Developing new immunotherapies to tackle antimicrobial resistance

• PhD
• Graduate Research Masters
• Honours

The aim of this project is to develop a passive immunotherapy to protect against and treat multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections. Over 65% of pneumonia cases in the USA and Europe are caused by carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) and this bacterial pathogen tops the ‘WHO Priority Pathogens List’ and the CDC’s ‘Urgent Threats’ list. This project will involve developing monoclonal antibodies against carefully selected epitopes, characterising these antibodies using structural and biophysical techniques, and assessing the activity of these antibodies in opsonization assays and infection models. This work is ideally suited for someone with a background in biochemistry and protein science.

The Goddard-Borger laboratory studies the glycobiology of human diseases and works towards the development of new therapeutics using techniques in chemical, structural and molecular biology. Our research is highly collaborative, leading us to work closely with leading scientists at the institute, across Australia and around the world. This provides an excellent interdisciplinary training environment for students and postdoctoral researchers as well as opportunities to build valuable networks within the industry.