MFCEM Dialogues #11

by

Prof Richard A Strugnell
The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne

on

Title: Klebsiella pneumoniae; switching on and off biofilm formation

Prof. Richard Strugnell, University of Melbourne, works at the interface of microbiology and immunology. His group’s interest lies in understanding the molecular underpinnings of key microbiological phenomena including bacterial physiology, biofilm development and adaptation to intracellular growth. Prof. Strugnell is a fellow of the Australian Society of Microbiology.

Prof. Strugnell also works in close collaboration with the industry, industry-focused Cooperative Research Centres and public services through numerous Boards and Committees at the University, State, National and International level.

In his talk, Prof. Strugnell provided a comprehensive understanding of how K. pneumoniae, a leading cause of pneumonia with notoriously high fatality rates, regulates biofilm formation through regulating the levels of a 'second messenger' cyclic-di-GMP. He spoke in depth about how these cyclic dinucleotides play a critical role in control of expression of the major mediator of biofilms, that allow microorganisms such as K. pneumoniae to thrive as syntrophic community.

Further, Prof. Strugnell shared how his team used this insight to develop two novel families of biofilm inhibitors, namely, those that inhibited transcriptional regulator of fimbrial expression, and those that inhibited the adhesin, expressed on the tip of the fimbriae.

Prof. Strugnell’s talk was followed by a vibrant discussion with the students and faculty.