Address: Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, 3168.
* Infection and immunity in leptospirosis. Molecular analysis of leptospiral antigens. Development of vaccines against leptospirosis. Genetics of virulence in bacillary dysentery and the regulation of virulence genes of Shigella. Vaccine development in pasteurellosis. Molecular analysis of pathogenesis in pasteurellosis.
* Molecular analysis of antibiotic resistance determinants of clostridia. Molecular approaches to the pathogenesis of clostridial myonecrosis. Molecular approaches to the pathogenesis and diagnosis of ovine footrot.
* The microbiology of the biological removal of phosphate from waste water/sewage. The project is aimed at obtaining a better understanding of the process so that treatment systems can be designed and monitored to operate more efficiently and reliably. The physiology and genetics of Acinetobacter.
* Genetics and regulation of PHB synthesis in Acinetobacter.
* Characterisation of repetitive DNA in Mycobacteria.
* Genetics of recombination systems in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Biogenesis of pili and other cell surface components of gonococci. Virulence and other gonococcal regulons.
* Development of vectors for the genetic `tagging' of microorganisms to facilitate studies on release of genetically-modified microorganisms.
* Development of PCR based methods for the detection of bacterial pathogens in water.
* Dengue and other flavivirus infections: expression of viral genes in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Structural and antigenic analyses of protective antigens. Assays of virus-encoded protease and polymerase activities.
* Characterisation of small round-structured viruses associated with gastroenteritis.
* The molecular analysis of plant potyviruses. The potyvirus are the largest group of plant viruses. The project is aimed at identifying the genes and regulatory sequences involved in viral replication, movement and symptom induction in the host. Gene expression and mutagenesis studies are being performed to identify the functional role of viral proteins in the potyviral lifecycle.
* Characterisation of viruses infecting Phytophthora cinnamomi: this fungus is responsible for large-scale destruction of native vegetation. The project aims to characterise any viruses which infect the fungus and to assess their potential for biocontrol of the fungus.
* Molecular microbiology of biodegradation.
* Physiology of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, particularly in relation to its utilisation of hexoses and malic acid and its tolerance of high concentration of sugars.
* Seroepidemiology of malaria infection. Interactions between malaria proteins and the human red blood cell. Biorheology of malaria infection. Molecular biology of malaria antigens and design of malaria vaccine.
* Immunological and biochemical factors in tuberculosis infection.
Graduate opportunities in the Department of Microbiology available at the Macfarlane Burnet Centre for Medical Research
* Hepatitis A virus Studies of virus replication strategies. Development of high-replicative capacity variants.
* Hepatitis B virus Structure of the DNA replicative intermediate, and mechanisms of transcriptional control.
* HIV Numerous projects, including genetics of drug resistance, control of transcription by cellular factors, mRNA splicing mechanisms and significance, mechanism of cell killing, replication strategies in stationary cells (including T-cells and monocyte-macrophages), mechanism of action of ancillary proteins, immune response to HIV infection, control of reverse transcription, transcription and translation in monocyte-macrophages, biology of HIV infection of macrophages, and interactions between other viruses and HIV.
* Respiratory syncytial virus Studies of the cell receptor for RSV, and structural, functional and chemical studies of the attachment protein (G protein) of RSV. Development of a genetic system for in vitro mutagenesis of RSV cDNA.
* Rubella virus Morphogenesis of rubella virus. Mechanism of mitochondrial injury by rubella virus.