Wild koala populations in Australia are in steep decline throughout much of their northern geographic range. Koala retrovirus (KoRV) is strongly associated with immunodeficiency and related diseases, including chlamydia.
Human T-lymphotropic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) is a cause of T-cell leukemia/lymphoma as well as severe autoimmune disorders. An estimated 5-10 million individuals are infected globally, with Indigenous populations in central Australia most highly affected.
Keith Chappell is the Lead Scientific Advisor for Vicebio. Vicebio were founded to develop the patented Molecular Clamp technology invented at The University of Queensland, Australia and exclusively licensed to Vicebio by UniQuest, the commercialisation company of UQ.
The Rapid Response Vaccine Pipeline team at UQ is funded by CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation) with a goal to develop a pipeline for rapid development of protein subunit vaccines through to Phase I Clinical trial.
As we close the book on 2022 it is time to look at how far the AIBN has come during the year, and how we are setting ourselves up for an even bigger 2023.
Dr Michaela Blyton is working to fill a number of crucial information gaps that could tell us how to better care for, protect, and treat koalas, and halt the species' worrying decline.
One of UQ’s leading COVID-19 vaccine researchers, Associate Professor Keith Chappell, has discovered that the chlamydia epidemic plaguing endangered koala populations in Queensland and NSW is linked to a common virus that likely suppresses koalas’ immune systems.
