Bacterial Detection and Infection Control using Tethered membranes

Funding: 2012: $58,500
2013: $112,000
2014: $107,000
2015: $53,500

Project Member(s): Valenzuela, S.

Funding or Partner Organisation: University of New South Wales (The University of New South Wales)
Australian Research Council (ARC Linkage Projects)
SDX Tethered Membranes (SDx Tethered Membranes Pty Ltd)

Start year: 2012

Summary: This project will develop a rapid diagnostic for detecting live bacteria based on membrane-disruptive toxins secreted by bacterial pathogens. The toxins will be detected from the resistance decrease they cause in a sealed lipid membrane. The diagnostic will have extensive application in triaging human carriers of pathogens, rapidly detecting bacterial contamination during surgical procedures and in managing food safety. Based on the same technology, we will also develop a tool to screen bacterial ion channels to identify compounds that disrupt the channel function and identify potential non-penicillin based antibiotics.

Publications:

Cranfield, CG, Berry, T, Holt, SA, Hossain, KR, Le Brun, AP, Carne, S, Al Khamici, H, Coster, H, Valenzuela, SM & Cornell, B 2016, 'Evidence of the Key Role of H3O+ in Phospholipid Membrane Morphology', LANGMUIR, vol. 32, no. 41, pp. 10725-10734.
View/Download from: Publisher's site

Keywords: ion channel proteins,membrane biophysics,bacterial toxins,CLIC proteins

FOR Codes: Medical Biotechnology Diagnostics (incl. Biosensors), Expanding Knowledge in Technology, Biomedical Engineering not elsewhere classified, Nanobiotechnology, EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.