogenic liver fluke infection: Gene editing- and vaccination-mediated approaches to interrupt host-parasite communication (Old ID 24789)
Alex Loukas
01 Aug 2018 - 31 Jul 2023
Long term infection with liver fluke - a food-borne parasitic worm - leads to cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a form of liver cancer with a dismal prognosis. Previously we identified proteins and vesicles from these parasites that may cause this cancer. This new project will investigate the roles of these parasite proteins and vesicles in cancer, which may lead to new treatments and control for fluke infection and CCA.
Impaired placental autophagy in placental malaria
- 2017
- Public Library of Science
- Researchers:Emma McBryde
Start Date:
01 Jan 2021
End Date:
01 Jan 2022
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01 Jan 2018
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01 Jan 2021
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01 Jan 2021
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01 Jan 2021
End Date:
01 Jan 2022
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01 Jan 2020
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01 Jan 2018
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01 Jan 2017
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01 Jan 2017
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01 Jan 2016
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01 Jan 2014