Research Interests

Australian paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus: Neurotoxin structure, function and vaccine development

Proteomic analysis of salivary proteins

Role of tick salivary protein in tick feeding processes.

Vaccine development against Neoparamoeba sp, the causative agent of amoebic gill disease [AGD] in Atlantic salmon [CRC for Aquaculture; now Aquafin CRC]

The study of toxins from Australian spider and scorpion venoms: isolation and characterisation of novel insect-specific neurotoxins and development as insecticides.[ARC Discovery with A/Prof.G.Nicholson etal]

Study of Australian snake PLA2 neurotoxins [Death Adder and King Brown Snake].

Study of PLA2 Inhibitors in Australian snake serum. [PLA2Inhibitor R&D Syndicate]

Projects

Molecular biology of neurotoxins genes from Death Adder and King Brown snakes

Engineering of recombinant phospholipase A2: enzymatic activity and immunogenicity

Immunogenicity of recombinant forms of neurotoxins from the paralysis tick, Ixodes holcyclus

Novel insecticidal neurotoxins from Australian spider venoms

Identifying novel insecticides and their targets: probing Australian arachnid venoms

Selected Publications

1. Nicholson GM, Graudins A, Wilson HI, Little M, Broady KW. (2006) Arachnid toxinology in Australia: from clinical toxicology to potential applications. Toxicon. 48:872-98

2. Villavedra M, McCarthy K, To J, Morrison R, Crosbie P, Broady K, Raison RL. (2005) Changes in antigenic profile during culture of Neoparamoeba sp., causative agent of amoebic gill disease in Atlantic salmon. Int J Parasitol. 35:1417-23

3. Gunning SJ, Chong Y, Khalife AA, Hains PG, Broady KW, Nicholson GM. (2003) Isolation of delta-missulenatoxin-Mb1a, the major vertebrate-active spider delta-toxin from the venom of Missulena bradleyi (Actinopodidae). FEBS Lett. 554:211-8.

4. Johnson M, Broady K, Angelici MC, Johnson A. (2003)  The relationship between nucleoside triphosphate hydrolase (NTPase) isoform and Toxoplasma strain virulence in rat and human toxoplasmosis.  Microbes Infect. 5:797-806.

5. Graudins A, Wilson D, Alewood PF, Broady KW, Nicholson GM. Cross-reactivity of Sydney funnel-web spider antivenom: neutralization of the in vitro toxicity of other Australian funnel-web (Atrax and Hadronyche) spider venoms. (2002) Toxicon. 40: 259-266.

Research Team

Joyce To (PhD student)
Matthew Padula (PhD student)

Collaborators

Prof. Robert Raison (PacMab, UTS)
Dr Magarita Villavedra (PacMab, UTS)
A/Prof. Graham Nicholson (Medical and Molecular Biosciences, UTS)

Industry affiliations

Co-founder and Director of Production, PacMab Pty Ltd