Parasitology
Controlling liver fluke parasites.
The work of Professor Terry Spithill and his team of researchers is focussed on controlling liver fluke parasites (Fasciola hepatica, Fasciola gigantica) in livestock. Drug resistance threatens the control of liver fluke which causes major diseases in animals and humans throughout the world. The Spithill Lab recognises that controlling these diseases requires research into new vaccines, drugs and diagnostics.
Research areas in the Spithill Lab include:
- Biochemical, proteomic and functional analysis of liver fluke tegument proteins
- Evaluation of tegument proteins as vaccine candidates in livestock
- Analysis of antigens recognised by immune responses in sheep and cattle associated with resistance to liver fluke to identify novel candidate vaccine targets
- Developing methods for in vitro culture of liver fluke life stages for transcriptome and proteomic studies
- Understanding the distribution of drug resistant liver flukes in Australia