In 2019, Joshua was awarded a PhD Top Up Scholarship, funded by the Cystic Fibrosis Golf Classic. Joshua shares what his research is about.
My project is focused around the development and investigation of a therapeutic agent that could be used to treat multi-drug resistant bacteria that frequently cause persistent lung infections in children with CF.
Bacteriophage active against Staphylococcus aureus bacteria will be isolated from clinical and environmental sources and tested for safety and efficacy using a combination of tissue culture methods and rodent models of airway infection. Airway infections continue to play a critical role in the progression of cystic fibrosis, as the failure to remove these microbes is followed by subsequent inflammation and lung damage.
CF modulators, such as Ivacaftor®, typically improve lung function and can reduce sputum concentrations of bacterial pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa however, research has shown that this effect may only be transient and that patients remain chronically infected. As a result of the chronic nature of these infections, and the development of multi-drug resistance, a safe alternative is needed where side effects of current treatments are undesirable. My project, as part of a wider bacteriophage program, will aim towards further validating the feasibility of bacteriophage therapy against Staphylococcus aureus bacteria and investigate what therapeutic potential mycophage may have on the emerging CF fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus.