William Penhale

Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection of a dermal wound can cause life threatening septicaemia, especially in humans and animals with compromised immunity (eg AIDS, organ recipients, burns patients). Most clinical strains produce multiple virulence factors (VF) to facilitate the colonisation, destruction and penetration of the host1,2. ETA and elastase digest collagen, elastin and disrupt cell-to-cell junctions3,4,5, & we are investigating how P.aeruginosa utilises these two of its significant virulence factors to penetrate the circulatory system of the host.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection of a dermal wound can cause life threatening septicaemia, especially in humans and animals with compromised immunity (eg AIDS, organ recipients, burns patients). Most clinical strains produce multiple virulence factors (VF) to facilitate the colonisation, destruction and penetration of the host1,2. ETA and elastase digest collagen, elastin and disrupt cell-to-cell junctions3,4,5, & we are investigating how P.aeruginosa utilises these two of its significant virulence factors to penetrate the circulatory system of the host.

Porcine intestinal spirochaetosis (PIS) is a-diarrhoeal disease resulting from colonisation by the spirochaete Serpulina pilosicoli (I). Little is known about immunity in this infection (2). Individual animals may be colonised for extended periods of time, and the disease in infected piggeries appears to occur sporadically. Pig infected with PIS suffer from decreased growth rates, poor feed conversion, and weight loss (3). This experiment was conducted to determine whether infected pigs developed circulating antibodies to the spirochaete, and to evaluate the effect of vaccination.