A deadly bacteria that can be picked up by a simple sniff can travel to the brain and spinal cord in just 24 hours, a new Griffith University and Bond University study has found.
The pathogenic bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei, which causes the potentially fatal disease melioidosis, kills 89,000 people around the world each year and is prevalent in northern Australia and southeast Asia.
Previously, researchers did not understand how the bacteria travelled to the brain and spinal cord, or just how quickly.
The findings, published in Immunity and Infection this week, could mean further discoveries in how the common staphylococcus and acne bacterium also end up in the spinal cord, as well as how chlamydia travels to the brain in Alzheimer’s patients.
It could also provide answers for common back problems where bacteria have infected the bone, causing pain that could be simply treated with antibiotics.
Dr James St John, Head of Griffith’s Clem Jones Centre for Neurobiology and Stem Cell Research, said the scary bacteria could slip into your system without you even knowing it.
“Imagine walking around and you sniff it up from the soil and the next day you’ve got this bacteria in your brain and damaging the spinal cord,” he said.
“It can be at a very low level, the body doesn’t even know it’s there. You could have it and don’t know it, that’s scary.
“It could just be sitting there waiting for an opportune moment, or it could just be doing small incremental damage over a lifetime. You could lose the function in your brain incrementally.”
Together with Associate Professor Jenny Ekberg from Bond University and Professor Ifor Beacham from the Institute for Glycomics, the team studied mice to find that the bacteria travels from the nerves in the nasal cavity before moving to the brain stem and then into the spinal cord.
In Southeast Asia 50 per cent of the population may be positive for melioidosis and in places like Cambodia the mortality rate is as high as 50 per cent.
Associate Professor Ekberg, from Bond’s Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, said it was frightening how easily and quickly the bacteria could get into the brain.
“But what are the long term consequences? Do the bacteria hide away until sometime later and do little bits of incremental damage, or do they immediately cause full blown infection? We are now working on these questions.”
Dr St John said this could be a pathway for many other common bacteria.
“What excites me most is the idea that other bacteria could also use this route,” he said.
“Bacteria have been implicated as a major causative agent of some types of back pain. We now need to work out whether the bacteria that cause back pain also can enter the brainstem and spinal cord via the trigeminal nerve”.
By discovering the pathway, researchers will now work on ways to stimulate supporting cells that could remove the bacteria.
Dr St John said the work was important as the bacteria had the potential to be used as a bioweapon and knowing how to combat it was extremely important.
Professor Beacham said the olfactory mucosa, located in the nose, is very close to the brain and it had long been known that viruses could reach the brain from the olfactory mucosa.
“Our latest results represent the first direct demonstration of transit of a bacterium from the olfactory mucosa to the central nervous system (CNS) via the trigeminal nerve; bacteria were found a considerable distance from the olfactory mucosa, in the brain stem, and even more remarkably in the spinal cord,” he said.
“These results add considerably to our understanding of this particular disease.It seems likely, however, that other bacteria may also transit from nose to CNS, although this has yet to be determined.”
The Clem Jones Centre for Neurobiology and Stem Cell Research is located in the Eskitis Institute for Drug Discovery, a centrefocused on developing new therapies for infectious disease, cancer and neurological diseases.
Suicide is one of the leading causes of maternal death in many developed countries. Griffith’s Professor David Ellwood has called for more research to be done to understand the causes and how these tragic deaths can be prevented.
Professor Ellwood, from the Menzies Health Institute Queenslandsays in Queensland the statistics show that suicide is now the main cause of maternal death.
A maternal death can be classified as being during pregnancy or the first six weeks after the pregnancy, while a ‘late maternal’ death can be classified as up to 12 months following birth.
“Our latest figures for 2012 -2014 show a total of eight deaths from suicide out of a total of 40 maternal deaths in the state; this is 20 per cent, with most of them being classified as late maternal death,” says Professor Ellwood, also the Chair of the Queensland Maternal and Perinatal Quality Council (QMPQC).
Alarming figures
“These are alarming figures and ones which are broadly being replicated across the country and in other OECD countries such as the UK and New Zealand. Health professionals need to work closer with our colleagues and the broader community so we can reduce this leading cause of death.”
Professor Ellwood says the causes of maternal suicide are complex but include a lack of specific mental health services for women following birth, as well as some concern that domestic violence could also play a part.
“About 30 per cent of the first onset of violence is when the woman is pregnant at a time when she is most vulnerable and reliant on support from her partner,” says Professor Jenny Gamble, Head of Midwifery at Griffith.
“The picture is broader though in terms of perinatal mental health. Some women develop mental health issues through the pregnancy and postpartum, with around 15 % of women having antenatal depression and about 20 % having postnatal depression, so we need to ensure that primary maternity services are tailored towards women getting sensitive relationship-based care in the community.
Griffith Professor Norm Morris will join a medical research expedition to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in a bid to better understand pulmonary hypertension and heart failure by measuring the effects of increased altitude.
A key feature of the pulmonary hypertensionis a marked decrease in exercise tolerance and an increased shortness of breath on mild exertion, similar to what mountain climbers experience at high altitude.
Pulmonary hypertension occurs when the pressure of the blood travelling between theheart and the lungs becomes excessive.
Professor Morris will leave for Tanzania at the beginning of August as part of the Heartclimb expedition and will trek with a group of 30 climbers from base camp in Mount Kilimanjaro at 7,380ft to the summit at 19,340ft.
Better disease diagnosis and management
“During an ascent, there is an increased drive to breathe that is very similar to what is observed in pulmonary hypertension and heart failure. This increased drive to breathe is related to disease severity and we believe that having a better understanding of this will help us diagnose and manage this disease better in the long term,” says Professor Morris from Griffith’s Menzies Health Institute Queensland.
“We will be studying the responses to exercise of between 20 and 26 healthy climbers aged over 60, measuring how much they breathe along with their oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide gas production as we increase in altitude up the mountain. In addition, we will examine how much they desaturate during exercise.”
“Our testing will comprise a short exercise test in which gas exchange will be measured using our portable metabolic system. During the ascent the team will also monitor the symptoms of altitude sickness and undertake other tests including heart function using ultrasound, lung function, measure sleep quality and day and night time oxygen saturation.”
“This is a unique model to study and it will also provide us with novel data related to the acute onset of pulmonary hypertension and heart failure in a large group of older individuals, who may be more susceptible. We will also study the influence of taking a supplement Ribose (which may influence energy metabolism) on the effects of altitude sickness.”
The Heartclimb expedition is being organised by Professor Bruce Johnson from the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. Professor Johnson undertakes research into heart failure and pulmonary hypertension, using hypoxia as an intervention to study the effects of these diseases. Professor Johnson, who was a visiting Sewell Fellow to Griffith University, has led several outdoor studies examining the effect of altitude on the heart and lung function, including one to Mount Everest in 2012.
Pulmonary hypertension is complex. Whilst relatively rare, patients often develop symptoms quite suddenly and often without any known cause.
The project is supported by Griffith University and an unrestricted education grant from Actelion Pharmaceuticals Australia
Multivitamins for women before, during and after pregnancy — are they helpful or harmful?
This is the question posed by new research from Griffith University which aims to dispel the myths around vitamin use and educate reproductive aged women about their dietary needs.
Aiming to survey several thousand women from Queensland, PhD candidate and Gold Coast University Hospital midwife Janelle McAlpine says the goal of the study is to improve the information regarding multivitamins and enable women to make informed choices for themselves and their baby.
“Unfortunately there are a lot of misconceptions about multivitamins and supplements, with women often spending money on products don’t afford any real benefit, and may even be harmful,” says Ms McAlpine, who studies with Griffith’s Menzies Health Institute Queensland.
Surveying women
“This research will survey women on what multivitamins they take, as well aspects such as their general health, their food intake, and the influences on their food and supplement choices.
“For women who give birth, questions will also be asked on issues such as the birth weight of their baby and whether they laboured spontaneously. These are the sorts of things that we believe could be influenced by supplement usage but have never actually been thoroughly researched before.”
Ms McAlpine highlights statistics showing that there is the same rate of the pregnancy condition pre-eclampsia as there is in developing countries.
“We also see that the likelihood of pre-term birth is comparable between developed and developing countries. 35 out of every 100 babies that die worldwide do so because they are born too early, regardless of where they live. This is another unfortunate fact and one which could be influenced by the appropriate use of supplements.”
The data gathered from the Griffith study will also be extending to other communities such as that in the Northern Territory, says Ms McAlpine. “We haven’t previously had a great deal of data that could be used to compare between cultures such as Indigenous and international communities, so this will be useful in forming the next stage of this research.”
Women may access this research via the mybodymybaby.com.au website. Supported by the Gold Coast University Hospital, the website has been developed by Ms McAlpine and provides a wide range of information regarding women’s health, pregnancy and birth as well as features to help women track their nutrient intake and dietary requirements.
The Minister for Innovation, Science and the Digital Economy and Minister for Small Business Leanne Enoch will launch the Griffith University Research Centre for Human Evolution at Brisbane City Hall on July 8, 2016.
Centre Director Professor Rainer Grün said the centre wouldhelp strengthen relationships between scientists and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through research and discovery.
“The centre represents a world first due to its focus on human evolution in Australia and the origins of the First Australians and has already made significant achievements since its establishment in January,’’ Professor Grün said.
“These include the publication of five academic articles in the prestigious journal, Natureand two prestigious Australian Research Council fellowships.”
Archaeological experts from Australia, Europe, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippineswill look at ways to develop partnerships between Australian and international researchers and Aboriginal Traditional Owners.
Professor Rainer Grün said it was important that researchers listened to Traditional Owners to understand their aspirations and beliefs and reach mutual agreement on collaborations.
“To tell the full narrative of Australia’s history, which began some 50,000 years ago, it is important that the Aboriginal and scientific communities work together to ensure the protection of Aboriginal cultural heritage,’’ Professor Grün said.
The symposium, to be held at Griffith University’s South Bank campus, will also focus on south-east Asia where the ‘Hobbit’ (Homo floresiensis) has now been dated to around 60,000 years and new discoveries include its 600,000-year-old ancestor.
Professor François Sémah— Distinguished Professor at the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle Paris. In 1984 he worked on the chronology of the hominid-bearing sites in Java (Indonesia), where he has continued to excavate since 1987. His current research interests lie in the chronology and the dynamics of human dispersals throughout the archipelagos of Southeast Asia.
Professor Eske Willerslev — Prince Philip Chair in Ecology and Evolution, University of Cambridge. Lundbeck Foundation Professorship, University of Copenhagen. He is an evolutionary geneticist recognised for his studies on human evolution and dispersal, microbial long-term survival and evolution, DNA degradation and environmental DNA. He is known for sequencing the first ancient human genome and establishing the field of environmental DNA.
A Griffith University microbiologist has been recognised for her distinguished contributions to microbiology research in Australia.
“It’s a tremendous honour to be receiving this award, but at the same time it also demonstrates the outstanding work of my research team and collaborators, and the valuable contribution that the funding agencies and industry partners have made to my research,” Dr Seib said.
“I am extremely grateful to the funders and supporters of my research who recognise the importance of finding new vaccine targets for diseases which cause meningitis, gonorrhoea and middle ear infections.
“Studying these diseases is essential as they affect such a large number of people worldwide.”
The prestigious accolade is given annually by ASM to an outstanding microbiologist in a formative stage of their career.
Dr Seib’s extensive research includes investigating the processes involved in host colonisation and disease, which aim to identify therapeutic targets of mucosal pathogens including Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Neisseria meningitides, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Escherichia coli.
She has published over 40 scientific papers, including in high-ranking journals such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,PLoS Pathogens, andPLoS Genetics, which combined together, have accrued more than 1457 citations to date.
Institute for Glycomics Director Professor Mark von Itzsteincongratulated Dr Seib on her outstanding achievement.
“We are delighted that Kate is this year’s recipient of this annual premier award,” Professor von Itzstein said.
“It is a significant recognition of her work and she joins a prestigious who’s who of Australian microbiology.”
Griffith University runners were ‘treated like rock stars’ at this year’s Gold Coast Airport Marathon as Team Griffith claimed its fourth successive title as the Largest Corporate Team in the two-day event.
Many of the competitors said the Gold Coast was their favourite event on the running calendar, ranking it over marathons in New York and Budapest, because of the atmosphere and the Griffith support.
Team Griffith amassed 955 runners and retained the title for most distance travelled in all events with an impressive total of just under 16,300km.
Alumni Nick O’Neill, who was one of the first across the line for Griffith in the half marathon, travelled from Canberra where he now works as a government policy officer.
“I’ve come nearly every year for the last six years because it’s one of my favourite events on the running calendar,” he said.
“You get treated like a rock star with the Griffith group. It’s fantastic so I always make it a priority to come up here.”
Some of the Team Griffith competitors are all smiles before their race begins
The Team Griffith tent provided breakfast as well as massage, from physiotherapy students.
The university’s cheerleaders showed their support and entertained the crowd with their performances while face painters had a steady line-up of children at the Griffith tent.
Ultra-marathon runner Kyle Weise, a Master of Physiotherapy student, breezed through the 21 km half marathon as his normal running events are up to 100km in length.
“Speed was kind of my weakness, my endurance has been good, so I’ve been working on my speed with this,” he said.
“You get free massage, food and there are lots of people cheering. It’s a really great atmosphere.”
Staff members Kate Grattan and Brooke Harris both achieved personal best times in the half marathon, with Brooke beating her previous PB by an impressive five minutes.
“It’s an amazing experience, and the best event to go to in the world,” she said.
Administration officer Kate is training for a half ironwoman event, which is the same length as the half.
“You get very well looked after in recovery and I just love catching up with everyone else,” she said.
“You get to relax with everyone. I feel quite privileged Griffith supports us.”
Griffith had 105 competitors contest the full marathon and 370 in the half marathon.
A further 286 family and friends joined Team Griffith in a range of events across the Gold Coast Airport Marathon weekend.
Medical Science student Tait Hearps was first across for Griffith in the full marathon.
“That was my first race and I got what I wanted,” he said.
“It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while and now I am able to do it this year.”
For people like law student Roysin Davoren it was her 10thtime running the 5.7km challenge, while IT project manager Chris Osborne admitted he was getting older having run his slowest time yetin three years.
Competitors enjoy a massage from Griffith University physiotherapy students at the Griffith Tent
Physiotherapy Clinic supervisor Dr Richard Newsham-West said their team of volunteers were on hand to help with any niggles or sprains.
“These students don’t do that much massage or sport event stuff so this is great for them,” he said.
“Most people are sore and tight.Most people realise they’re going a bit faster than they should do and they get a bit tired.”
The event attracts internationalrunners, including Griffith graduateAileen Ho, whocompleted aMaster of Business (Sport Management)in 2006 and travelled from Singapore to compete.
Griffith has a strong connection with sporting events on the Gold Coast and is the Official Presenter of Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Men’s and Women’s Marathons.
The 2011 Japanese tsunami and subsequent Fukushima Power Plant meltdown destroyed many lives but for one Gold Coast man it was a turning point in his career.
Griffith University education student Paul Andoniadis was teaching English in a school not far from the Fukushima Power Plant when the tsunami struck.
“Although without power we were on higher ground so were safe. Others weren’t so lucky,’’ he recalls.
But the long-term effects of radiation from Fukushima got him thinking about science as never before.
After working as an English language teacher in Japanfor more than seven years he returned to Australia with his wife and young son, and enrolled in a Bachelor of Environmental Science at Griffith University.
“The effects of the earthquake and tsunami and the ongoing ramifications of the Fukushima Power Plant meltdown inspired my desire to learn about science because eventually I would like to be able to help the community there,’’ he said.
Paul is one of 18 Griffith University students awarded an Education Queensland STEM Teaching Scholarship which support university graduates transitioning to a career as a Science, Mathematics, and Industrial Technology and Design teachers in Queensland secondary state schools.
The scholarship means he will teach chemistry in a high-priority Queensland schools over the next three years.
“Being awarded the scholarship is a fantastic opportunity,’’ he said.
“And STEM is increasingly important for young people as technology develops and we’re learning new ways of doing things. For example, alternative energy sources such as a solar power and other technologies are the way of the future. Today’s young people will be part of that.”
“The entire experience of studying education at Griffith has been great. The teachers gave us a lot and being able to apply that knowledge in a practical way in teaching is fantastic.”
Surprisingly, there are similarities with teaching science to Australian students and English to Japanese students.
“The subject matter may be different but there are always lessons and objectives to achieve and I’ve got to work out the best way for them to learn.”
Griffith University hopes to make it four-in a row at this weekend’s Gold Coast Airport Marathon.
Team Griffith has taken out the title of Largest Corporate Team for the past three years and this year hopes to run a massive 16,200km across all events.
A total of 955 students, alumni, staff and family friends are expected to don the red shirt. The event attracts internationalrunners, including Griffith graduate Aileen Ho, whocompleted a Master of Business (Sport Management)in 2006, who is travelling from Singapore for the marathon.
Griffith has a strong connection with sporting events on the Gold Coast and is the Official Presenter of Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Men’s and Women’s Marathons.
This weekend’s Gold Coast Airport Marathon is expected to attract more than 27,000 participants across a range of distances including the 42.2km marathon, wheelchair marathon, half marathon, wheelchair 15km, 10km run, 5.7km challenge and junior dash 4km and 2km races.
Over the race weekend, Griffith will have a marquee for a BBQ breakfast, sports massage and plenty of other activities.
Team Griffith members are also using the event to raise funds for a number of causes including:
Students’ Future Fund
The fund helps talented students who excel at their studies but face financial hardship.
Becoming a community pharmacist in country Queensland was the last thing on Nadia Venzke’s mind when she began studying at Griffith University.
Now the Masters of Pharmacy graduate from the Gold Coast is passionate about rural pharmacy practice and couldn’t be happier. Not only has she got the qualifications for a career in her specialist area, but she was also named Goondiwindi Employee of the Year 2015 and met her future husband in her new hometown.
Graduating from Griffith’s Gold Coast campus in 2011, Nadia says she had never considered moving to a rural town once it was time to undertake her internship and become a registered pharmacist.
“Originally, I was unsure about Goondiwindi, thinking that it would be too small with only 5,000 people in the town, and a long four and a half hour journey from Brisbane. I thought that it may be too quiet. Plus when I arrived for my interview, I was a little taken aback at how the pharmacy seemed to be stuck in a timewarp from the 60s.
“However I had a really great meeting with the owners of the business where they flew me over the area in their light aircraft whilst interviewing me for the position! They told me all about the close-knit community in Goondiwindi and how it is an affluent social centre for remote QLD, and suddenly I was hooked on life as a rural pharmacist.”
Nurturing for the career
Nadia, who was born in Namibia, says the town has not only suited the social side of her personality, but has also been very nurturing for her career.
“Shortly after relocating the pharmacy was named Chemmart Pharmacy of the Year and then I was nominated by the Goondiwindi Rotary Club to be part of Rotary District 9640 to go on a Group Study Vocational Exchange program to the US and learn more about my industry. That was a fantastic experience which really helped me to grow professionally.
“Additionally I was nominated by my boss and subsequently named Goondiwindi Employee of the Year 2015 by the Border River Chamber of Commerce.”
Nowadays, Nadia says she doesn’t know whether she could go back to living and working in a city.
“I am learning a lot about business and am considering buying my own store; becoming involved with the Queensland branch of the Pharmacy Association has been a big help in teaching me about some of the business aspects.
“I have not become involved with the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia yet but I hope to in the future. I also just got the title of Dispensary Team Leader so I am managing the dispensary team and meeting training and HR needs in the business.
“Coupled with meeting my lovely fiancé here and the great social life we have, I feel very blessed.”
Nadia says she also enjoys mentoring Griffith pharmacy students that come through the business for their internship year.
“From my experience I enjoy mentoring the Griffith students as they are more work ready, with more real-life work knowledge.”
