Queensland COVID-19 research

This page of Queensland’s research related to the COVID-19 pandemic is compiled from information provided by Queensland universities and research institutes.

While many of our researchers are working on potential vaccines, treatments and other medical interventions, other researchers are applying their expertise to other impacts of the pandemic upon our economy and other aspects of society. The data includes immediate research activity, recent relevant work, proposed research (subject to available funds) and other responses using the resources and expertise of our research organisations.

Listing all of 13 matching responses out of 149 total responses.

  • Enhancing COVID-19 vaccination and pandemic preparedness via Nanopatch skin delivery May 2021

    This Advance Queensland Fellowship takes the Queensland based innovation, the Nanopatch and combines it with novel SARS-CoV-2 vaccines to develop a SARS-CoV-2 Nanopatch vaccine. This fellowship will investigate the quality of the immune responses, the ability of the patient to self-vaccinate and the immune signatures of the vaccine via systems vaccinology.

    #Vaccine

    Centre

    School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences
    The University of Queensland

    Contact details
    Dr David Muller
    Senior Research Fellow
    d.muller4@uq.edu.au
    +617 3365 4881
  • COVID-19 vaccines and inhibitors May 2021

    This project uses structural biology to help develop new potential vaccines and inhibitors (both neutralizing antibodies and small molecules) for SARS-CoV-2. The project will take advantage of the complementary expertise, preliminary data and facilities available to the applicants at University of Queensland (Brisbane) and Institute of Microbiology (Beijing), supporting a collaborative relationship between key experts from Queensland and Chinese Academy of Sciences. The therapeutics developed by this project will contribute to managing the current and future potential pandemics.

    #Vaccine

    Centre

    School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences
    The University of Queensland

    Contact details
    Professor Bostjan Kobe
    ARC Laureate Fellow
    b.kobe@uq.edu.au
    +617 3365 2132
    Collaborations
    Prof Jianxun Qi, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, China
  • Evaluation of COVID-19 antiviral and vaccine candidates, using a non-infectious virus-like-particle platform April 2021

    In order to develop a treatment or vaccine for the COVID-19 virus, laboratory based analyses are required. Currently these are restricted to laboratories with high-containment facilities. The Griffith University Institute for Glycomics have developed a non-infectious system, which if scaled up may provide a high-capacity screening platform. This Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowship project led by Dr Belinda de Villiers at Institute for Glycomics will enable optimisation of this novel testing platform, thereby permitting rapid pre-clinical evaluation of antiviral candidates against COVID-19.

    #Vaccine

    Centre

    Institute for Glycomics
    Griffith University

    Contact details
    Dr Belinda de Villiers
    Research Fellow
    b.devilliers@griffith.edu.au
    +617 5552 9351
    Collaborations
    Gold Coast University Hospital
  • Can a new modified BCG-based tuberculosis vaccine also help protect against COVID-19? April 2021

    JCU researchers are exploring the possibility of improving their modified BCG (Bacille Calmette-Guérin) vaccine strain to protect front-line health workers and other vulnerable populations against COVID-19. BCG is the widely used vaccine against tuberculosis and has been associated with reduced rates of COVID-19. By understanding the mechanisms on how BCG mediates protection against viral diseases, such as COVID-19, they will be able to develop an improved strain of BCG.

    #Vaccine

    Centre

    Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine
    James Cook University

    Contact details
    Dr Andreas Kupz
    Senior Research Fellow
    andreas.kupz@jcu.edu.au
    +61 7 423 22048
  • Rapid assay system to evaluate potential drug and vaccine candidates to prevent the entry of SARS-CoV-2 April 2021

    Professor Johnson Mak and his research team at GU’s Institute of Glycomics are working to establish a rapid assay system to evaluate potential drug and vaccine candidates that can prevent the entry of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) in collaboration with the other research teams within the Institute.

    #Vaccine

    Centre

    Institute for Glycomics
    Griffith University

    Contact details
    Prof Johnson Mak
    Research Leader
    j.mak@griffith.edu.au
    +61 (0)7 5552 8077
    Collaborations
    Collaborators: Institute for Integrated and Intelligent Systems
  • Developing T-cell vaccine for COVID-19 that is easy to administer, transport and store April 2021

    Professor John Miles is utilising JCU’s hyperstable peptide vaccine platform to identify a COVID-19 vaccine candidate in the form of a potentially highly efficient nasal spray that does not require cold chain transport and storage and is easy to administer. Based at JCU’s Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, the group, including Professors Louis Schofield and Denise Doolan, is working on pre-clinical development with a view to clinical trials in 18 months. They are seeking investment to continue and accelerate this vaccine development work.

    #Vaccine

    Centre

    Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine
    James Cook University

    Contact details
    Prof John Miles
    john.miles@jcu.edu.au
    +61 7 423 21284
    Collaborations
    • Co-researcher:
    • Prof Denise Doolan
    • Prof Louis Schofield
  • Developing a nanoparticle-based DNA vaccine for COVID-19 April 2021

    COVID-19 DNA vaccines hold great promise due to the short development timeline, ease of manufacture and good safety profile. This project aims to develop a DNA vaccine formulation for COVID-19, based on a UQ patented nanoparticle technology.

    #Vaccine

    Centre

    Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology
    The University of Queensland

    Contact details
    Prof Chengzhong (Michael) Yu
    Senior Group Leader - Yu Group
    c.yu@uq.edu.au
    +61 7 3346 3283
  • GRIDD researchers take next step in COVID-19 vaccine development March 2020

    Mouse model trials are being run for several COVID-19 vaccine candidates developed by Griffith University scientists. Lead researcher Professor Bernd Rehm at the Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery (GRIDD) has spearheaded the development of the platform technology which uses a synthetic version of the virus (SARS-CoV-2) which means selected virus components are assembled by safe microbial cell factories. This allows rapid vaccine design combined with a high-yield bioprocess for mass production of the vaccine.

    “Our Centre for Cell Factories and Biopolymers has developed a technology which allows us to quickly adapt to emerging threats by precision engineering vaccines. The approach is based on hijacking the assembly pathways of microbial cells to assemble our own targets in this process.” Professor Rehm, who is the author or co-author of nearly 60 patent applications, said his team has already developed four vaccine candidates containing components of the virus which causes COVID-19. GRIDD developed a platform technology to rapidly respond to newly emerging pathogens not only enabling fast design of new vaccines but also employing a manufacturing process that can be ported across to an industrial production facility to enable supply of vaccine to millions of people within weeks. They have now partnered with Brisbane-based biomanufacturing company Luina Bio to deliver the vaccine candidates.

    #Vaccine

    Centre

    Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery
    Griffith University

    Contact details
    Prof Bernd Rehm
    Director
    b.rehm@griffith.edu.au
    +61 07 3735 4233
    Collaborations
    Luina Bio
  • Using advanced ex vivo (outside the body) human respiratory system models to evaluate existing drugs to prevent or treat COVID-19 April 2020

    Professor von Itzstein AO and his research team at GU’s Institute of Glycomics are using advanced ex vivo (outside the body) human respiratory system models to evaluate existing drugs, and combinations, as drug candidates to prevent or treat COVID-19. The team is working in collaboration with Queensland Health Departments including Gold Coast University Hospital clinicians and Forensic Scientific Services as well as the Fraunhofer International Consortium for Anti-infective Research (iCAIR). iCAIR was established between the Institute for Glycomics and two German institutions, the Hannover Medical University and the Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, in 2017.

    #Vaccine

    Centre

    Institute for Glycomics
    Griffith University

    Contact details
    Prof Mark von Itzstein
    Director
    m.vonitzstein@griffith.edu.au
    +61(0) 755527025
    Collaborations
  • Building on years of experience in streptococcus and malaria research to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 April 2020

    Professor Michael Good AO and his research team based within the Laboratory of Vaccines for the Developing World at GU’s Institute For Glycomics, are building on many years of vaccine development experience in streptococcus and malaria research to identify critical target points on the coronavirus that may be susceptible to immune attack and to use that information to develop a highly focussed vaccine. The team are working closely with the other researchers in the Institute and with colleagues at the Gold Coast University Hospital and China’s Olymvax Biopharmaceuticals Inc.

    #Vaccine

    Centre

    Institute for Glycomics
    Griffith University

    Contact details
    Prof Michael Good
    Principal Research Leader
    michael.good@griffith.edu.au
    +6190)7 5552 9435
    Collaborations
  • Despite safe and effective Phase 1 trial further trails of UQ COVID-19 vaccine halted December 2020

    While the Phase 1 trial of the University of Queensland and CSL COVID-19 vaccine has shown a robust and safe response towards the virus, the trial will not progress to Phase 2/3 clinical trials. There were no serious adverse events or safety concerns reported in the 216 trial participants.

    The leading research by the University of Queensland uses their signature Molecular Clamp Technology. This clamp employs a harmless tiny fragment of a protein on the HIV molecule - used to stabilise the vaccine.

    Trial participants were fully informed of the possibility of a partial immune response to this component, but it was unexpected that it would interfere with HIV tests. Unfortunately, the Phase 1 data showed that some participants produced antibodies showing a false positive test result for HIV. There is no possibility that the vaccine could causes HIV infection.

    With expert advice and recognising the vital need to maintain public confidence in the overall global COVID-19 vaccination program, UQ and CSL and the Australian Government agreed that vaccine development will not proceed to Phase 2/3 trials. The Phase 1 trial will continue to see how long the antibodies persist. The University of Queensland plans to submit the full data for peer review publication.

    Dr Andrew Nash, Chief Scientific Officer for CSL said “This project has only been made possible by the innovative science developed by world-class scientists at The University of Queensland and the strong collaboration between our organisations, and many others, over the past 10 months.” UQ and CSL acknowledge the support of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) in partnering to enable the rapid development of the vaccine candidate through clinical trials.

    UQ vaccine co-lead, Professor Paul Young, said that although it was possible to re-engineer the vaccine, the team did not have the luxury of time needed. “I said at the start of vaccine development that there were no guarantees, but what is really encouraging is that the core technology approach we used has passed the major clinical test. It is a safe and well-tolerated vaccine, producing the strong virus-neutralising effect that we were hoping to see. So we will continue to push forward and we are confident that with further work the Molecular Clamp technology will be a robust platform for future vaccine development here in Australia and to meet future biosecurity needs.”

    #Vaccine

    Centre

    School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences
    The University of Queensland

    Contact details
    Prof Paul Young
    p.young@uq.edu.au
    +61 7 336 54622
    Collaborations
  • Griffith University researchers on the road to COVID-19 vaccine April 2020

    Griffith University researchers have joined forces with scientists from Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), a leading vaccine manufacturing company based in Hyderabad, India to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. They aim to develop a live attenuated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine or COVID-19 vaccine using the latest codon de-optimisation technology (a method for producing live weakened virus vaccines). Using this technology, they will make changes to the virus’s genome to decrease replication efficiency in human cells and rendering it harmless. “This technology is promising for developing a live-attenuated vaccine for preventative, active, single dose immunisation against coronavirus in humans, with an enhanced safety profile,” said Professor Suresh Mahalingam from Menzies Health Institute Queensland. The aim is to produce a vaccine provide long-lasting immunity against SARS-CoV-2 following a single immunisation and cross-protection against other coronaviruses such as MERS and SARS-CoV-1.

    #Vaccine

    Centre

    Menzies Health Institute Queensland (MHIQ)
    Griffith University

    Contact details
    Prof Suresh Mahalingam
    NHMRC Senior Research Fellow
    s.mahalingam@griffith.edu.au
    +61 7 5678 0664
    Collaborations
    Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL)
  • UQ vaccine delivery spinout company achieves global deals on vaccine delivery technology October 2020

    The University of Queensland spinout company Vaxxas, that is developing technology based on UQ’s innovative research developed at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, has announced two partnerships that could revolutionise the manufacture and delivery of vaccines. The technology platform that allows vaccines to be administered via a small 1 centimetre squared patch with 5000 little projections that are invisible to the naked eye and prick the skin when applied.
    Merck, a world leader in vaccine development, will access Vaxxas’ HD-MAP technology for the development and manufacture of an undisclosed vaccine. Vaxxas has also announced that German manufacturing equipment maker Harro Höfliger will help Vaxxas develop a high-throughput, aseptic manufacturing line to make vaccine products based their technology — with a goal of eventually churning out millions of vaccine patches a week. In October it was announced that Vaxxas will partner with the US Government to test its needle-free vaccine delivery that could significantly reduce the need for vaccine refrigeration and storage technology.

    #Vaccine

    Centre

    Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology
    The University of Queensland

Other Queensland COVID-19 initiatives

Queensland Government
Coronavirus (COVID-19) business assistance finder
Life Sciences Queensland
Life Sciences Queensland joins the data-powered alliance to stop COVID-19

Key Australian COVID-19 initiatives

Australian Academy of Science
Rapid Research Information Forum (RRIF)
COVID-19 Expert Database

Key international COVID-19 initiatives

CORD-19 (COVID-19 Open Research Dataset)
Free database of 130,000 plus COVID-19 open research papers