The Role of Manganese in the Virulence and Pathogenicity of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa - SECOND YEAR

Primary organisation:	University of Adelaide
Funded by:	Channel 7 Children's Research Foundation
Chief investigators:	Dr Christopher McDevitt

Project Summary

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a clinically important bacterium responsible for a wide range of diseases and remains the leading cause of cystic fibrosis (CF) mortality. P. aeruginosa infects CF patients during childhood, and once acquired cannot be removed by current therapies, the consequence of which is the inevitable deterioration of their lungs. Metals are crucial micronutrients and, therefore, their uptake mechanisms offer novel antimicrobial targets. My work has identified the high affinity transporter of a crucial metal directly involved in growth and survival of this microbe. This study will uncover its physiological role and determine its requirement for colonisation within humans.