Project: Defining how multidrug-resistant superbugs colonise the gastrointestinal tract
Howden Group
The gastrointestinal microbiome plays an important role in blocking the acquisition of multidrug-resistant superbugs, which often colonise the gut prior to causing life threatening infections. The identity of the commensal species involved and the mechanisms they employ to inhibit these superbugs and prevent gut colonisation remain unclear. Using a multi-omics approach coupled with molecular microbiology and murine gut colonisation models, this project will lead to an improved understanding of how hospital superbugs colonise the gut and how the healthy gastrointestinal microbiome can prevent gut colonisation from occurring. This knowledge will lead to the development of novel therapeutics that can be used to combat the threat of multidrug resistant hospital superbugs.
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Howden Group
5 vacancies
Our research uses genomics, molecular biology, epidemiology and clinical studies to address a broad range of issues related to invasive bacterial diseases in humans, including antimicrobial-resistant and hospital-associated pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecium, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli.
Howden Group Current Projects
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Defining how multidrug-resistant superbugs colonise the gastrointestinal tract
PhD/MPhil, Master of Biomedical Science, Honours
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Towards an understanding of last-resort antimicrobial resistance in hospital superbugs
Master of Biomedical Science, Honours
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Genomic epidemiology and AMR of Victorian Burkholderia in a global context
PhD/MPhil, Master of Biomedical Science, Honours
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Phylodynamic modelling of outbreaks of multidrug resistant enteric pathogens
PhD/MPhil, Master of Biomedical Science
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Precision genomics for antimicrobial-resistant bacterial pathogens
Master of Biomedical Science, Honours
Research degrees at the Doherty Institute are administered by the University of Melbourne.