Billman-Jacobe Laboratory
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Dr. Helen Billman-Jacobe's Home PageResearch Interests
Several species of mycobacteria commonly cause human disease. The major pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, causes millions of deaths annually worldwide. These bacteria have complex lipid-rich cell walls that provide a defence against host immune mechanisms and renders them intrinsically resistant to many antibiotics.
Our research is aimed at elucidating the pathways that lead to the biosynthesis of some of the major components of the mycobacterial cell wall. The longer-term view is to identify key enzymes in these pathways that may be potential targets for the development of new antimycobacterial drugs.
Laboratory Staff
Dr Ruth Haites
Mr Benjamin McMillan
Ms Chinn Wong
Recent Publications
List of Publications prior to 2007
- Laval F, Haites R, Movahedzadeh F, Lemassu A, Wong CY, Stoker N, Billman-Jacobe H, Daffe M. Investigating the function of the putative mycolic acid methyltransferase UmaA: divergence between the Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteins. Journal of Biological Chemistry 2008; 283: 1419-1427.
- Crellin PK, Kovacevic S, Martin KL, Brammananth R, Morita YS, Billman-Jacobe H, McConville MJ, Coppel RL. Mutations in pimE restore lipoarabinomannan synthesis and growth in a Mycobacterium smegmatis lpqW mutant. Journal of Bacteriology 2008; 190: 3690-3699.