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Bacteria are an important part of our microflora, but they can also cause disease. I study the molecular machines that are responsible for the correct formation of bacterial weapons.

Sepsis occurs when the body’s immune response to infection damages its own tissues. In severe cases, multiple organ failure can occur. If not treated promptly, the patient will die. Yet, we currently don't have reliable treatments for it. Our solution is to target the immune system itself. My PhD focuses on a machine in our cells that is important for recognising bacterial infection and recruiting immune responders. My goal is to discover how we can switch this machine on and off.

Research into sepsis, a devastating disease that is particularly dangerous for children and the elderly, has caught the imagination of Queenslanders, with a PhD student from The University of Queensland winning the 2018 Women in STEM Prize People’s Choice Award.

Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder in children and it takes the form of recurring seizures. But epilepsy is not a single disease; rather, it is a diverse spectrum of disorders that comprise many types of seizures.

Reaching reproductive age is an important milestone, and for women this is usually marked by their first period. But for some young women, it never comes. In medical terms this is called primary amenorrhea, and one of the major causes is a congenital condition called Mayer–Rokitansky–Küster–Hauser (MRKH) syndrome.

The potential to produce cheaper medicines on a large scale within edible plants including lettuce and canola has taken a significant step forward with new findings led by researchers from La Trobe University with collaborators at The University of Queensland. 

Researchers have shown why a fragment of a protein from the venom gland of rattlesnakes could be the basis for an alternative to conventional antibiotics.

More targeted and effective treatments for some of the world’s most complex diseases in humans may be a step closer, thanks to research that better maps disease susceptibility to genes and DNA.

Spider webs are made from silk. And silk is made from something scientists call “proteins”. Proteins are special chemicals made by a living thing - like an animal or a plant. You have lots of them in your body. Proteins usually have a certain job to do.

Respiratory infection is the sixth-leading cause of death in Australia, and bacteria are becoming resistant to the antibiotics used to treat these diseases.

90 seconds with PhD student Amy Chan

The Queensland Women in STEM Prize showcases inspiring early- to mid-career females working in STEM fields whose practice has the potential to benefit Queensland and who engage and communicate with the broader community. To vote for an IMB researcher for the People's Choice Award, and to check out how these young scientists are using life itself to change the world, please click on the images below to vote.

Venom researchers from the Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) have discovered the venom of the assassin bug is like no other venomous animal previously studied.

Therapeutics inspired by venoms could provide the key to treatment for a common gastrointestinal disease if a collaboration between researchers from Institute for Molecular Bioscience and Danish biotech company Zealand Pharma A/S is successful.

A joint University of Queensland and Queensland Health-led team has completed the first genetic analysis of TB strains circulating on PNG’s Daru Island, a major hotspot for TB outbreaks on Australia’s doorstep.

Humans might be the most resilient species on Earth, but until recently, no one could explain how a small population survives the incredibly harsh conditions of the Tibetan Plateau – a lofty, oxygen-starved environment that towers 4.5 km above sea level.

A discovery by Queensland scientists could be the key to stopping damage caused by uncontrolled inflammation in a range of common diseases including liver disease, Alzheimer’s and gout.

Researchers say a major genomic study will provide answers for patients with unexplained kidney disease, and could lead to better treatments.

The Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) has celebrated the graduations of its first PhD students from Serbia and Nepal, who investigated rare neurodegenerative disorders and diagnostic tools for dengue fever.