Gallipoli Medical Research (GMR) Respiratory Research Fellow Dr Melinda Ashcroft has been awarded one of five University of Queensland (UQ) Medical School Early and Mid-Career Researcher (EMCR) Seed Grant of $19,690.

The funding was awarded for: From Environment to Infection: Genomics of Mycobacterium intracellulare Pulmonary Disease. The project involves taking sputum samples from infected patients, alongside soil and dust samples from their home, and investigating their DNA to determine how the patient became infected.

The project will also use about 100 additional soil samples collected from across Queensland through the Soils for Science Citizen Science Program run by UQ. Researchers will try to isolate the same bacterium from these soil samples and sequence its DNA to match future samples.

“By building a large database of genetic information from environmental and clinical samples, we hope to create a system for monitoring where this bacterium exists in the environment and identifying how it is spread,” said Dr Ashcroft.

“For patients, it means we can get a better idea of where their infection comes from, and if recurrence occurs, we can identify whether it is a relapse of the original infection or acquisition of a new one,” she said.

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) lung disease is a serious infection caused by over 190 bacteria species commonly found in dust, soil, and water. It can cause damage to the lungs and can result in death. In Australia, NTM lung disease mainly affects women over 50 years old and is more commonly found in warmer and wetter climates.

GMR has a long-standing partnership with the UQ NTM Australia Research Group.