
Mark Blaskovich
- Email:
- m.blaskovich@imb.uq.edu.au
- Phone:
- +61 7 334 62039
- Mobile:
- 0414955380
Overview
Background
Professor Mark Blaskovich is an antibiotic hunter and Director of Translation at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience at The University of Queensland. He is co-founder and former Director of the Centre for Superbug Solutions at IMB.
A medicinal chemist with 15 years of industrial drug development experience prior to his academic career, Mark has been developing new antibiotics to treat drug resistant pathogens and using modified antibiotics to detect bacterial infections. He is a co-founder of the Community for Open Antimicrobial Drug Discovery, a global antibiotic discovery initiative, and has led a number of UQ-industry collaborations focused on antibiotic development. An inventor on eleven patent families, Mark has developed drugs in clinical trials, published more than eighty research articles, and received over $10m in grant funding.
Availability
- Professor Mark Blaskovich is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor (Honours) of Science (Advanced), University of Victoria
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Waterloo
Works
Search Professor Mark Blaskovich’s works on UQ eSpace
2017
Journal Article
Structure-Activity and -Toxicity Relationships of the Antimicrobial Peptide Tachyplesin-1
Edwards, Ingrid A, Elliott, Alysha G, Kavanagh, Angela M, Blaskovich, Mark A T and Cooper, Matthew A (2017). Structure-Activity and -Toxicity Relationships of the Antimicrobial Peptide Tachyplesin-1. ACS infectious diseases, 3 (12), 917-926. doi: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.7b00123
2017
Journal Article
Nitroimidazoles: Molecular fireworks that combat a broad spectrum of infectious diseases
Ang, Chee Wei, Jarrad, Angie M., Cooper, Matthew A. and Blaskovich, Mark A. T. (2017). Nitroimidazoles: Molecular fireworks that combat a broad spectrum of infectious diseases. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 60 (18), 7636-7657. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b00143
2017
Journal Article
Investigating the interaction of octapeptin A3 with model bacterial membranes
Han, Mei-Ling, Shen, Hsin-Hui, Hansford, Karl A., Schneider, Elena K., Sivanesan, Sivashangarie, Roberts, Kade D., Thompson, Philip E., Le Brun, Anton P., Zhu, Yan, Sani, Marc-Antoine, Separovic, Frances, Blaskovich, Mark A. T., Baker, Mark A., Moskowitz, Samuel M., Cooper, Matthew A., Li, Jian and Velkov, Tony (2017). Investigating the interaction of octapeptin A3 with model bacterial membranes. ACS Infectious Diseases, 3 (8), 606-619. doi: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.7b00065
2017
Journal Article
From Breast Cancer to Antimicrobial: Combating Extremely Resistant Gram-Negative "superbugs" Using Novel Combinations of Polymyxin B with Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators
Hussein, Maytham H., Schneider, Elena K., Elliott, Alysha G., Han, Meiling, Reyes-Ortega, Felisa, Morris, Faye, Blaskovich, Mark A. T., Jasim, Raad, Currie, Bart, Mayo, Mark, Baker, Mark, Cooper, Matthew A., Li, Jian and Velkov, Tony (2017). From Breast Cancer to Antimicrobial: Combating Extremely Resistant Gram-Negative "superbugs" Using Novel Combinations of Polymyxin B with Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators. Microbial Drug Resistance, 23 (5), 640-650. doi: 10.1089/mdr.2016.0196
2017
Journal Article
Synthesis of octapeptin C4 and biological profiling against NDM-1 and polymyxin-resistant bacteria
Becker, Bernd, Butler, Mark S., Hansford, Karl A., Gallardo-Godoy, Alejandra, Elliott, Alysha G., Huang, Johnny X., Edwards, David J., Blaskovich, Mark A. T. and Cooper, Matthew A. (2017). Synthesis of octapeptin C4 and biological profiling against NDM-1 and polymyxin-resistant bacteria. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 27 (11), 2407-2409. doi: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2017.04.027
2017
Journal Article
Institutional profile: Community for Open Antimicrobial Drug Discovery - crowdsourcing new antibiotics and antifungals
Desselle, Mathilde R., Neale, Ruth, Hansford, Karl A., Zuegg, Johannes, Elliott, Alysha G., Cooper, Matthew A. and Blaskovich, Mark A. T. (2017). Institutional profile: Community for Open Antimicrobial Drug Discovery - crowdsourcing new antibiotics and antifungals. Future Science OA, 3 (2) FSO171, FSO171. doi: 10.4155/fsoa-2016-0093
2017
Journal Article
Polishing the tarnished silver bullet: the quest for new antibiotics
Blaskovich, Mark A. T., Butler, Mark S. and Cooper, Matthew A. (2017). Polishing the tarnished silver bullet: the quest for new antibiotics. Antimicrobial Resistance, 61 (1), 103-114. doi: 10.1042/EBC20160077
2017
Journal Article
Enhancement of antibiotic-activity through complexation with metal ions - Combined ITC, NMR, enzymatic and biological studies
Möhler, Jasper S., Kolmar, Theresa, Synnatschke, Kevin, Hergert, Marcel, Wilson, Liam A., Ramu, Soumya, Elliott, Alysha G., Blaskovich, Mark A.T., Sidjabat, Hanna E., Paterson, David L., Schenk, Gerhard, Cooper, Matthew A. and Ziora, Zyta M. (2017). Enhancement of antibiotic-activity through complexation with metal ions - Combined ITC, NMR, enzymatic and biological studies. Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry, 167, 134-141. doi: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2016.11.028
2016
Journal Article
Surface ligand density of antibiotic-nanoparticle conjugates enhances target avidity and membrane permeabilization of vancomycin-resistant bacteria
Hassan, Marwa Hussain Ali, Ranzoni, Andrea, Phetsang, Wanida, Blaskovich, Mark A. T. and Cooper, Matthew A. (2016). Surface ligand density of antibiotic-nanoparticle conjugates enhances target avidity and membrane permeabilization of vancomycin-resistant bacteria. Bioconjugate Chemistry, 28 (2), 353-361. doi: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.6b00494
2016
Journal Article
Old dogs and new tricks in antimicrobial discovery
Butler, Mark, Blaskovich, Mark, Owen, Jeremy G. and Cooper, Matthew (2016). Old dogs and new tricks in antimicrobial discovery. Current Opinion in Microbiology, 33, 25-34. doi: 10.1016/j.mib.2016.05.011
2016
Journal Article
Nitroimidazole carboxamides as antiparasitic agents targeting Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica and Trichomonas vaginalis
Jarrad, A. M., Debnath, A., Miyamoto, Y., Hansford, K. A., Pelingon, R., Butler, M. S., Bains, T., Karoli, T., Blaskovich, M. A. T., Eckmann, L. and Cooper, M. A. (2016). Nitroimidazole carboxamides as antiparasitic agents targeting Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica and Trichomonas vaginalis. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 120, 353-362. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.04.064
2016
Journal Article
Discovery of functionally selective C5aR2 ligands: novel modulators of C5a signalling
Croker, Daniel E., Monk, Peter N., Halai, Reena, Kaeslin, Geraldine, Schofield, Zoe, Wu, Mike C. L., Clark, Richard J., Blaskovich, Mark A. T., Morikis, Dimitrios, Floudas, Christodoulos A., Cooper, Matthew and Woodruff, Trent M. (2016). Discovery of functionally selective C5aR2 ligands: novel modulators of C5a signalling. Immunology and Cell Biology, 94 (8), 787-795. doi: 10.1038/icb.2016.43
2016
Journal Article
Chemical philanthropy: a path forward for antibiotic discovery?
Hansford, Karl A., Blaskovich, Mark A. T. and Cooper, Matthew A. (2016). Chemical philanthropy: a path forward for antibiotic discovery?. Future Medicinal Chemistry, 8 (9), 925-929. doi: 10.4155/fmc-2016-0029
2016
Other Outputs
Methods of modulating the activity of the MC5 receptor and treatment of conditions related to this receptor
Mark Arnold Thomas Blaskovich and Peter Joseph Cassidy (2016). Methods of modulating the activity of the MC5 receptor and treatment of conditions related to this receptor. US9340517.
2016
Journal Article
Short cationic lipopeptides as effective antibacterial agents: design, physicochemical properties and biological evaluation
Azmi, Fazren, Elliott, Alysha G., Marasini, Nirmal, Ramu, Soumya, Ziora, Zyta, Kavanagh, Angela M., Blaskovich, Mark A. T., Cooper, Matthew A., Skwarczynski, Mariusz and Toth, Istvan (2016). Short cationic lipopeptides as effective antibacterial agents: design, physicochemical properties and biological evaluation. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, 24 (10), 2235-2241. doi: 10.1016/j.bmc.2016.03.053
2016
Journal Article
Contribution of amphipathicity and hydrophobicity to the antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity of β‑hairpin peptides
Edwards, Ingrid A., Elliott, Alysha G., Kavanagh, Angela M., Zuegg, Johannes, Blaskovich, Mark A. T. and Cooper, Matthew A. (2016). Contribution of amphipathicity and hydrophobicity to the antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity of β‑hairpin peptides. ACS Infectious Diseases, 2 (6), 442-450. doi: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.6b00045
2016
Journal Article
Activity and predicted nephrotoxicity of synthetic antibiotics based on polymyxin B
Gallardo-Godoy, Alejandra, Muldoon, Craig, Becker, Bernd, Elliott, Alysha G., Lash, Lawrence H, Huang, Johnny X., Butler, Mark S., Pelingon, Ruby, Kavanagh, Angela M., Ramu, Soumya, Phetsang, Wanida, Blaskovich, Mark A. T. and Cooper, Matthew A (2016). Activity and predicted nephrotoxicity of synthetic antibiotics based on polymyxin B. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 59 (3), 1068-1077. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b01593
2016
Conference Publication
Contribution of physicochemical parameters to the antimicrobial activity / toxicity index of B-Hairpin peptides
Edwards, I., Elliott, A., Blaskovich, M. and Cooper, M. (2016). Contribution of physicochemical parameters to the antimicrobial activity / toxicity index of B-Hairpin peptides. 34th European Peptide Symposium, Leipzig, Germany, 4‐9 September 2016. Oxford, United Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons. doi: 10.1002/psc.2950
2015
Journal Article
Clostridium difficile infection: current and emerging therapeutics
Jarrad, Angie M., Blaskovich, Mark A. T., Lyras, Dena and Cooper, Matthew A. (2015). Clostridium difficile infection: current and emerging therapeutics. Current Treatment Options in Infectious Diseases, 7 (4), 317-334. doi: 10.1007/s40506-015-0062-4
2015
Journal Article
Mucin binding reduces colistin antimicrobial activity
Huang, Johnny X., Blaskovich, Mark A.T., Pelingon, Ruby, Ramu, Soumya, Kavanagh, Angela, Elliott, Alysha G., Butler, Mark S., Montgomery, A. Bruce and Cooper, Matthew A. (2015). Mucin binding reduces colistin antimicrobial activity. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 59 (10), 5925-5931. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00808-15
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Mark Blaskovich is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Available projects
-
Functionalised antibiotics for diagnostics and therapeutics
The increasing incidence of infections caused by drug resistant bacteria and fungi poses a significant and increasing threat to global human health, with predicted annual mortality of 10 million people by 2050. It is imperative to advance new technologies capable of rapidly and accurately diagnosing infections to enable timely and appropriate therapy. We must develop new antibiotics with efficacy against multidrug-resistant bacteria and fungi, and new methods to rapidy diagnose infections. To enable this we require fundamental studies that probe the chemical biology of antibiotic action and investigate microbial growth, metabolism and resistance.
This research program is designed to achieve these goals, based on the chemical functionalisation of antibiotics with a readily derivatised handle. The resulting set of versatile intermediates is then modified to create 1) fluorescent probes that can catalyse basic research and lead to new assays, 2) clinical imaging agents to visualise microbial infections, and 3) novel hybrid therapeutics. The project requires talented synthetic organic chemists with an interest in multidisciplinary research.
Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
Investigations of novel antimicrobial agents and formulations to treat topical agricultural infections.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Conny Turni
-
Doctor Philosophy
Clicking Conjugates into Place for the Fight Against Antibiotic Resistance
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Joanne Blanchfield, Dr Anthony Verderosa
-
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding Molecular Accumulation in antimicrobial resistant microbes
Principal Advisor
-
Master Philosophy
The antibacterial mechanism of action of cannabidiol
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Johannes Zuegg, Dr Tanuka Sen
-
Doctor Philosophy
Investigations of the interactions between fluorescent antibiotics and bacteria
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Sanjaya Kc, Dr Anthony Verderosa
-
Doctor Philosophy
Antibiotic Conjugates: Joining Together to Fight Antimicrobial Resistance
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Vito Ferro
-
Doctor Philosophy
Antibiotic potentiators as an alternative therapeutic option for the treatment of extensively drug-resistant Gram-negative infections.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Johannes Zuegg
-
Doctor Philosophy
Translating the Targeted Protein Degradation therapeutic approach into the context of antibacterial drug discovery: Investigating bacterial protease-engaging antibacterial degrader constructs
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Anthony Verderosa
-
Doctor Philosophy
Selenium - The SuperElement against Superbugs
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Joanne Blanchfield
-
Doctor Philosophy
Novel antibiotics containing tyrosinase inhibitors
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Zyta M Ziora
-
Doctor Philosophy
Hijacking Iron Uptake to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Vito Ferro, Dr Anthony Verderosa
-
Doctor Philosophy
Development of Metal Organic Frameworks for targeted oral drug delivery
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Anjana Jayasree, Professor Amirali Popat
-
Doctor Philosophy
Targeting bacterial biofilms in patients with gastrointestinal disorders
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Markus Muttenthaler
-
Doctor Philosophy
Seeing the Unseen: Imaging Bacterial Infections
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Kristofer Thurecht, Dr Rhia Stone
-
Doctor Philosophy
How does cannabidiol kill bacteria?
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Tanuka Sen, Dr Johannes Zuegg
-
Doctor Philosophy
Targeting the Biogenesis of Resistance Enzymes to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Ulrike Kappler, Professor Ian Henderson, Dr Anthony Verderosa
-
Doctor Philosophy
Medicinal chemistry strategies to remove bacterial biofilms associated with gastrointestinal disorders
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Markus Muttenthaler
-
Doctor Philosophy
Development of computational models to discover new antibiotics against Gram-negative bacteria. (Note: online component of Onawole's application lists his Master's thesis title instead of this project)
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Johannes Zuegg
-
Doctor Philosophy
Seeing the Unseen: Imaging Bacterial Infections
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Kristofer Thurecht, Dr Rhia Stone
-
Doctor Philosophy
Mechanism of action of MgO
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Conny Turni, Dr Sean Bisset, Professor Ian Henderson
-
Doctor Philosophy
A global quantitative genetic network for Escherichia coli
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Ian Henderson
Completed supervision
-
2024
Doctor Philosophy
Expression and Characterisation of Human Tyrosinase as a Target for Novel Inhibitor Development
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Zyta M Ziora
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Structure-Activity and Structure-Toxicity Relationships of novel octapeptin antibiotic derivatives against Gram-negative Bacteria
Principal Advisor
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Deciphering Antibiotic Modes of Action and Profiling Microbial Resistance with Novel Fluorescent Probes
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Ian Henderson
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Development of new bicyclic nitroimidazoles as antimicrobial agents
Principal Advisor
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Genotypic and phenotypic characterisation of Gram-positive antibiotics
Principal Advisor
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Tagged Antibiotics for Examination of Bacterial Resistance and Infection
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Joanne Blanchfield
-
2018
Doctor Philosophy
ß-hairpin antimicrobial peptides: structure, function and mode of action
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Mehdi Mobli
-
-
2025
Doctor Philosophy
Sustainable antimicrobial coating materials for potential face mask application
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Alan Rowan, Dr Nasim Amiralian
-
2024
Doctor Philosophy
Synthesis and Physico-chemical characterization of waste derived carbon adsorbents for wastewater treatment
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Zyta M Ziora
-
2024
Doctor Philosophy
Development of Biobased Silver Nano-Particles for Application as Wastewater Disinfectant
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Zyta M Ziora
-
2024
Doctor Philosophy
Characterising the Aat system for the acylation and secretion of CexE
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Ian Henderson
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Advanced Formulation Technologies for Oral Delivery of Antimicrobial Agents
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Amirali Popat, Dr James Robert Falconer
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
Investigating the Immunopharmacology of the Complement C5a Receptors, C5aR1 and C5aR2
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Richard Clark, Dr John Lee, Professor Trent Woodruff
-
2018
Doctor Philosophy
Evaluating Genotypic and Phenotypic Variability against Polymyxins and a Novel Lipopeptide, Octapeptin C4, in Antibiotic-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae
Associate Advisor
-
2016
Doctor Philosophy
Novel Nitroimidazole and Glycopeptide Antibiotics Targeting Enteric Pathogens
Associate Advisor
Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor Mark Blaskovich directly for media enquiries about:
- acne
- antibiotic resistance
- antibiotics
- antimicrobial resistance
- antimicrobial resistance antibiotics
- bacteria
- bacterial detection
- bacterial infection
- bacterial resistance
- drug design
- drug development
- drug discovery
- E. coli
- glycopeptide antibiotics
- golden staph
- gram negative bacteria
- gram positive bacteria
- microbiome
- octapeptin
- superbugs
Need help?
For help with finding experts, story ideas and media enquiries, contact our Media team: