Lions Eye Institute (LEI) scientists have trumped leading-edge research into electric fields and quantum mechanics to claim the coveted Eureka Prize for Scientific Research.
The team of Western Australian researchers, led by Professor Mariapia Degli-Esposti, claimed the award over two other nominees for the discovery of a method to manage a life-threatening viral infection in transplant and bone marrow patients.
The group also included LEI researchers Dr Chris Andoniou and Mr Peter Fling, who collaborated with investigators from the Brisbane-based QIMR Berghofer, headed by Professor Geoff Hill who is now at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.
They featured among 17 category winners who received trophies and their share of $170,000 in prize money at a ceremony held at Sydney’s Town Hall on 28 August.
“It was a huge honour to have the work recognised in that way. It was a project that was really meaningful to us; going from truly novel discovery research to something that is potentially very applicable to improving patient outcomes,” Degli-Esposti said.
Using a world-first pre-clinical model, Degli-Esposti’s team discovered a way to prevent the re-emergence of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) using antibodies, provided that they are matched to the infecting strain of CMV. Previous studies from this group have also shown CMV could exacerbate Sjogren’s syndrome, a common autoimmune disease with many similarities to a complication of allogeneic transplantation – ocular graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD).
Although it rains unclear, it is possible CMV may contribute to some of the pathologies observed in patients with ocular GVHD.The research will now focus on paving the way for clinical trials in humans, and whether the antibodies need to be individually matched or if broadly inhibiting antibodies can protect against multiple CMV strains.
The other finalists for the award category included The Invisible Catalyst Team, which has shown electric fields can be used to manipulate chemical reactions, potentially leading to greener and safer methods for fabricating materials.
The third nominee was The Australian Attosecond Team, which was the first to demonstrate that the process of quantum tunneling is instantaneous, a significant finding for the precise validation of theoretical models in quantum mechanics.
IMAGE: LEI’s Dr Chris Andoniou, Professor Mariapia Degli-Esposti and Mr Peter Fling along with QIMR Berghofer’s Dr Paulo Martins at the Eureka Prize Awards.
