Britton Laboratory

We have identified protein components of mycobacteria that stimulate protective immunity against experimental TB infection in the specialised PC3 facility at the Centenary Institute.

Currently we have an NIH contract, “Advancing Vaccine Adjuvant Research for TB” to determine which are most effective adjuvants to combine with the TB proteins as new vaccines for TB. TB is a lung infection and we also develop new vaccines to deliver directly to the lung to protect against TB.

We are using these techniques to develop vaccines against SARS-CoV2 that we test in our PC3 facility in collaboration with Prof Phil Hansbro in the Centre for Inflammation. In addition, we investigate the impact of SARS-CoV2 on TB and other chronic lung diseases.

In collaboration with Prof Carl Feng (USYD) we investigate the pathogenesis and spatial immune responses in TB in human samples and mouse infection models.

Britton has la ong-standing collaboration with Prof Payne in School of Chemistry (USYD) on developing TB drug leads, with acurrent focus on the protein degradation system of mycobacteria With Dr Mark Larance (USYD) we study effect of drug leads on the proteome of M. tuberculosis.

Britton has led two NHMRC Centres of Research Excellence on TB Control (2012-24) and currently is co-lead on the PEARL+ project to find and treat TB and leprosy in Kiribati that has exceptionally high rates of both these infections. This is funded by the MRFF and a new Regional Health Partnership award from DFAT.