Research units - NRL

NRL

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The National Serology Reference Laboratory, Australia (NRL™) is committed to helping curb the spread of blood-borne and other infections by assuring the quality and confidence in laboratory results in Australia and internationally. We deliver world’s best practice quality assurance of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) tests and have defined and corrected large numbers of problems with testing performances and protocols. The research program focus is on developing better markers for clinical diagnosis, prognosis and vaccine development for HIV, HCV and other important viral infections.

Research Overview

Identification of viral envelope proteins capable of generating bNAbs is a priority for the successful development of an HIV vaccine. Achieving these aims will identify naturally occurring modified HIV-1 envelope antigens from selected individuals of two unique cohorts that are, either singly or collectively, able to block infection of a wide spectrum of HIV-1 primary isolates. The end goal is development of an antigen that will be a key part to an HIV protective vaccine.

Research Themes

Potent broadly reactive neutralising HIV-1 antibodies

HIV-1 envelope proteins capable of generating protective antibodies

Honours and PhD Projects

Staff

Staff image

Susan Best
Dr Kim Wilson

Publication Highlights

  1. Learmonth, KM, McPhee, DA, Jardine, D, Walker, S, Aye, T-T, and Dax, E. (2008).  Assessing Interpretation Proficiency of Simple/Rapid HIV Tests in Non-Laboratory Settings: Ensuring the Quality of Testing. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 46:1692-7.
  2. Simek, MD, Rida, W, Priddy, FH, Pung, P, Carrow, E, Laufer, DS, Lehrmann, JK, Boaz, M, Tarragona-Fiol, T, Miiro, G, Birungi, J, Pozniak, A, McPhee, DA, Manigart, O, Karita, E, Inwoley, A, Jaoko, W, DeHovitz, J, Bekker, L-G, Pitisuttithum, P, Paris, R, Wrin, T, Fast, PE, Burton, DR, Koff, WC. (2009).  HIV-1 Elite Neutralizers: Individuals with Broad Neutralizing Activity Identified Using a High Throughput Neutralization Assay Together with an Analytical Selected Algorithm. Journal of Virology 83(14):7337-48.
  3. Walker LM, Phogat SK, Chan-Hui PY, Wagner D, Phung P, Goss JL, Wrin T, Simek MD, Fling S, Mitcham JL, Lehrman JK, Priddy FH, Olsen OA, Frey SM, Hammond PW, Miiro G, Serwanga J, Pozniak A, McPhee DA, Manigart O, Mwananyanda L, Karita E, Inwoley A, Jaoko W, Dehovitz J, Bekker LG, Pitisuttithum P, Paris R, Allen S, Kaminsky S, Zamb T, Moyle M, Koff WC, Poignard P, Burton DR. (2009). Broad and Potent Neutralizing Antibodies from an African Donor Reveal a New HIV-1 Vaccine Target. Science 326:285-289. 
  4. Peut, V., S. Campbell, A. Gaeguta, R. J. Center, K. Wilson, S. Alcantara, C. S. Fernandez, D. F. Purcell, and S. J. Kent. (2009). Balancing reversion of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte and neutralizing antibody escape mutations within human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Env upon transmission. J Virol 83:8986-92. 
  5. Chappel, R. J., K. M. Wilson, and E. M. Dax. (2009). Immunoassays for the diagnosis of HIV: meeting future needs by enhancing the quality of testing. Future Microbiol 4:963-82.
  6. Padiglione, A, Aleksic, E, French, M, Arnott, A, Wilson, KM, Tippett, E, Kaye, M, Gray, L, Ellett, A, Crane, M, Leslie, DE, Lewin, SR, Breschkin, A, Birch, C, Gorry, GR, McPhee, DA, Crowe, SM. (2010).  Extremely prolonged HIV seroconversion associated with and MHC haplotype carrying disease susceptibility alleles for antibody deficiency disorders. Clin Immunol Aug 7. [Epub ahead of print].
  7. Arnott, A, Jardine, D, Wilson, K, Gorry, PR, Merlin, K, Grey, P, Law, M, Dax, EM, Kelleher, A, Smith, DE, McPhee, DA and the Pulse Study Team (2010).  High viral fitness during acute HIV-1 infection.  PLoS One. Sep 9;5(9). pii: e12631.