raisonresearch

Professor Robert Raison


Professor Robert Raison Phone: +61 2 9514 4096 Fax: +61 2 9514 8206 Robert Raison@uts.edu.au Academic Qualifications BSc, PhD, FAIBiol Teaching Activities Professor Raison’s expertise lies in the areas of immunology and antibody engineering. He is the subject coordinator for Immunology 2 and presents specialist lectures and tutorials in selected biotechnology subjects. Research Interests and Activities A long term interest and involvement in the study of the evolutionary development of the immune system provides the background for current research projects in Professor Raison’s laboratory that address the relationship between mucosal and systemic immune responses in fish, and the development of targeted vaccines for the aquaculture industry. In addition, his laboratory continues research in the area of antibody engineering that led to the development of the first recombinant, membrane active immunotoxin. Current research in this area addresses the unique anti-tumour activity of a monoclonal antibody targeting human kappa light chains. Commercial development of a therapy for multiple myeloma (an incurable blood cancer) based on this antibody, is being undertaken through a UTS spin-off company, PacMab Ltd. Research topics for Honours and Postgraduate Students Postgraduate Research Project Molecular assessment of the B cell repertoire in mucosal and systemic lymphoid tissues in trout. Honours Research Project Mapping of the epitope on human free kappa light chains recognised by mKap, a murine monoclonal antibody. Research staff and students Postdoctroal Fellow: Dr Margarita Villavedra , Aquafin CRC Grant, 2002 Research Assistants: Joyce To, 2005, and Ranjini Ganendren, 2006, Aquafin CRC Grant PhD student: Rohan Panwar, 2003, ARC Linkage Selected publications Cain, KD, Jones, DR and Raison, RL. (2000) Characterisation of mucosal and systemic immune responses in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) using surface plasmon resonance. Fish and Shellfish Immunology 10: 651-666 Ramsland, P A, Upshaw, J L, Shultz, B B, De Witt, C R, Chissoe, W F, Raison, R L and Edmundson, A B. (2001) Interconversion of different crystal forms of Fabs from human IgM cryoglobulins. J. Crystal Growth 232: 204-214 70 Nair, S V, Burandt, M, Hutchinson, A, Raison, R L and Raftos, D A. (2001) A C-type lectin from the tunicate, Styela plicata, that modulates cellular activity. Comp.Biochem. Physiol. B 129: 11-24 Weston, K M, Tangye, S G, Dunn, R D, Smith, A, Morris, M B and Raison, R L. (2001) IgM expressed by leukemic CD5+ B cells binds mouse immunoglobulin light chain. J. Mol. Recognit. 14:245-253 Choo, A B H, Dunn, R D, Broady, K W and Raison, R L (2002) Soluble expression of a functional recombinant cytolytic immunotoxin in insect cells. Protein Expression and Purification 24: 338-347 Raison, R L and Jorgensen, T O (2002) Immunology and sustainable aquaculture. Dev. Comp. Immunol. 26: 129-130 Cain, K D, Jones, D R and Raison, R L (2002) Antibody-antigen kinetics following immunization of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) with a T-cell dependent antigen. Dev. Comp. Immunol. 26: 181-190 Asvadi, P A, Fletcher, A and Raison, R L (2002) Expression and functional analysis of recombinant scFv and diabody fragments with specificity for human RhD. J Mol Recognit. 15: 321-330 Lovas, J M, Craig, A R, Raison, R L, Weston, K M, Segal, Y D, and Markus, M R (2002) The effects of massage therapy on the human immune response in healthy adults. J Bodywork Movement Therapies 6: 143-150 Villavedra, M, McCarthy, K, To, J, Morrison, R, Crosbie, P, Broady, K W, Raison, R L. Changes in antigenic profile during culture of Neoparamoeba sp., causative agent of amoebic gill disease in Atlantic salmon. Int J Parasitol 35 (13): 1417-1423 Lynch, GW, Turville, S, Carter, B, Sloane, AJ, Chan, A, Muljadi, N, Li, S, Armati, P, Raison, RL, Zoellner, H, Williamson, P, Cunningham, A, Church, WB. Marked differences in the structures and protein associations of lymphocyte and monocyte CD4: resolution of a novel CD4 isoform. Immunol Cell Biol (in press) Patent “Method for treating multiple myeloma” (PCT/AU02/00896) Raison, RL, Dunn, RD and Choo, A (2003)