Battling the Bugs

The Centre for Cancer Biology research lab studies how lymphatic vessels are formed. Recently, they discovered a site in DNA which controls the lymphatic vessels’ ability to produce blood cells. This opens up new possibilities for treating infections and anemia.

Anna Oszmiana completed her PhD in Immunology at the University of Manchester. She is currently a postdoc at the Centre for Cancer Biology in Adelaide, focusing on understanding the signals and genes that control the development of lymphatic vessels.

Harmful bacteria are renowned for being elusive and difficult to kill. They have powerful abilities to hide and survive inside the very immune cells intended to destroy them. Whilst hidden inside, they are invisible to antibiotics and impair clinical treatment outcomes. By using a nanotechnology approach, we can carry these antibiotics in small fat droplets across the cells and uncloak the once invisible bacteria.

Santhni Subramaniam recently submitted her PhD thesis and is working as a researcher at the University of South Australia.