Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine
Darren Pickering
- Senior Research Officer
- darren.pickering@jcu.edu.au
Stephan Karl
- Principal Research Fellow, Malaria and Vector Biology
- stephan.karl@jcu.edu.au
Melanie Koinari
- Research Officer
- melanie.koinari@jcu.edu.au
Denise Doolan
- Adjunct Professor
- denise.doolan@jcu.edu.au
Enhancing Australian biodiscovery molecule generation, storage and access. (Old ID 28931)
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)
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)
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)
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.
Vector Control Technical Landscape Analysis of Papua New Guinea (Old ID 26282)
The project will analyse vector suveillance and control activities in Papua New Guinea in both the private and public sectors to identify gaps that might be addressed through novel control strategies under development at the Innovative Vector Control Consortia using funding from the Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Plasmodium vivax transmission blocking studies in the South Pacific (Old ID 23455)
This project is aimed at better understanding transmission of P. vivax, the world's most widely spread malaria parasite. Using a newly established experimental platform that enables us to feed P. vivax infected blood to Anopheles farauti mosquitoes, we can start researching factors in human blood that determine P. vivax infection success, test new vaccine and drug candidates for their ability to block transmission and thus significantly advance science surrounding this neglected parasite.
Targeting Inflammasome Activation To Combat Infections With Intracellular Pathogens (Old ID 20303)
The project will investigate the potential to specifically target intracellular sensors, so called inflammasomes, to enhance immunity against the intracellular pathogens Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Toxoplasma gondii. Particular emphasis will be placed on the regulation of inflammasome-mediated secretion of iterleukin-18 and subsequent initiation of protective interferon-gamma production. The project aims to identify novel host-pathogen interactions that can enhance effective control and clearance of these pathogens and to test the associated molecules in murine infection models as well as primary human samples. Results obtained from this research project may aid in the development of novel vaccine candidates and immunomodulatory strategies against intracellular pathogens.
QoVAX SET Testing and Biobank Project – North Queensland (Old ID 27546)
The QoVAX SET (Queensland COVID-19 Vaccination Safety and Efficacy Trial) program is a population-based study of COVID-19 vaccine safety and effectiveness, providing a resource for studies to understand how the immune system responds to the COVID-19 vaccines, and what factors might affect vaccine response. Though this contract, JCU is supporting the North Queensland arm of this program - QoVAX Program participants recruited in Cairns.
Strengthened surveillance for vector-borne zoonotic and livestock diseases in Papua New Guinea. (Old ID 27871)
This proposed research will consolidate and build on previous research and pilot surveillance conducted on zoonotic arboviruses in PNG (SRA LS/2018/213) and will aim to continue and expand a One Health surveillance approach for Japanese encephalitis and zoonotic arboviruses in PNG. The overall objective of the project will be to combine mosquito, sentinel animal and human surveillance for JE and other zoonotic arboviruses to continue to build and consolidate capacity and expertise in this area, through a holistic, One Health approach.
Tropical diseases: Translating discoveries into better health (Old ID 24683)
Our overall working hypotheses are: 1. The rational design of tropical disease vaccines and other therapeutics requires improved understanding of immunology, host-parasite interactions and application of innovative bioengineering. 2.Improved interventions will be required to eliminate tropical infectious diseases. Our Specific Aims are: 1. Discover pathogenic and immune mechanisms, protective antigens, biomarkers and therapeutic targets for the control of tropical infectious diseases. 2. Develop new vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics. 3. Optimise human pathogen challenge models to study host-pathogen interactions and test new vaccines and therapeutics. 4. Develop and test new clinical and public health interventions in disease-endemic settings.
Spontaneous fermentation of traditional sago starch in Papua New Guinea
- 2009
- Academic Press
- Researchers:Andreas KupzJeffrey Warner
Role for MyD88, TLR2 and TLR9 but not TLR1, TLR4 or TLR6 in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
- 2011
- American Association of Immunologists
- Researchers:Socorro Miranda-Hernandez
Immature murine NKT cells pass through a stage of developmentally programmed innate IL-4 secretion
- 2012
- Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
- Researchers:Socorro Miranda-Hernandez
Start Date:
01 Jan 2017
End Date:
01 Jan 2017
Start Date:
01 Jan 2019
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01 Jan 2019
Title:
Science Meets Parliament
Start Date:
01 Jan 2019
End Date:
01 Jan 2019
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01 Jan 2003
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01 Jan 2006
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01 Jan 2006
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01 Jan 2008
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01 Jan 2012
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01 Jan 2017
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01 Jan 2020
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01 Jan 2020
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01 Jan 2020
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01 Jan 2020