Bacterial Pathogenesis

Laboratory Head   

Professor Kadaba Sriprakash

Summary

The Bacterial Pathogenesis Laboratory undertakes research into Streptococcus and Staphylococcus and other medically important bacteria which cause a wide range of potentially fatal diseases in humans by:

• Investigating why some Streptococcus infections cause disease while others do not.
• Working to identify, characterise and evaluate potential candidates for group A streptococcus (GAS) vaccine and other bacterial pathogens.

Conditions researched

• Pharyngitis (strep throat)
• Impetigo (skin infection)
• Rheumatic heart disease and rheumatic fever
• Scarlet fever
• Meningitis
• Acute Post-Streptococcal Glomerulonephritis (APSGN)
• Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS)
• Invasive GAS disease
• Necrotising fasciitis (flesh-eating bacteria)

Current research

• The molecular epidemiology of group A streptococcus
• The role of streptococcal virulence factors in pathogenesis
• Novel vaccine strategies to combat GAS infection
• Rapid diagnosis of streptococcal infection

Staff

Laboratory Head: Professor Kadaba Sriprakash

Senior Research Officer: Dr David McMillan

Research Officers: Dr Bramha Chari, Dr Li Zhang

Research Assistants: Josephine Shera, Therese Vu, Natalie Rosenweig, Ben Duell

PhD Students: Santosh Kaul

Honours Students:  Thomas Harding, Michelle Bauer, Sean Morgan 

Funding

We gratefully acknowledge support from the following organisations and funding bodies:

• National Health and Medical Research Council
• Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health
• Cooperative Research Centre for Vaccine Technology

Collaborators

Professor Mark Walker, University of Wollongong, Wollongong.

Professor Singh Chhatwal, Gesellschaft fur Biotechnologische Forschung mbH, Braunschweig, Germany.

Professor Debra Bessen, Yale University, New Haven, USA.

Drs N Ketheesan and R Norton, James Cook University, Townsville.

Dr R Beiko, Institute of Molecular Biology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane.

Dr K N Brahmadathan, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.

Professor MS Shaila, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.