Research Focus
The Inflammation Biology Group has developed, refined and characterised a number of models used to gain new insights into factors that regulate viral infection and inflammatory disease. The models are also exploited for collaborative research and development with industry to test potential new interventions (e.g. vaccines, anti-inflammatory drugs and anti-viral agents). The group has over 30 years of activity in improving our understanding of the immunopathogenesis of the diseases caused by arthritogenic alphaviruses such as chikungunya virus and Ross River virus. We have also developed models of Zika virus (foetal brain infection and testes damage), yellow fever virus liver pathology, Japanese encephalitis virus brain pathology, and SARS-CoV-2 lung pathology, which have been used to facilitate development of new interventions such as vaccines and diagnostics.
Research Projects
Current Research Projects
To determine the key drivers of SARS-CoV-2 upper respiratory tract infection.
Evaluating interventions against viral diseases.
Research Team
Dean Andrew
Kexin Yan
Bing Tang
Viviana Lutzky
Funding
- Understanding long COVID. Brazil Family Foundation.
- QIMR Berghofer coronavirus research applications; 1) Establishing a diagnostic for SARS-CoV-2 neurotropism, 2) Evaluation of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 interventions in hACE2 & GMO mice, 3) Establishment of a PC3 facility for SARS-CoV-2 work.
Publications
Stewart R, Yan K, Ellis SA, Bishop C, Dumenil T, Tang B, Nguyen W, Larcher T, Parry R, Sng JDJ, Khromykh AA, Sullivan RKP, Lor M, Meunier FA*, Rawle DJ*, Suhrbier A*. SARS-CoV-2 omicron BA.5 and XBB variants have increased neurotropic potential over BA.1 in K18-hACE2 mice and human brain organoids. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2023. Volume 14. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1320856.
Yan K, Dumenil T, Tang B, Le TT, Bishop CR, Suhrbier A, Rawle DJ. Evolution of ACE2-independent SARS-CoV-2 infection and mouse adaption after passage in cells expressing human and mouse ACE2. Virus Evolution. 2022. Jul 27;8(2):veac063. doi: 10.1093/ve/veac063.
Rawle DJ*, Le TT*, Dumenil T, Bishop C, Yan K, Nakayama E, Bird PI, Suhrbier A. Widespread discrepancy in Nnt genotypes and genetic backgrounds complicates granzyme A and other knockout mouse studies. eLife. 2022. Feb 4:11:e70207. doi: 10.7554/eLife.70207
Further Information
- Dr Daniel Rawle
- Dr Wilson Nguyen
- Dr Cameron Bishop
- Dr Jessamine Hazlewood
- Dr Natalie Prow
- Dr Eri Nakayama
- Dr Itaru Anraku
- Dr Jane Wilson
- Dr Wayne Schroder
- Dr Jelke Fros
- Mary Lor
- Thuy Le
- Troy Dumenil
- Joy Gardner
• Dr Alex Khromykh, University of Queensland
• Dr G Pijlman, Wageningen University
• Dr Jody Hobson-Peters, University of Queensland
• Professor Helder Nakaya, University of Sao Paulo
• Dr Thibaut Larcher, INRAE
• Dr Daniel Watterson, University of Queensland
• Dr Branka Grubor-Bauk, University of Adelaide