Robins-Browne Laboratory
Page Contents
Include: Research Interests | Collaborative Research | Funding | Some recent findings - Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli - Helicobacter pylori | Laboratory Staff | Selected Recent Publications
Research Interests
The major focus of our research is the molecular pathogenesis of bacterial infections. We use molecular biological, genetic, proteomic, and cell biological approaches to gain insight into the processes by which pathogenic bacteria interact with their hosts. The bacteria we use as model pathogens for this research are diarrhoea-causing strains of Escherichia coli, in particular enteropathogenic E. coli. We also work with group A streptococci, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Helicobacter pylori amongst others.
The principal goals of our work are to improve understanding of the strategies that bacteria employ to cause disease, and to use this information to improve methods currently used to diagnose, treat and prevent bacterial infections. A significant part of our research is conducted jointly with scientists employed by Anadis Ltd (www.anadis.com), whose major interest is the development of passive immunisation against infection.
Collaborative research
In addition to our laboratories in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, we have laboratories at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute (www.mcri.edu.au) located at the Royal Children's Hospital (www.rch.org.au), where we undertake collaborative research with a number of hospital-based scientists and clinicians on topics as diverse as "The use of microarray to investigate susceptibility to and pathogenesis of infections" (with Professor Nigel Curtis); "Detection of carriers of Streptococcus pneumoniae" (with Professor Kim Mulholland, Dr Catherine Satzke and others); "The use of lactobacilli to modulate immune responses in neonates" (with Assoc Prof Mimi Tang); "Antibiotic susceptibility testing of bacteria from children with cystic fibrosis" (with Dr John Massey), and "Determination of the role of intestinal pathogens in the development of Crohn's disease" (with Dr Carl Kirkwood and others). We also work closely with Bionic Technologies Australia on their Infection Control Program, and have active collaborations with several other individuals and groups in Melbourne, interstate and overseas
Funding
Funding for our research comes mainly from the Australian National Health & Medical Research Council in the form of a five-year program grant (with co-chief investigators at The University of Melbourne, Monash University, The University of Adelaide and the University of Queensland). We also hold grants from the Australian Research Council (with Dr Elizabeth Hartland and Prof Gad Frankel) and the Australian Cystic Fibrosis Research Trust (with Drs Ranganathan, Curtis and Smyth), and have research contracts with Anadis Ltd., Bionic Technologies Australia and the Gates Grand Challenges in Global Health Fund, amongst others.
Some recent findings
Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli
Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) is a leading cause of acute diarrhoea in children worldwide. We have shown that EPEC is also an important cause of persistent diarrhoea in children attending hospital in Melbourne. As part of our work on the pathogenesis of infections caused by EPEC, we have identified a protein export pathway in EPEC that is identical to that used by enterotoxigenic strains of E. coli to secrete heat-labile enterotoxin. Although EPEC secretes no known toxins, it appears to require the protein secretory pathway to produce biofilms and to persist in the gastrointestinal tract. We have also identified two novel gene regulatory systems in EPEC and related bacteria which are essential for virulence. One of these systems responds to bicarbonate ions, whilst the other is linked to the uptake of inorganic phosphate.
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| Destruction of microvilli on the surface of the intestine by enteropathogenic E. coli (arrow). | Photomicrographs showing that enteropathogenic E. coli (arrow) which attach to epithelial cells (left) cause actin to accumulate at the site of attachment (right). |
Helicobacter pylori
H. pylori causes chronic infection of the human stomach and is associated with the development of inflammation, peptic ulceration and cancer. Although most patients infected with H. pylori respond to appropriate treatment with antibiotics and antacids, supplementary treatment is required for those patients who relapse after treatment. In collaboration with Anadis Ltd., we have developed an antibody-based treatment which is effective in an animal model of H. pylori infection, and causes relief of gastric symptoms in humans. We are planning to investigate if this treatment will also hasten recovery from H. pylori infection and prevent relapse.
Laboratory Staff
Laboratory Head and Deputy Head of Department
Professor Roy Robins-Browne
Email:r.browne@unimelb.edu.au
Current staff
Kristy Azzopardi, Research assistant
Dr Debbie Baldi, Postdoctoral scientist
Vicki Bennett-Wood, Research assistant
Susie Germano*, Scientific officer
Kim Huett, Technical officer
Danijela Krmek, Technical assistant
Brian Muller*, Scientific officer
Frances Oppedisano, Research assistant
Dr Judyta Praszkier, Postdoctoral scientist
Clare Savage*, Research assistant
Dr Catherine Satzke, Postdoctoral scientist
Dr Marija Tauschek, Postdoctoral scientist
Victor Wong*, Scientific officer
Dr Ji Yang, Postdoctoral scientist
* employed by Anadis Ltd.
Current students
Dr Penelope Bryant+, PhD studentCatherine Cheng, PhD student
Dr Tom Connel+, PhD student
Rebecca Gorrell, PhD student
Emily Hart, PhD student
Ellen Higginson, PhD student
Dianna Hocking, PhD student
Danielle Kibell, PhD student
Dr Nicole Ritz+, PhD student
Aimee Tan, PhD student
Dr Marc Tebruegge+, PhD student
Sheryl Tisseverasinghe, Honours student
+ based off campus
Selected Recent Publications
- Yang J, Hart E, Tauschek M, Price GD, Hartland EL, Strugnell RA, Robins-Browne RM. Bicarbonate-mediated transcriptional activation of divergent operons by the virulence regulatory protein, RegA, from Citrobacter rodentium. Mol Microbiol 2008; in press.
- Leotta GA, Miliwebsky ES, Chinen I, Espinosa EM,Azzopardi K, Tennant S, Robins-Browne R, Rivas M. Characterisation of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains isolated from humans in Argentina, Australia and New Zealand. BMC Microbiol 2008; in press.
- Mahmoud SS, Gehman JD, Azzopardi K, Robins-Browne RM, Separovic F. Liposomal phospholipid preparations of chloramphenicol for ophthalmic applications. J Pharm Sci. 2008; in press.
- Tennant SM, Hartland EL, Phumoonna T, Lyras D, Rood JI, Robins-Browne RM, van Driel IR. The influence of gastric acid on the susceptibility to infection with ingested bacterial pathogens. Infect Immun 2008; 76: 639-645.
- Lee SF, Luck SN, Kelly M, McAlister A, Robins-Browne RM, Frankel G, Hartland EL. A C-terminal class I PDZ binding motif of NleA/EspI modulates the virulence of attaching and effacing Escherichia coli and Citrobacter rodentium. Cell Microbiol 2008; 10: 499-513.
- Wei BPC, Robins-Browne RM, Shepherd RK, Clark GM, O'Leary SJ. Current concepts: pneumococcal meningitis and cochlear implantation; risk assessment and prevention. Clin Infect Dis 2008; 46:e1-7.
- Leyton DL, Adams L, Kelly M, Sloan J, Tauschek M, Robins-Browne RM, Hartland EL. Contribution of a novel gene, rpeA, encoding a putative autotransporter adhesin to intestinal colonization by rabbit-specific enteropathogenic Escherichia coli. Infect Immun 2007; 75:4664-4669.
- Rogers S, Commons R, Danchin MH, Selvaraj G, Kelpie L, Curtis N, Robins-Browne R, Carapetis JR. Lack of evidence for the existence of highly virulent strains of group A streptococcus. J Infect Dis 2007; 195: 1625-1633.
- Ogura Y, Ooka T, Garmendia J, Whale A, Beutin L, Tennant S, Krause G, Morabito S, Chinen I, Tobe T, Abe H, Tozzoli R, Caprioli A, Rivas M, Robins-Browne R, Hayashi T, Frankel G. Prevalence of tccPM among O157:H7 and non-O157 enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) strains - challenging the dogma of EHEC-induced actin polymerization. Infect Immun 2007; 75: 604-612.
- Yang J, Baldi D, Tauschek M, Strugnell RA, Robins-Browne RM. Regulation of the yghJ-pppA-yghG-gspCDEFGHIJKLM cluster encoding the type II secretion pathway in enterotoxigenic E. coli by the H-NS and StpA proteins. J Bacteriol 2007; 189:142-150.
- Robins-Browne RM. Yersinia enterocolitica. In: Doyle MP, Beuchat LR, Montville TJ, eds. Food microbiology: fundamentals and frontiers, 3rd edition. Washington, DC: American Society for Microbiology, 2007:293-322.
Robins-Browne laboratory members 2006-07.