Profiles
Amanda Patchett
Amanda Patchett
Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Immunology
Room 438-08 , MS2
N/A (phone)
Amanda is an early career postdoctoral research fellow in the Devil Immunology Group at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research. Her primary research incorporates molecular immunology and computer-based analyses to explore interactions between cancer cells and healthy Tasmanian devil cells in devil facial tumour disease (DFTD). Amanda’s research aims to determine how DFTD cells can evade the immune response to grow and survive across genetically-diverse devils. This research will contribute to an improved understanding of the susceptibility of devils to contagious cancers, and will facilitate the development of immunotherapies and vaccines that can be used to protect devils from DFTD in the wild.
Biography
Amanda obtained a Bachelor of Medical Research and Biotechnology at the University of Tasmania, Hobart, in 2012, with studies in immunology, genetics and biochemistry. In 2013, she completed an honours year in medical research, receiving a first-class award and a University Medal for excellence in her undergraduate studies.
Following her personal interests in immunology and nature, Amanda began a PhD in Tasmanian devil immunology at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research in 2014 under the supervision of Professor Greg Woods. Amanda’s dissertation investigated the function of the immune system of Tasmanian devils, leading to the modification of DFTD vaccines to produce more robust immune responses. During her PhD, Amanda completed several training programs in bioinformatics and developed an interest in using ‘big data’ to explore and understand DFTD.
Following completion of her PhD in 2018, Amanda was successful in receiving funding from the Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal to commence her own research with the Devil Immunology Group as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. Amanda’s research focusses on using high-throughput transcriptomic and proteomic analyses to investigate the nature of contagious cancers in Tasmanian devils. She also collaborates closely with researchers in the Wild Immunology Group as a bioinformatics mentor.
Amanda spends her spare time playing hockey for the University of Tasmania Hockey Club and enjoys travelling and experiencing nature through camping and bushwalking.
Career summary
Qualifications
PhD, Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia, 2014-2018.
Thesis: Toll-like receptors in the endangered Tasmanian devil and Devil Facial Tumour Disease
GradCertRes, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia, 2014-2018.
BMedRes (1st Class Hons), University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia, 2013.
BMedResBiotech, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia, 2010-2012.
Teaching
Teaching expertise
Tutoring:
- Foundations of Medicine 1 (CAM101), 2014 – 2019
- Fundamentals of Clinical Science 2 (CAM202), 2016-2019
- Biochemistry A (CBA221), 2015
Guest Lecture:
- Advanced Immunology (CJA314), 2019
Research Invitations
Guest Lecturer, Ladies’s Probus Club, Burnie, 2019.
Guest Lecturer, Midcity School for Seniors, Hobart, 2019.
Biology and Environmental Science and Society Teacher’s Association of Tasmania, Hobart, 2019.
Environmental Health Australia Society, Hobart, TAS, 2016.
Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China, 2016.
View more on Dr Amanda Patchett in WARP
Expertise
- Cancer immunology
- Comparative immunology
- Next-generation sequencing
- Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses (including but not limited to):
- Differential expression
- De novo assemblies
- Sequence and isoform discovery
- Clustering analyses
- Gene set testing
- Pathway analysis
- Phosphoproteomics
- Proficiency in Linux command line and R software coding
- Recombinant protein production
- Laboratory skills (including but not limited to):
- nucleic acid isolation
- polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
- sanger sequencing
- cell culture
- ELISA
- flow cytometry (FACS)
- proliferation assays
- cytotoxicity assays
- gene cloning
- bacterial transformation
- mammalian cell transfection
Research Themes
Amanda’s research aligns to the University’s research themes of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, and also Better Health. The Tasmanian devil is the apex native predator in Tasmania and as a result plays an imperative role in the maintenance of our native ecosystem and control of invasive species. As an important scavenger, the Tasmanian devil also plays a vital role in clearing carcasses from our wilderness, farmlands and roads, ‘cleaning-up’ our environment and controlling the spread of disease.
Immunotherapies that target the immune system to kill cancer have revolutionised human cancer treatment in the last 10 years. However, many cancers remain untreatable with these drugs, and further studies are required to understand how these difficult-to-treat cancers survive immunotherapy. As a contagious cancer that spreads across genetically-diverse devils, devil facial tumour disease provides an ideal natural cancer model that can be used to better understand how cancer cells evade the mammalian immune system to grow and survive. Furthermore, as it is the cancer cells themselves that are transferred from devil to devil to spread DFTD, the disease essentially acts like an organ transplant. Understanding how DFTD cells survive across different devils could also reveal strategies for prevention of organ rejection in human transplant recipients.
Collaboration
Amanda has completed projects in Tasmanian devil research in collaboration with scientists at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, the Australian Proteome Analysis Facility in Sydney and the University of Cambridge in the UK.
Amanda holds a current collaboration with Oncovir, Inc., USA, using the immune-modulator Hiltonol to stimulate immune responses in Tasmanian devils.
Awards
CSL Peter W Smith Post Graduate Award, University of Tasmania, 2018
Valedictorian, University of Tasmania Graduation August 2018
Kumar Award for the best oral presentation, MEPSA Annual Scientific Meeting, 2017
Current projects
Exploring mechanisms of immune evasion in devil facial tumour disease
Understanding the function of natural killer cells in the Tasmanian devil
Development of a vaccine against Tasmanian devil facial tumour disease
Fields of Research
- Animal immunology (310905)
- Animal cell and molecular biology (310902)
- Cellular immunology (320404)
- Tumour immunology (320409)
- Veterinary immunology (300906)
- Proteomics and intermolecular interactions (excl. medical proteomics) (310109)
- Humoural immunology and immunochemistry (320405)
- Veterinary diagnosis and diagnostics (300904)
- Infectious diseases (320211)
- Immunology (320499)
- Infectious agents (310702)
- Conservation and biodiversity (410401)
- Host-parasite interactions (310407)
- Cancer therapy (excl. chemotherapy and radiation therapy) (321104)
- Gene expression (incl. microarray and other genome-wide approaches) (310505)
- Wildlife and habitat management (410407)
Research Objectives
- Clinical health (200199)
- Terrestrial biodiversity (180606)
- Control of pests, diseases and exotic species in terrestrial environments (180602)
- Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences (280102)
- Veterinary biological preventatives (241601)
- Expanding knowledge in the health sciences (280112)
- Veterinary diagnostics (241602)
- Expanding knowledge in the biomedical and clinical sciences (280103)
- Treatment of human diseases and conditions (200105)
- Expanding knowledge in the agricultural, food and veterinary sciences (280101)
- Disease distribution and transmission (incl. surveillance and response) (200404)
- Other health (209999)
- Environmentally sustainable commercial services and tourism (110199)
Publications
Total publications
23
Journal Article
(16 outputs)| Year | Citation | Altmetrics |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Espejo C, Patchett AL, Wilson R, Lyons AB, Woods GM, 'Challenges of an emerging disease: The evolving approach to diagnosing devil facial tumour disease', Pathogens, 11, (1) pp. 1-12. ISSN 2076-0817 (2022) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11010027 [eCite] [Details] Co-authors: Espejo C; Wilson R; Lyons AB; Woods GM | |
| 2022 | Kayigwe AN, Darby JM, Lyons AB, Patchett AL, Lisowski L, et al., 'A human adenovirus encoding IFN-γ can transduce Tasmanian devil facial tumour cells and upregulate MHC-I', Journal of General Virology, 103, (11) pp. 1-8. ISSN 0022-1317 (2022) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001812 [eCite] [Details] Co-authors: Darby JM; Lyons AB; Liu G-S; Flies AS | |
| 2021 | Ong C, Patchett AL, Darby JM, Chen J, Liu G, et al., 'NLRC5 regulates expression of MHC-I and provides a target for anti-tumor immunity in 3 transmissible cancers', Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology, 147, (7) pp. 1973-1991. ISSN 0171-5216 (2021) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1101/2020.09.06.274720 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 6Web of Science - 6 Co-authors: Ong C; Darby JM; Liu G; Lyons AB; Woods GM; Flies AS | |
| 2021 | Patchett AL, Tovar C, Blackburn NB, Woods GM, Lyons AB, 'Mesenchymal plasticity of devil facial tumour cells during in vivo vaccine and immunotherapy trials', Immunology and Cell Biology pp. 1-13. ISSN 0818-9641 (2021) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1111/imcb.12451 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 4Web of Science - 5 Co-authors: Tovar C; Blackburn NB; Woods GM; Lyons AB | |
| 2020 | Flies AS, Darby JM, Lennard PR, Murphy PR, Ong C, et al., 'A novel system to map protein interactions reveals evolutionarily conserved immune evasion pathways on transmissible cancers', Science Advances, 6, (27) Article eaba5031. ISSN 2375-2548 (2020) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba5031 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 12Web of Science - 10 Co-authors: Flies AS; Darby JM; Lennard PR; Murphy PR; Ong C; Pinfold TL; De Luca A; Lyons AB; Woods GM | |
| 2020 | Flies AS, Darby JM, Murphy PR, Pinfold TL, Patchett AL, et al., 'Generation and Testing of Fluorescent Adaptable Simple Theranostic (FAST) Proteins', Bio-protocol, 10, (13) pp. 1-49. ISSN 2331-8325 (2020) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.21769/BioProtoc.3696 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Web of Science - 3 Co-authors: Flies AS; Darby JM; Murphy PR; Pinfold TL; Lennard PR | |
| 2020 | Flies AS, Flies EJ, Fox S, Gilbert A, Johnson SR, et al., 'An oral bait vaccination approach for the Tasmanian devil facial tumor diseases', Expert Review of Vaccines, 19, (1) pp. 1-10. ISSN 1476-0584 (2020) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2020.1711058 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 15Web of Science - 16 Co-authors: Flies AS; Flies EJ; Liu G-S; Lyons AB; Pye RJ | |
| 2020 | Flies AS, Patchett A, 'Rewilding immunology', Science, 369, (6499) pp. 37-38. ISSN 1095-9203 (2020) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1126/science.abb8664 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 14Web of Science - 14 Co-authors: Flies AS | |
| 2020 | Patchett AL, Flies AS, Lyons AB, Woods GM, 'Curse of the devil: molecular insights into the emergence of transmissible cancers in the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii)', Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 77, (13) pp. 2507-2525. ISSN 1420-682X (2020) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03435-4 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 9Web of Science - 10 Co-authors: Flies AS; Lyons AB; Woods GM | |
| 2019 | Patchett AL, Coorens THH, Darby J, Wilson R, McKay MJ, et al., 'Two of a kind: transmissible Schwann cell cancers in the endangered Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii)', Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 77 pp. 1847-1858. ISSN 1420-682X (2019) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03259-2 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 16Web of Science - 15 Co-authors: Darby J; Wilson R; Pye RJ; Flies AS; Lyons AB; Woods GM; Tovar C | |
| 2018 | Patchett AL, Wilson R, Charlesworth JC, Corcoran LM, Papenfuss AT, et al., 'Transcriptome and proteome profiling reveals stress-induced expression signatures of imiquimod-treated Tasmanian devil facial tumor disease (DFTD) cells', OncoTarget, 9, (22) pp. 15895-15914. ISSN 1949-2553 (2018) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.24634 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 9 Co-authors: Wilson R; Charlesworth JC; Lyons AB; Woods GM; Tovar C | |
| 2018 | Pye R, Patchett A, McLennan E, Thomson R, Carver S, et al., 'Immunization strategies producing a humoral IgG immune response against devil facial tumor disease in the majority of Tasmanian devils destined for wild release', Frontiers in Immunology, 9 Article 259. ISSN 1664-3224 (2018) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00259 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 23Web of Science - 25 Co-authors: Pye R; Carver S; Kreiss A; Woods GM; Lyons AB | |
| 2018 | Tovar C, Patchett AL, Kim V, Wilson R, Darby J, et al., 'Heat shock proteins expressed in the marsupial Tasmanian devil are potential antigenic candidates in a vaccine against devil facial tumour disease', PLoS ONE, 13, (4) Article e0196469. ISSN 1932-6203 (2018) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196469 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 4Web of Science - 4 Co-authors: Tovar C; Wilson R; Darby J; Lyons AB; Woods GM | |
| 2017 | Patchett AL, Tovar C, Corcoran LM, Lyons AB, Woods GM, 'The toll-like receptor ligands Hiltonol® (polyICLC) and imiquimod effectively activate antigen-specific immune responses in Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii)', Developmental and Comparative Immunology, 76 pp. 352-360. ISSN 0145-305X (2017) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2017.07.004 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 11Web of Science - 12 Co-authors: Tovar C; Lyons AB; Woods GM | |
| 2016 | Patchett AL, Darby JM, Tovar C, Lyons AB, Woods GM, 'The immunomodulatory small molecule imiquimod induces apoptosis in devil facial tumour cell lines', PL o S One, 11, (12) Article e0168068. ISSN 1932-6203 (2016) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168068 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 11Web of Science - 10 Co-authors: Darby JM; Tovar C; Lyons AB; Woods GM | |
| 2015 | Patchett AL, Latham R, Brettingham-Moore KH, Tovar C, Lyons AB, et al., 'Toll-like receptor signaling is functional in immune cells of the endangered Tasmanian devil', Developmental and Comparative Immunology, 53 pp. 123-133. ISSN 0145-305X (2015) [Refereed Article] DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2015.07.003 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 15Web of Science - 14 Co-authors: Latham R; Brettingham-Moore KH; Tovar C; Lyons AB; Woods GM |
Review
(1 outputs)| Year | Citation | Altmetrics |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Patchett A, Woods G, 'Targeting transmissible cancers in animals', Science, 365, (6452) pp. 438-440. ISSN 0036-8075 (2019) [Review Several Works] DOI: 10.1126/science.aau8936 [eCite] [Details] Citations: Scopus - 3Web of Science - 3 Co-authors: Woods G |
Conference Publication
(4 outputs)| Year | Citation | Altmetrics |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Karu N, Patchett AL, Wilson R, Hamede Ross RK, Jones Menna, et al., 'Application of metabolomics and proteomics for biomarker discovery and development of therapies for the transmissible cancer, Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumour Disease', February 2nd-5th 2017, Lorne, VIC (2017) [Conference Edited] Co-authors: Karu N; Wilson R; Hamede Ross RK; Jones Menna; Lyons AB; Woods GM | |
| 2016 | Patchett A, Pinfold T, Tovar C, Lyons B, Woods G, 'Abstract B040: Imiquimod initiates tumor specific overload of the ER stress response in Tasmanian devil facial cancer cells', Second CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: translating science into survival, September 25-28 2016, New York, NY (2016) [Conference Extract] DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.IMM2016-B040 [eCite] [Details] Co-authors: Pinfold T; Tovar C; Lyons B; Woods G | |
| 2016 | Patchett AL, Kalodimos G, Tovar C, Lyons AB, Woods GM, 'Analysis of toll-like receptor responses in the endangered Tasmanian devil', International Congress of Immunology, August 21-26, 2016, Melbourne, Australia (2016) [Conference Extract] DOI: 10.1002/eji.201670200 [eCite] [Details] Co-authors: Kalodimos G; Tovar C; Lyons AB; Woods GM | |
| 2015 | Pinfold T, Brown GK, Patchett AL, Tovar CD, Bettiol SS, et al., 'Curse of the Devil: Devil Facial Tumour Disease', Australasian Cytometry Society 38th Annual Scientific Meeting, October 11-14, 2015, Perth, Australia (2015) [Conference Extract] Co-authors: Pinfold T; Brown GK; Tovar CD; Bettiol SS; Woods GM |
Other Public Output
(2 outputs)| Year | Citation | Altmetrics |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Flies AS, Patchett AL, Lyons B, Woods G, 'We developed tools to study cancer in Tasmanian devils. They could help fight disease in humans', The Conversation, online, 2 July 2020 (2020) [Magazine Article] Co-authors: Flies AS; Lyons B; Woods G | |
| 2019 | Patchett A, 'OPINION: We can't risk nature taking its course against this most iconic Tasmanian animal', The Advocate, Tasmania, 24 January (2019) [Newspaper Article] |
Grants & Funding
UTAS CHM development grant for early to mid-career researchers – 2019
University of Tasmania Foundation, Dr Eric Guiler Tasmanian Devil Research Grant – 2018
University of Tasmania Foundation, Dr Eric Guiler Tasmanian Devil Research Grant - 2017
Funding Summary
Number of grants
10
Total funding
Projects
- Description
- Current approaches to detecting DFTD in Tasmanian devils rely on time-consuming laboratory analysis with instruments being non-portable, making DFTD diagnosis in the field impracticable. Our project aims to adapt COVID-19 rapid detection test into a rapid DFTD diagnostic tool to allow for rapid detection of DFTD infections in the field.
- Funding
- University of Tasmania Foundation Inc ($25,000)
- Scheme
- Grant-Dr Eric Guiler Tasmanian Devil Research Gran
- Administered By
- University of Tasmania
- Research Team
- Flies AS; Patchett AL; Pye RJ
- Year
- 2021
- Description
- This project will test a vaccine that can be used to prevent and treat both types of devil facial tumour diseases (DFT1 & DFT2). Our approach is similar to COVID-19 vaccines and effective human cancer treatments. Importantly, this approach can be used for vaccination of devils across the Tasmanian landscape
- Funding
- University of Tasmania Foundation Inc ($40,000)
- Scheme
- Grant-Dr Eric Guiler Tasmanian Devil Research Gran
- Administered By
- University of Tasmania
- Research Team
- Flies AS; Pye RJ; Patchett AL; Liu G
- Year
- 2021
- Description
- The two genetically independent transmissible cancers affecting Tasmanian devils (DFT1 and DFT2) can be only differentially diagnosed once tumours have appeared. However, DFT1 and DFT2 cannot be diagnosed when tumours are not available to sample. This project will validate a differential diagnosis biomarker for DFTD in serum samples and will explore whether it can serve as an early DFT2 biomarker.
- Funding
- University of Tasmania Foundation Inc ($50,000)
- Scheme
- Grant-Dr Eric Guiler Tasmanian Devil Research Gran
- Administered By
- University of Tasmania
- Research Team
- Lyons AB; Espejo CI; Hamede Ross RK; Wilson RR; Patchett AL
- Year
- 2021
- Description
- Cancer cells are intrinsically plastic (malleable), enabling changes to protein signalling pathways to maintain growth or remain 'hidden' from the immune system under different conditions. In the Tasmanian devil, plasticity in fundamental protein signalling pathways has been associated with both the failure of current candidate DFT vaccines and the emergence DFT cancers in the wild. This proposal will investigate whether DFT plasticity represents a 'missing piece of the puzzle' in fully understanding how Schwann cell cancers in devils gain the ability to evade immune detection and spread across a myriad of Tasmanian devils, irrespective of host genetics and intervention (i.e. vaccination). In aim 1, we will develop laboratory cell culture models of DFT plasticity that we will use to understand how changes to protein signalling impact the ability of the devil immune system to detect and kill the DFT cells. In aim 2, we will use comprehensive RNA sequencing technologies to examine the functional evolution of DFT2 tumours since emergence, therefore revealing the role of DFT plasticity in the establishment of transmissible cancers in Tasmanian devil populations. Together, these analyses will reveal the contribution of DFT plasticity to DFT survival and propagation under different conditions, therefore providing critical knowledge that will be required for full optimisation and success of protective DFT vaccines in wild populations. Furthermore, this knowledge will be applied to predict the potential impact of DFT2 upon spread outside of its population of origin.
- Funding
- University of Tasmania Foundation Inc ($35,000)
- Scheme
- Grant-Dr Eric Guiler Tasmanian Devil Research Gran
- Administered By
- University of Tasmania
- Research Team
- Patchett AL; Flies AS; Whitworth D
- Year
- 2021
- Description
- The biomedical community has focused on genetically inbred mice in artificial environments to understand precise biochemical and immunological mechanisms that regulate the immune system. This has led to improved understanding of the immune system and a few major breakthroughs, but more than 90% of human clinical trials end in failure. All animals, including humans, suffer from disease. The emergence of COVID-19 from wildlife has provided a wake-up call to the world that disease in wildlife is important and that there is much to learn from studying natural diseases in the real world.
- Funding
- CSIRO-Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation ($100)
- Scheme
- Scholarship-ON Prime Lite
- Administered By
- University of Tasmania
- Research Team
- Flies AS; Patchett AL
- Year
- 2020
- Description
- This project aims to develop a devil facial tumour (DFT) disease vaccine based on a highly-successful rabies virus vaccine platform. The bait-vaccine approach works by incorporating tumour antigens (i.e. proteins or peptides) into a non-replicating adenovirus in the laboratory, and then packaging the virus into 'blister packs' that are distributed in the landscape for target animals (i.e. devils) to eat. The virus then infects the animal when the blister pack breaks open in the animal's mouth and induces an immune response against the virus and the tumour antigens. To achieve our bait-vaccine goals we need to bring together teams diverse sets of skills, including but not limited to immunologists, geneticists, and ecologists. This research complements our existing devil immunology research but will require the cross-disciplinary expertise of Rick Liu's genetic engineering team to develop the adenovirus-based vaccine platform. The genetic engineering team will harness existing collaborations with the Children's Medical Research Institute to produce the adenoviruses for the devil team's pilot studies. Long-term development of this project will include veterinarians and ecologists from the School of Natural Sciences and DPIPWE. We will apply for funding from the Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal to develop the field-based aspects of the project. This is likely the only approach that has the potential to eradicate DFT disease from Tasmania.
- Funding
- University of Tasmania ($9,952)
- Scheme
- Grant-Research Enhancement Program
- Administered By
- University of Tasmania
- Research Team
- Flies AS; Liu R; Lyons AB; Patchett AL; Pye RJ
- Year
- 2019
- Description
- This project will use sequencing to generate gene profiles of immune cells in healthy and diseased Tasmanian devils. These datasets will enable identification of immune cell subsets in the Tasmanian devil, and will be mined to detect changes to immune function in diseased devils.
- Funding
- University of Tasmania ($12,951)
- Scheme
- Grant-Research Enhancement Program
- Administered By
- University of Tasmania
- Research Team
- Patchett AL; Lyons AB; Flies AS
- Year
- 2019
- Description
- Tasmanian devil numbers have declined by 80% over the last 23 years due to the emergence of transmissible cancers called devil facial tumour (DFT) disease. To protect the Tasmanian devil, conservation strategies are required to rebuild devil populations in the wild. We propose developing an oral bait vaccine that will be eaten by wild devils to provide immunity to DFTs. Unlike traditional injected vaccines, bait vaccines are dropped into habitat using bait despensers, thus eliminating the need to capture devils for vaccination. This will allow wide-spread vaccination of devils across Tasmania, thus protecting the entire population from DFTs.
- Funding
- CSIRO-Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation ($100)
- Scheme
- Scholarship-ON Prime
- Administered By
- University of Tasmania
- Research Team
- Patchett AL; Flies AS; Lyons AB; Espejo CI
- Year
- 2019
- Description
- This project will use sequencing to identify key cell subsets and molecular functions in devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) that are associated with tumour survival and regression. This information will be harnessed for improvement of candidate DFTD therapies and vaccines in the Tasmanian devil.
- Funding
- University of Tasmania Foundation Inc ($32,775)
- Scheme
- Grant-Dr Eric Guiler Tasmanian Devil Research Gran
- Administered By
- University of Tasmania
- Research Team
- Patchett AL; Lyons AB; Tovar Lopez CD
- Year
- 2018
- Description
- To successfully vaccinate Tasmanian devils against DFTD, a particular form of response known as cell mediated immunity is needed. This project will test the ability of two distinct approaches to enhance cell mediated immune responses against DFTD.
- Funding
- University of Tasmania Foundation Inc ($32,304)
- Scheme
- Grant-Dr Eric Guiler Tasmanian Devil Research Gran
- Administered By
- University of Tasmania
- Research Team
- Lyons AB; Patchett AL; Woods GM
- Period
- 2017 - 2018
Research Supervision
Samantha Seah (University of Tasmania – Honours), 2020
William Chen (University of Tasmania – UROP), 2020
Ahab Ndabigaye Kayigwe (University of Tasmania – PhD), 2019-present
Geordie Free (University of Tasmania – UROP), 2018
Anuk Kruawan (University of Tasmania – UROP, Honours), 2018-present
Peter Murphy (University of Tasmania – Honours), 2017-2019
Current
1
Completed
1
Current
| Degree | Title | Commenced |
|---|---|---|
| PhD | Identification of Devil Facial Tumour-Associated Antigens for Vaccine Development | 2019 |
Completed
| Degree | Title | Completed |
|---|---|---|
| Masters | Development of Synthetic Immunological Tools for Tasmanian Devil Research Candidate: Alana Jane De Luca | 2022 |