Vaccine Development and Pathogenesis

Project Leader: Dr Nick West

Ultimately we hope to prevent the spread of tuberculosis through vaccination and to improve the outcome for those already infected. These two goals may seem unrelated but in fact the first will not be achieved without the second. This is why we must first understand the microbe and the way in which it causes disease. Research within the group is aimed at highlighting the genetic repertoire possessed by the bacterium, which is essential to survive within the host and cause disease. With this information we will be better placed to make informed decisions regarding drug development, furthermore, knowing what pathways are essential to the bacterium may also provide new vaccine candidates.

Research focus

The focus is to investigate processes of pathogenesis with the outcome being improved vaccines and treatments for tuberculosis. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the bacterium that now infects one in three people in the world and is responsible for tuberculosis, the disease that kills 5,500 people every day. We are studying this disease from a bacterial prospective in order to improve global public health. This is being achieved in a variety of ways, including, improving our understanding of M. tuberculosis microbiology, the discovery and testing of new vaccines and identifying improved vaccine vectors. Research staff and students are actively pursuing programs in each of these broad topic areas.