Research: Respiratory Research

Our Projects

• Identification of Mycobacteria in water: our focus has been the identification of Mycobacteria in environmental samples such as potable water, and the comparison of the strains found in water with those found to cause human disease.  The mechanism by which patients acquire these infections (through exposure to environmental sources) is also being investigated by sampling water and aerosols from the homes of patients with NTM disease.

• Innate Immunity: in conjunction with the Thoracic Research group at Prince Charles Hospital and Grant Waterer (UWA) in separate projects, we are investigating why apparently healthy people develop lung disease due to NTM. As the organisms are in the environment and we are all exposed to them – what is about the immune system of some patients that puts them at risk of disease?

• Epidemiology: Wenbiao Hu is currently investigating the distribution of NTM disease throughout QLD and relationships with environmental factors such as rainfall, temperature, and relative humidity. We will examine the changes in NTM isolation over time, against changes in climate and other environmental variables using spaciotemporal modelling.

• Strain typing of M. kansasii: Carla Tolson (Masters Project, QUT) is comparing various strain typing techniques for M. kansasii and comparing the strains identified over the last 10 years. Environmental and Human strains will be compared.

• M. fortuitum infections in patients who have had Laporoscopic Gastric Banding: Dr Chris Coulter and Dr Hugh Wright, QLD mycobacterial reference laboratory

• Direct detection of Mycobacteria in environmental samples: Dr Flavia Huygens, QUT

• Role of a Melaleuca alternifolia derivative in the treatment of NTM infections.  Dr Rachel Thomson, Clinical Trials Unit, Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation

• Mycobacterium abscessus infection in Cystic Fibrosis

• NTM World Map: through membership of the European Respiratory Society NTM-net Dr Rachel Thomson has contributed QLD data to a project mapping the worldwide species distribution of NTM and the centre will be contributing isolates of NTM to compare with isolates from other internationals sites. http://www.tb-net.org/content/view/116/194/

• Comparison of M. intracellulare isolates from Queensland and Florida: Dr Rachel Thomson and Dr Kevin Fennelly