Microbes and molecules

The search for a global Streptococcus A vaccine has narrowed after researchers sequenced the DNA of more than 2000 samples of the bacteria worldwide. An international team, including UQ Science researchers, identified a common gene signature in almost all global Strep A strains, in a project spanning a decade and more than 20 countries. Strep A, one of the top 10 causes of death from infectious diseases worldwide, is endemic in low-socioeconomic regions and the researchers hope to defeat the disease.

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Scientists looking at the genetics of Zika virus have found a way to fast-track research which could lead to new vaccines. The study, led by UQ Science researchers and colleagues from QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, used a new technique to uncover Zika mutations that help foster virus replication in mosquito hosts, while hindering its ability to replicate in mammals. The researchers say the technique would supercharge research on Zika – which can cause birth defects – and other similar viruses.

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Research into an intricate toxin delivery system found in bacteria could overcome the problem of pesticide resistance in insects, and might even lead to new cancer treatments. An international team led by UQ Science researchers has revealed the detailed inner workings of the newest member of a family of naturally occurring insecticidal toxins. The research, which began with the goal of trying to prevent insects from destroying vegetable crops might one day lead to new therapeutic approaches for treating cancer.

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Bacterial classification has been given a complete makeover by a team of UQ researchers, using an evolutionary tree based on genome sequences. The study, led by UQ Science and the Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, relied on a technique called metagenomics, where bacterial genomes are obtained straight from environmental samples, to create a more complete picture of the structure of the bacterial kingdom, rewriting biology textbooks the world over.

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A chemical compound found in common herbicides could help fight hospital-acquired human fungal pathogenic infections, which claim an estimated two million lives per year. A team of international researchers led by UQ Science has discovered that the chemical chlorimuron ethyl also targets a range of fungal infections that are potentially fatal to humans, particularly people undergoing treatments which place the immune system under stress.

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UQ Science researchers have upended biologists’ century-old understanding of the evolutionary history of animals. Using new technology to investigate how multi-celled animals developed, the findings disprove a long-standing idea: that multi-celled animals evolved from a single-celled ancestor resembling a modern sponge cell known as a choanocyte. Researchers hope the revelation will improve understanding of the human condition, stem cells and cancer.

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