
Overview
Background
Professor Mark Schembri is a prominent microbiologist with experience in combating the global health crisis presented by multi-drug resistant pathogens. Professor Schembri’s expertise on the virulence of bacterial pathogens and his innovative analysis of biofilm formation aims to improve the outcomes of the >400 million individuals that suffer from urinary tract infections each year across the globe.
Through the application of genetic, genomic and functional studies on uropathogenic E. coli, Professor Schembri has identified targets to reduce the virulence of this pathogen, and will pursue the development of life-saving therapeutic and preventative advances with the assistance of NHMRC, MRFF and ARC grants. Professor Schembri has tracked the rapid emergence and global spread of a virulent, drug-resistant E. coli clone and used genome sequencing to understand its evolution and virulence.
Links: Professor Schembri collaborates with national and international research leaders, including in Denmark, where he was a lecturer. Professor Schembri has strong links with other international experts in his field, including at the Pasteur Institute and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge. His research collaborations also span lead groups at UQ and other top Australian institutes, including Griffith and La Trobe Universities.
Membership, Funding and patents: Since 2014, Professor Schembri has been awarded over $15 million in funding from competitive national research funding bodies. He holds provisional patents for the development of novel therapeutic agents and vaccine antigens. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, and is regularly invited to speak at international conferences in his field.
Awards and Communication: Professor Schembri was the recipient of the Frank Fenner Award (2010) and the ASM BacPath Oration Award (2019) for his outstanding original research contribution to the study of Infectious Disease. He was an Australian Research Council Future Fellow (2011-2015) a National Health and Medical Research Council Senior Research Fellow (2016-2020). Professor Schembri is the author of >240 peer-reviewed research manuscripts. He is President of the Australian Society for Microbiology (2022-2026).
Availability
- Professor Mark Schembri is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, Monash University
Research impacts
Professor Schembri’s outstanding original work in the field of infectious disease and multi-drug resistant pathogens has led to several key advances in the fight to reduce the prevalence and improve outcomes of urinary tract infections.
Key research outputs: The genomic epidemiology of the most widespread antibiotic resistant uropathogenic E. coli clone allowed its origin and dissemination to be mapped on a global scale. Recent work in Professor Schembri’s group has defined the virulence of this pathogen using advanced genetic, transcriptomic and proteomic methods in conjunction with mouse models of infection. He has also led the use of new treatments to prevent infection by this antibiotic resistant pathogen.
Key capabilities: Professor Schembri has deep expertise in microbiology, with particular capability in the study of antibiotic resistant Gram-negative bacterial pathogens and high-throughput modelling of drug-resistant biofilms, as well as the application of forefront technologies to examine virulence, genomic epidemiology, host-pathogen interactions and novel strategies for the treatment/prevention of infectious diseases.
Works
Search Professor Mark Schembri’s works on UQ eSpace
2014
Journal Article
Accuracy of Tibial Osteotomy Placement Using 2 Different Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy Jigs
Tan, Christopher J., Bergh, Mary Sarah, Schembri, Mark A. and Johnson, Kenneth A. (2014). Accuracy of Tibial Osteotomy Placement Using 2 Different Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy Jigs. Veterinary Surgery, 43 (5), 525-533. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-950X.2014.12173.x
2014
Conference Publication
Bacterial Filaments Are More Common in Detrusor Overactivity Than Controls: Evidence for Intracellular Bacterial Invasion of Urothelial Cells
Cheng, Y., Chen, Z., Allen, W., Mukerjee, C., Varettas, K., Mansfield, K. J., Schembri, M. A. and Moore, K. H. (2014). Bacterial Filaments Are More Common in Detrusor Overactivity Than Controls: Evidence for Intracellular Bacterial Invasion of Urothelial Cells. 2014 AUGS-IUGA Scientific Meeting, Washington DC, United States, 22-26 July 2014. London, United Kingdom: Springer U K. doi: 10.1007/s00192-014-2429-3
2014
Journal Article
CD4+and CD8+ regulatory T cells in chronic rhinosinusitis mucosa
Pant, Harshita, Hughes, Amy, Schembri, Mark, Miljkovic, Dijana and Krumbiegel, Doreen (2014). CD4+and CD8+ regulatory T cells in chronic rhinosinusitis mucosa. American Journal of Rhinology and Allergy, 28 (2), e83-e89. doi: 10.2500/ajra.2013.28.4014
2013
Journal Article
The multidrug resistance IncA/C transferable plasmid encodes a novel domain swapped dimeric protein disulfide isomerase
Premkumar, Lakshmanane, Kurth, Fabian, Neyer, Simon, Schembri, Mark A. and Martin, Jennifer L. (2013). The multidrug resistance IncA/C transferable plasmid encodes a novel domain swapped dimeric protein disulfide isomerase. Journal of Biological Chemistry, Papers in Press (5), 1-24. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M113.516898
2013
Journal Article
Mechanism of bacterial interference with TLR4 signaling by Brucella TIR-domain-containing protein TcpB
Alaidarous, Mohammed Abdullah, Ve, Thomas, Casey, Lachlan, Valkov, Eugene, Ericsson, Daniel, Obayed, Ullah, M., Schembri, Mark A., Mansell, Ashley, Sweet, Matthew J. and Kobe, Bostjan (2013). Mechanism of bacterial interference with TLR4 signaling by Brucella TIR-domain-containing protein TcpB. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 289 (2), 654-668. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M113.523274
2013
Journal Article
Structural and functional characterization of ScsC, a periplasmic thioredoxin-like protein from Salmonella enterica Serovar typhimurium
Shepherd, Mark, Heras, Begona, Achard, Maud E. S., King, Gordon J., Argente, M. Pilar, Kurth, Fabian, Taylor, Samantha L., Howard, Mark J., King, Nathan P., Schembri, Mark A. and McEwan, Alastair G. (2013). Structural and functional characterization of ScsC, a periplasmic thioredoxin-like protein from Salmonella enterica Serovar typhimurium. Antioxidants and Redox Signaling, 19 (13), 1494-1506. doi: 10.1089/ars.2012.4939
2013
Journal Article
Molecular analysis of the Acinetobacter baumannii biofilm-associated protein
Goh, H. M. Sharon, Beatson, Scott A., Totsika, Makrina, Moriel, Danilo G., Phan, Minh-Duy, Szubert, Jan, Runnegar, Naomi, Sidjabat, Hanna E., Paterson, David L., Nimmo, Graeme R., Lipman, Jeffrey and Schembri, Mark A. (2013). Molecular analysis of the Acinetobacter baumannii biofilm-associated protein. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 79 (21), 6535-6543. doi: 10.1128/AEM.01402-13
2013
Journal Article
Identification of novel vaccine candidates against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii
Moriel, Danilo G., Beatson, Scott A., Wurpel, Daniël J., Lipman, Jeffrey, Nimmo, Graeme R., Paterson, David L. and Schembri, Mark A. (2013). Identification of novel vaccine candidates against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. PLoS ONE, 8 (10) e77631, e77631.1-e77631.9. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077631
2013
Journal Article
The serum resistome of a globally disseminated multidrug resistant uropathogenic Escherichia coli clone
Phan, Minh-Duy, Peters, Kate M., Sarkar, Sohinee, Lukowski, Samuel W., Allsopp, Luke P., Moriel, Danilo Gomes, Achard, Maud E. S., Totsika, Makrina, Marshall, Vikki M., Upton, Mathew, Beatson, Scott A. and Schembri, Mark A. (2013). The serum resistome of a globally disseminated multidrug resistant uropathogenic Escherichia coli clone. PloS Genetics, 9 (10) e1003834, e1003834.1-e1003834.18. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003834
2013
Journal Article
Human bladder uroepithelial cells synergize with monocytes to promote IL-10 synthesis and other cytokine responses to uropathogenic Escherichia coli
Duell, Benjamin L., Carey, Alison J., Dando, Samantha J., Schembri, Mark A. and Ulett, Glen C. (2013). Human bladder uroepithelial cells synergize with monocytes to promote IL-10 synthesis and other cytokine responses to uropathogenic Escherichia coli. PLoS One, 8 (10) e78013, e78013.1-e78013.14. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078013
2013
Journal Article
Cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of the TIR domain from the Brucella melitensis TIR-domain-containing protein TcpB
Alaidarous, Mohammed, Ve, Thomas, Ullah, M. Obayed, Valkov, Eugene, Mansell, Ashley, Schembri, Mark A., Sweet, Matthew J. and Kobe, Bostjan (2013). Cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of the TIR domain from the Brucella melitensis TIR-domain-containing protein TcpB. Acta Crystallographica Section F: Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications, 69 (10), 1167-1170. doi: 10.1107/S1744309113024408
2013
Conference Publication
Do you kiss your mother with that mouth? An inquiry-driven microbiology undergraduate research experience into the human oral microbiome
Wang, Jack T. H., Daly, Joshua, Patil, Jayee, Hall, Roy A., Schembri, Mark A., Tyson, Gene W. and Hugenholtz, Philip (2013). Do you kiss your mother with that mouth? An inquiry-driven microbiology undergraduate research experience into the human oral microbiome. Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education, Canberra, ACT, Australia, 19 - 21 September 2013.
2013
Journal Article
Accumulation of effector memory CD8+ T cells in nasal polyps
Pant, Harshita, Hughes, Amy, Miljkovic, Dijana, Schembri, Mark, Wormald, Peter, Macardle, Peta, Grose, Randall, Zola, Heddy and Krumbiegel, Doreen (2013). Accumulation of effector memory CD8+ T cells in nasal polyps. American Journal of Rhinology and Allergy, 27 (5), e117-e126. doi: 10.2500/ajra.2013.27.3958
2013
Journal Article
Diversity of Group B Streptococcus Serotypes Causing Urinary Tract Infection in Adults (vol 47, pg 2055, 2009)
Ulett, Kimberly B., Benjamin, William H., Zhuo, Fenglin, Xiao, Meng, Kong, Fanrong, Gilbert, Gwendolyn L., Schembri, Mark A. and Ulett, Glen C. (2013). Diversity of Group B Streptococcus Serotypes Causing Urinary Tract Infection in Adults (vol 47, pg 2055, 2009). Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 51 (8), 2806-2806. doi: 10.1128/JCM.01067-13
2013
Journal Article
Molecular characterization of endocarditis-associated Staphylococcus aureus
Nethercott, Cara, Mabbett, Amanda N., Totsika, Makrina, Peters, Paul, Ortiz, Juan C., Nimmo, Graeme R., Coombs, Geoffrey W., Walker, Mark J. and Schembri, Mark A. (2013). Molecular characterization of endocarditis-associated Staphylococcus aureus. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 51 (7), 2131-2138. doi: 10.1128/JCM.00651-13
2013
Journal Article
An antioxidant role for catecholate siderophores in Salmonella
Achard, Maud E. S, Chen, Kaiwen W., Sweet, Matthew J., Watts, Rebecca E., Schroder, Kate, Schembri, Mark A. and McEwan, Alastair G. (2013). An antioxidant role for catecholate siderophores in Salmonella. Biochemical Journal, 454 (3), 543-549. doi: 10.1042/BJ20121771
2013
Journal Article
Metal ions in macrophage antimicrobial pathways: emerging roles for zinc and copper
Stafford, Sian L., Bokil, Nilesh J., Achard, Maud E. S., Kapetanovic, Ronan, Schembri, Mark A., McEwan, Alastair G. and Sweet, Matthew J. (2013). Metal ions in macrophage antimicrobial pathways: emerging roles for zinc and copper. Bioscience Reports, 33 (4) e00049, 541-554. doi: 10.1042/BSR20130014
2013
Journal Article
Confounding factors in rhinological research
Pant, Harshita, Ferguson, Berrylin, Hughes, Amy and Schembri, Mark (2013). Confounding factors in rhinological research. Current Opinion in Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, 21 (3), 282-292. doi: 10.1097/MOO.0b013e32835fcb07
2013
Journal Article
A FimH inhibitor prevents acute bladder infection and treats chronic cystitis caused by multidrug resistant uropathogenic Escherichia coli ST131
Totsika, Makrina, Kostakioti, Maria, Hannan, Thomas J., Upton, Mathew, Beatson, Scott A., Janetka, James W., Hultgren, Scott J. and Schembri, Mark A. (2013). A FimH inhibitor prevents acute bladder infection and treats chronic cystitis caused by multidrug resistant uropathogenic Escherichia coli ST131. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 208 (6), 921-928. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jit245
2013
Journal Article
Uropathogenic Escherichia coli virulence and innate immune responses during urinary tract infection
Ulett, G. C., Makrina Totsika, Kolja Schaale, Carey, A. J., Sweet, Matthew J. and Schembri, Mark A. (2013). Uropathogenic Escherichia coli virulence and innate immune responses during urinary tract infection. Current Opinion in Microbiology, 16 (1), 100-107. doi: 10.1016/j.mib.2013.01.005
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Mark Schembri is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
How bacteria form antibiotic resistant biofilms
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Nhu Nguyen, Dr Duy Phan
-
Doctor Philosophy
Diversity, regulation and function of the uropathogenic Escherichia coli capsule
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Matt Sweet, Dr Duy Phan
-
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding virulence factors and their regulation in uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC)
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Nhu Nguyen
-
Doctor Philosophy
Boosting innate immune defence to combat antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Divya Ramnath, Professor Matt Sweet
-
Doctor Philosophy
Application of Transposon Directed Insertion Site Sequencing to Enhance Understanding of Essential Genes in Escherichia coli
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Ian Henderson
-
Doctor Philosophy
Genomic and molecular characterisation of antibiotic resistance mechanisms
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Brian Forde
-
Doctor Philosophy
Microbial effects on host mitochondrial DNA
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Steven Zuryn
-
Doctor Philosophy
Application of Transposon Directed Insertion Site Sequencing to Enhance Understanding of Essential Genes in Escherichia coli
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Ian Henderson
-
Doctor Philosophy
Identifying new targets for treatment of antimicrobial resistant infections
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Ian Henderson
Completed supervision
-
2024
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding virulence factors and their regulation in uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC)
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Nhu Nguyen
-
2024
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding antibiotic resistance and virulence in uropathogenic Escherichia coli
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Duy Phan
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding the regulation of biofilm matrix components in uropathogenic Escherichia coli virulence
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Nhu Nguyen
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Virulence and Resistance Plasmids of Extra-intestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Duy Phan
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Characterisation of Escherichia coli fimbrial and autotransporter adhesins
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Duy Phan
-
2019
Doctor Philosophy
Molecular characterisation of A/C plasmids
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Duy Phan
-
2018
Doctor Philosophy
Molecular and genomic analysis of multidrug resistant Uropathogenic Escherichia coli
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Scott Beatson
-
2017
Doctor Philosophy
Characterisation of flagella and resistance to oxidative stress in Escherichia coli ST131 virulence
Principal Advisor
-
2017
Doctor Philosophy
Characterisation of Factors Involved in Escherichia coli Virulence: Type Ve Inverse Autotransporter Proteins and the K1 Capsule
Principal Advisor
-
2016
Master Philosophy
Autotransporter Proteins of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli: Regulation, Characterisation and the Role of Periplasmic Proteins in their Expression
Principal Advisor
-
2016
Doctor Philosophy
Uropathogenic Escherichia coli: Towards a Better Understanding through the Characterisation of a Vaccine Antigen and Virulence Factor
Principal Advisor
-
2014
Doctor Philosophy
Evolutionary Phylogeny and Molecular Characterisation of Chaperone-Usher Fimbriae from Uropathogenic Escherichia coli
Principal Advisor
-
2014
Doctor Philosophy
Investigating the Virulence Potential of the Multidrug Resistant Uropathogenic Escherichia coli ST131 clone
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Scott Beatson
-
2012
Doctor Philosophy
Molecular analysis of Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from an intensive care unit
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Scott Beatson
-
2011
Doctor Philosophy
Identification and Characterisation of New Adhesins in Uropathogenic Escherichia coli
Principal Advisor
-
2011
Doctor Philosophy
Molecular characterisation of asymptomatic bacteriuria Escherichia coli
Principal Advisor
-
2011
Doctor Philosophy
Identification and characterisation of novel surface proteins of the urinary tract pathogen Staphylococcus saprophyticus
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Scott Beatson
-
2009
Doctor Philosophy
Identification and Characterisation of Novel Autotransporters of Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7
Principal Advisor
-
2009
Doctor Philosophy
Bacterial Aggregation and Biofilm Formation by Uropathogenic Escherichia coli
Principal Advisor
-
2024
Master Philosophy
Theoretical investigations of integron evolution in bacteria
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Jan Engelstaedter
-
2024
Doctor Philosophy
Application of Transposon Directed Insertion Site Sequencing to Enhance Understanding of Essential Genes in Escherichia coli
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Ian Henderson
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Characterisation of the macrophage zinc toxicity response as an antimicrobial weapon
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Matt Sweet
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
A bitter taste in your heart: the role of T2Rs in cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Mark Walker, Professor Wally Thomas
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding Roles of Commonly Prescribed Antidepressants in the Dissemination of Antibiotic Resistance
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jianhua Guo
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
Characterising B1 Metallo-ß-Lactamases (MBLs)
Joint Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Gary Schenk
-
2019
Doctor Philosophy
Investigation of innate immune antimicrobial zinc toxicity
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Matt Sweet
-
2019
Doctor Philosophy
Characterization of interactions between uropathogenic Escherichia coli and the innate immune system
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Matt Sweet
-
2019
Doctor Philosophy
Application of whole genome sequencing to characterise clinically significant multidrug resistant bacteria
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Scott Beatson
-
2017
Doctor Philosophy
Bacterial ketol-acid reductoisomerase: structure, catalytic mechanism and thermal stability
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Bostjan Kobe, Professor Luke Guddat
-
2016
Doctor Philosophy
Preventing canine urinary tract infection (UTI) using an asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) Escherichia coli strain
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Paul Mills
-
2015
Doctor Philosophy
Investigating the host and bacterial factors in cystic fibrosis that promote persistence of infection in the lung.
Associate Advisor
-
2014
Doctor Philosophy
Structural and functional studies of TcpB, a protein involved in Brucella pathogenesis
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Matt Sweet, Professor Bostjan Kobe
-
2014
Doctor Philosophy
Structural & Functional Characterization of Bacterial TRX-fold proteins
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emerita Professor Jenny Martin
-
2013
Doctor Philosophy
Identification and characterization of anti-microbial pathways in human macrophages
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Kate Stacey, Professor Matt Sweet
-
2007
Doctor Philosophy
FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERISATION OF THE MULTICOPPER OXIDASE FROM Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium
Associate Advisor
Media
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