Erin Brazel

Erin Brazel

School of Biological Sciences

Faculty of Sciences

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD (as Co-Supervisor) - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Erin's research is focused on developing novel prevention and treatment strategies against bacterial pathogens.

During her PhD, Erin investigated the impact of excess zinc on the bacterial pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae, which provided fundamental biological insight and identified a novel drug repurposing strategy to restore the susceptibility of bacteria to antibiotics.

Erin continues her research on S. pneumoniae in her current role as post-doctoral researcher, combining her microbiology and biochemistry expertise to investigate membrane transporter proteins. Together her research aims to define the mechanisms underlying intercellular communication in S. pneumoniae and develop new strategies for combating persistent infections.

Erin also works closely with the R&D team at GPN vaccines Ltd in the development of a whole cell pneumococcal vaccine. This serotype-independent vaccine aims to address the major shortcomings of the currently used vaccines, including the serotype selection and high cost of manufacture. Erin brings her knowledge of S. pneumoniae fundamental biology to the team to develop next generation vaccine candidates capable of providing improved immunogenicity and favourable properties for large-scale manufacture.

 

 

 

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  • Journals
    Year Citation
    2021 McLean, K. T., Tikhomirova, A., Brazel, E. B., Legendre, S., Haasbroek, G., Minhas, V., . . . Trappetti, C. (2021). Site specific mutations of GalR affect galactose metabolism in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Journal of Bacteriology, 203(1), 1-12.
    DOI Scopus1 WoS1
    2021 Adams, F. G., Pokhrel, A., Brazel, E. B., Semenec, L., Li, L., Trappetti, C., . . . Eijkelkamp, B. A. (2021). Acinetobacter baumannii Fatty Acid Desaturases Facilitate Survival in Distinct Environments. ACS Infectious Diseases, 7(8), 2221-2228.
    DOI
    2021 Adams, F. G., Trappetti, C., Waters, J. K., Zang, M., Brazel, E. B., Paton, J. C., . . . Eijkelkamp, B. A. (2021). To make or take: bacterial lipid homeostasis during Infection. mBio, 12(3), e00928-21-1-e00928-21-5.
    DOI Scopus1
    2021 Zang, M., MacDermott-Opeskin, H., Adams, F. G., Naidu, V., Waters, J. K., Carey, A. B., . . . Eijkelkamp, B. A. (2021). The membrane composition defines the spatial organization and function of a major Acinetobacter baumannii drug efflux system. mBio, 12(3), e01070-21-1-e01070-21-6.
    DOI Scopus1
    2020 Kelliher, J. L., Brazel, E. B., Radin, J. N., Joya, E. S., Párraga Solórzano, P. K., Neville, S. L., . . . Kehl-Fie, T. E. (2020). Disruption of phosphate homeostasis sensitizes Staphylococcus aureus to nutritional immunity. Infection and Immunity, 88(6), 1-12.
    DOI Scopus1 WoS1 Europe PMC1
    2019 Eijkelkamp, B. A., Morey, J. R., Neville, S. L., Tan, A., Pederick, V. G., Cole, N., . . . McDevitt, C. A. (2019). Dietary zinc and the control of Streptococcus pneumoniae infection. PLoS pathogens, 15(8), 1-26.
    DOI Scopus14 WoS10 Europe PMC7
    2019 Radin, J. R., Zhu, J., Brazel, E. B., McDevitt, C., & Kehl-Fie, T. E. (2019). Synergy between nutritional immunity and independent host defenses contributes to the importance of the MntABC manganese transporter during Staphylococcus aureus infection. Infection and Immunity, 87(1), 1-14.
    DOI Scopus20 WoS20 Europe PMC14
    2018 Bohlmann, L., De Oliveira, D. M. P., El-Deeb, I. M., Brazel, E. B., Harbison-Price, N., Ong, C. L. Y., . . . Walker, M. J. (2018). Chemical synergy between ionophore PBT2 and zinc reverses antibiotic resistance. mBio, 9(6), e02391-18-1-e02391-18-12.
    DOI Scopus16 WoS16 Europe PMC7
    2017 Martin, J., Edmonds, K., Bruce, K., Campanello, G., Eijkelkamp, B., Brazel, E., . . . Giedroc, D. (2017). The zinc efflux activator SczA protects Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 2 D39 from intracellular zinc toxicity. Molecular Microbiology, 104(4), 636-651.
    DOI Scopus20 WoS16 Europe PMC16
    2017 Grim, K., San Francisco, B., Radin, J., Brazel, E., Kelliher, J., Párraga Solórzano, P., . . . Kehl-Fie, T. (2017). The metallophore staphylopine enables Staphylococcus aureus to compete with the host for zinc and overcome nutritional immunity. mBio, 8(5), 1-16.
    DOI Scopus51 WoS52 Europe PMC32
    — Adams, F. G., Trappetti, C., Waters, J. K., Zang, M., Brazel, E. B., Paton, J. C., . . . Eijkelkamp, B. A. (n.d.). To make or take: bacterial lipid homeostasis during infection.
    DOI

Practical Demonstrator, Infection and Immunity IIIA (MICRO 3000), 2016-2018

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  • Committee Memberships
    Date Role Committee Institution Country
    2019 - ongoing Chair Adelaide Protein Group Australian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Australia
    2019 - ongoing Representative Professional Development Standing Committee Australian Society for Microbiology Australia
    2019 - ongoing Representative Faculty of Sciences Gender Equity and Diversity The University of Adelaide Australia
    2019 - 2019 Secretary Adelaide Protein Group Australian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Australia
    2018 - ongoing Representative Australian Society for Microbiology SA/NT Branch Australian Society for Microbiology Australia
    2018 - ongoing Representative Institutional Biosafety Committee The University of Adelaide Australia
    2017 - ongoing Member Adelaide University Biosciences Network The University of Adelaide Australia
    2016 - ongoing Representative Adelaide Protein Group - Australia
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