Associate Professor Stuart Dashper
CONTACT
E-mail: stuartgd@unimelb.edu.au
Telephone: +61 3 9341 1551
QUALIFICATIONS AND POSITION(S)
- Bsc(Hons) LaTrobe, PhD Melbourne
- Deputy Head of Oral Biology, The School of Dental Science
- Nutraceutical Programme co-leader, Cooperative Research Centre for Oral Health Science
- Principal Research Fellow
SHORT HISTORY
In the late sixties Geoff and Vera fled the gloomy midlands of England for the sunny shores of Australia, bringing their young son Stuart with them. Stuart settled in well and developed a fascination for all things microbial. In the late eighties, after a brief exposure to the study of bacteria in sewage, he rapidly developed an interest in Oral Microbiology. Upon completing a PhD at the School of Dental Science on the metabolism of oral streptococci in the early 90s, he accepted a postdoctoral position at the School where he has remained to this day. During his employment at the School of Dental Science the study of oral bacteria has increased exponentially. With the recent establishment of the Centre for Oral Health Science, The University of Melbourne now has a world class research centre studying the causes of oral disease. Stuart continues to research this fascinating field and to teach undergraduate students.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
The oral cavity is colonized by over 500 species of bacteria, most of which are found only in the mouth. These species exist largely as polymicrobial biofilms attached to the surface of the tooth and these biofilms play important roles in both health and disease. Bacterial biofilms are complex and diverse microbial communities with a complex ecology. Oral bacteria interact with each other and the host and these interactions help to regulate bacterial pathogenesis.
These interests encompass:-
- Anaerobic, asaccharolytic bacteria
- Bacterial biofilm formation, development and function
- Bacterial quorum-sensing and the regulation of genes associated with virulence
- Microbial ecology
- Uptake and utilisation of bacterial micronutrients, including iron and manganese
- Bacterial proteinases
- Application of proteomic and transcriptomic technologies to the study of bacterial pathogenesis
- The development of novel antibacterial therapies
CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS
- The characterization of biofilm formation and development by oral bacteria
- The control of virulence factors of Gram-negative, anaerobic bacteria associated with periodontal disease
- The proteomic analysis of oral Gram-negative bacteria
- The utilization of molecular technologies to investigate the microbial aetiology of periodontal diseases
- How interactions between Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola,Tanerella forsythiaand Fusobacterium nucleatum contribute to the development of periodontal diseases
- Development of a defined P. gingivalis vaccine
- The characterization of P. gingivalis iron transport systems
- Genomic analyses of oral bacterial pathogens
- Discovery and characterization of novel antibacterial peptides
All of these projects are available and suitable for both Postgraduate and BSc(Hons) students and scholarships are available for these projects.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
- Ang CS, Dashper SG, Veith PD, and Reynolds EC. Quantitative analysis of Porphyromonas gingivalis protein expression in response to haem-limitation using isotope coded affinity tag. Submitted to Proteomics, June 2006.
- Seers C, Slakeski N, Veith P, Nikoloff T, Chen Y-Y, Dashper SG and Reynolds EC. The RgpB C-terminal domain has a role in attachment of RgpB to the outer membrane and belongs to a novel C-terminal domain family found in Porphyromonas gingivalis. Journal of Bacteriology (In press, June 2006).
- Dashper SG, Butler C, Lissel P, Paolini, RA, Hoffman B, Veith PD, O’Brien-Simpson NM, Snelgrove S, Tsiros JT and Reynolds EC. A novel Porphyromonas gingivalis FeoB Plays a Role in Manganese Accumulation. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 280:28095–28102 (2005).
- Dashper SG, O’Brien-Simpson NM, Cross K, Paolini, RA, Hoffman B, Catmull D, Malkoski M, and Reynolds EC. Divalent Metal Cations Increase the Activity of the Antibacterial Peptide Kappacin. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 49:2322-2328 (2005).
- Dashper SG and Reynolds EC. Combating dental decay. Microbiology Australia. Invited review. 26:107-109 (2005).
- Cochrane NJ, Sarahnathan S, Morgan M and Dashper SG. Fluoride content of bottled water in Australia. Australian Dental Journal. Accepted for publication November 2005.
- Dashper SG, Cross K, Aulakh P, Lissel P, Slakeski N, Moore C and Reynolds EC. Hemoglobin hydrolysis and heme acquisition by Porphyromonas gingivalis. Oral Microbiol. Immunol. 19:50-56 (2004).
- O’Brien-Simpson NM, Veith PD, Dashper, SG and Reynolds EC. Antigenic proteins of periodontopathic bacteria. Periodontology 2000. 35:1-34 (2004).
- O’Brien-Simpson NM, Veith PD, Dashper, SG and Reynolds EC. Porphyromonas gingivalis gingipains: the molecular teeth of a microbial vampire. Curr. Protein Pept. Sci. 4:409-426 (2003) (Invited review).
- Mazzaoui, SA, Burrow, MF, Tyas, MJ, Dashper, SG, Eakins, D and Reynolds, EC. Incorporation of Casein Phosphopeptide-Amorphous Calcium Phosphate into a Glass Ionomer Cement. J. Dent. Res. 82:914-918 (2003).
- Veith PD, Talbo, GH, Slakeski, N, Dashper, SG, Moore, C, Paolini, RA and Reynolds EC. Major Outer Membrane Proteins and Proteolytic Processing of RgpA and Kgp of Porphyromonas gingivalis W50. Biochemistry Journal. 363:105-115 (2002).
- Malkoski, M, Dashper, SG, O’Brien-Simpson, NM, Talbo, GH, Macris, M, Cross, KJ and Reynolds, EC. Kappacin, a novel antibacterial peptide from bovine milk. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 45:2309-2315 (2001).
- Dashper SG, Brownfield L, Slakeski N, Zilm PS, Rogers AH and Reynolds, EC. Sodium ion-driven serine transport in Porphyromonas gingivalis. Journal of Bacteriology. 183:4142-4148 (2001).
- O’Brien-Simpson NM, Paolini RA, Hoffmann B, Slakeski N, Dashper SG, Reynolds EC. Role of RgpA, RgpB and Kgp proteinases in virulence of Porphyromonas gingivalis in the murine lesion model. Infection and Immunity. 69:7527-7534 (2001).
- Dashper SG, Hendtlass, A, Slakeski N, Jackson, C, Cross, KJ, Brownfield L, Hamilton R, Barr I and Reynolds, EC. Characterization of a novel outer membrane hemin-binding protein of Porphyromonas gingivalis. Journal of Bacteriology. 182:6456-6462 (2000).
CURRENT RESEARCH GRANTS
The National Institutes of Health (USA) funded:-
- Development of a defined Porphyromonas gingivalis vaccine.
Victorian State Government funded:-
- Victorian Centre for Oral Health Science.
Australian Federal Government:-
- Co-operative Research Centre for Oral Health Science.
National Health and Medical Research Council funded:-
- Identification of Porphyromonas gingivalis genes involved in iron transport and biofilm formation.
- Polymicrobial Interactions in a biofilm of periodontopathic bacteria.
- Molecular characterization of the extracellular proteases (gingipains) of Porphyromonas gingivalis.
Industry Funded:-
- Characterisation and commercial development of bioactive peptides from milk.
- Development of the novel antibacterial peptide Kappacin.
MEMBERSHIPS
- The International Association for Dental Research
- The Australian Society for Microbiology
TEACHING INTERESTS
- Oral Microbiology and Biochemistry
- Role of Research in Treatment of Oral Disease
- Development of Novel Oral Therapies
- Rational Treatment of Oral Disease