Dr

Richard Lobb

Email: 

Background

I lead the extracellular vesicle (EV) Diagnostics and Therapeutics research theme within the Centre for Personalised Nanomedicine at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), University of Queensland. My research aims to transform EVs into precision tools for detecting, monitoring, and treating complex diseases of the brain and body by integrating EV biology, immunology, bioengineering, and nanotechnology.

My group is developing advanced analytical platforms for single-vesicle profiling in blood and other biofluids, enabling tissue-specific EV diagnostics that trace their cellular origin and act as a “molecular GPS” for disease activity throughout the body. In parallel, my program focuses on bioengineering organotropic EVs with targeted delivery capabilities to cross biological barriers and treat neurological disorders and cancer.

Through this work, I aim to advance next-generation EV technologies that provide real-time molecular insights into disease progression and enable new therapeutic strategies for brain cancer, metastatic CNS disease, traumatic brain injury, dementia, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and motor neuron disease.

Availability

Dr Richard Lobb is:
Available for supervision

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland

Research interests

  • Extracellular Vesicles

    Clinical interest in extracellular vesicles (EVs) has grown rapidly as accumulating evidence highlights their central role in intercellular communication and systemic regulation. Small EVs, or exosomes, are nanoscale lipid bilayer vesicles (30–150 nm) constitutively secreted by virtually all cell types. They carry a diverse molecular cargo of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, including mRNA, miRNA, lncRNA, and both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, reflecting the physiological state of their cell of origin. Consequently, EVs have emerged as versatile biomarkers and mediators of disease processes, offering new opportunities for diagnostics, prognostics, and therapeutic intervention across oncology, neurodegenerative and traumatic brain disorders, cardiovascular disease, and immune dysregulation. Importantly, tissue-derived EVs are readily detectable in a range of biofluids such as blood, urine, saliva, and cerebrospinal fluid, supporting their utility in minimally invasive “liquid biopsy” approaches for precision health.

  • Therapeutics

    The ability of small EVs to transfer biomolecules between cells highlights their potential in modulating intercellular communication for therapeutic purposes. Small EVs possess natural traits that facilitate effective drug delivery, including their ability to traverse biological barriers and be administered via various routes, offering flexibility in treatment strategies. These inherent advantages can be exploited with precise bioengineering of EV membrane proteins for targeted distribution to specific organs and cell types, improving therapeutic outcomes while minimizing unintended effects. As a result, EVs as an advanced bionanoparticle therapeutic may represent next-generation drug delivery resulting in safer and more effective therapies

Search Professor Richard Lobb’s works on UQ eSpace

33 works between 2014 and 2025
All (33) Journal Article (30) Other Outputs (1) Conference Publication (1) Book Chapter (1)

1 - 20 of 33 works

2025

Journal Article

Single extracellular vesicle profiling to define brain specific traumatic brain injury induced neuro‐inflammation

Zhang, Zhen, Lobb, Richard J., Lane, Rebecca E., To, Xuan Vinh, Niu, Xueming, Antaw, Fiach, Pietrogrande, Giovanni, Winter, Craig, Wuethrich, Alain, Nasrallah, Fatima and Trau, Matt (2025). Single extracellular vesicle profiling to define brain specific traumatic brain injury induced neuro‐inflammation. Small Methods, 9 (7) 2401931, 1-9. doi: 10.1002/smtd.202401931

Single extracellular vesicle profiling to define brain specific traumatic brain injury induced neuro‐inflammation

2024

Journal Article

Glycan profiling in small extracellular vesicles with a SERS microfluidic biosensor identifies early malignant development in lung cancer

Zhou, Quan, Niu, Xueming, Zhang, Zhen, O'Byrne, Kenneth, Kulasinghe, Arutha, Fielding, David, Möller, Andreas, Wuethrich, Alain, Lobb, Richard J. and Trau, Matt (2024). Glycan profiling in small extracellular vesicles with a SERS microfluidic biosensor identifies early malignant development in lung cancer. Advanced Science, 11 (33) 2401818, 1-12. doi: 10.1002/advs.202401818

Glycan profiling in small extracellular vesicles with a SERS microfluidic biosensor identifies early malignant development in lung cancer

2024

Journal Article

Analysis of secreted small extracellular vesicles from activated human microglial cell lines reveals distinct pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory proteomic profiles

Niu, Xueming, Zhang, Zhen, Zhou, Quan, Wuethrich, Alain, Lobb, Richard and Trau, Matt (2024). Analysis of secreted small extracellular vesicles from activated human microglial cell lines reveals distinct pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory proteomic profiles. Proteomics, 24 (11) 2300094, 1-13. doi: 10.1002/pmic.202300094

Analysis of secreted small extracellular vesicles from activated human microglial cell lines reveals distinct pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory proteomic profiles

2024

Journal Article

A mesoporous gold biosensor to investigate immune checkpoint protein heterogeneity in single lung cancer cells

Ahmed, Emtiaz, Masud, Mostafa Kamal, Komatineni, Prathyusha, Dey, Shuvashis, Lobb, Richard, Hossain, Md Shahriar A., Möller, Andreas, Yamauchi, Yusuke, Sina, Abu Ali Ibn and Trau, Matt (2024). A mesoporous gold biosensor to investigate immune checkpoint protein heterogeneity in single lung cancer cells. Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 249 115984, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115984

A mesoporous gold biosensor to investigate immune checkpoint protein heterogeneity in single lung cancer cells

2024

Journal Article

Tracking the EMT-like phenotype switching during targeted therapy in melanoma by analyzing extracellular vesicle phenotypes

Zhou, Quan, Wang, Jing, Zhang, Zhen, Wuethrich, Alain, Lobb, Richard J. and Trau, Matt (2024). Tracking the EMT-like phenotype switching during targeted therapy in melanoma by analyzing extracellular vesicle phenotypes. Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 244 115819, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115819

Tracking the EMT-like phenotype switching during targeted therapy in melanoma by analyzing extracellular vesicle phenotypes

2023

Journal Article

A microfluidic liquid biopsy platform to monitor protein biomarker heterogeneity in single circulating therapy‐resistance cancer cell

Ahmed, Emtiaz, Shanmugasundaram, Karthik Balaji, Li, Junrong, Behren, Andreas, Lobb, Richard, Möller, Andreas, Wuethrich, Alain, Dey, Shuvashis, Sina, Abu Ali Ibn and Trau, Matt (2023). A microfluidic liquid biopsy platform to monitor protein biomarker heterogeneity in single circulating therapy‐resistance cancer cell. Advanced Sensor Research, 2 (12) 2300059. doi: 10.1002/adsr.202300059

A microfluidic liquid biopsy platform to monitor protein biomarker heterogeneity in single circulating therapy‐resistance cancer cell

2023

Journal Article

A universal reagent for detection of emerging diseases using bioengineered multifunctional yeast nanofragments

Li, Junrong, Howard, Christopher B., Dey, Shuvashis, Lowry, Kym, Whiley, David M., Puttick, Simon, Rose, Stephen, Lobb, Richard J., Wuethrich, Alain, Edwardraja, Selvakumar and Trau, Matt (2023). A universal reagent for detection of emerging diseases using bioengineered multifunctional yeast nanofragments. Nature Nanotechnology, 18 (10), 1222-1229. doi: 10.1038/s41565-023-01415-1

A universal reagent for detection of emerging diseases using bioengineered multifunctional yeast nanofragments

2023

Journal Article

An epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition induced extracellular vesicle prognostic signature in non-small cell lung cancer

Lobb, Richard J., Visan, Kekoolani S., Wu, Li-Ying, Norris, Emma L., Hastie, Marcus L., Everitt, Sarah, Yang, Ian A., Bowman, Rayleen V., Siva, Shankar, Larsen, Jill E., Gorman, Jeffrey J., MacManus, Michael, Leimgruber, Antoine, Fong, Kwun M. and Möller, Andreas (2023). An epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition induced extracellular vesicle prognostic signature in non-small cell lung cancer. Communications biology, 6 (1) 68, 68. doi: 10.1038/s42003-022-04350-4

An epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition induced extracellular vesicle prognostic signature in non-small cell lung cancer

2023

Journal Article

Digital decoding of single extracellular vesicle phenotype differentiates early malignant and benign lung lesions

Li, Junrong, Sina, Abu A. I., Antaw, Fiach, Fielding, David, Möller, Andreas, Lobb, Richard, Wuethrich, Alain and Trau, Matt (2023). Digital decoding of single extracellular vesicle phenotype differentiates early malignant and benign lung lesions. Advanced Science, 10 (1) 2204207, e2204207. doi: 10.1002/advs.202204207

Digital decoding of single extracellular vesicle phenotype differentiates early malignant and benign lung lesions

2022

Journal Article

Comparative analysis of tangential flow filtration and ultracentrifugation, both combined with subsequent size exclusion chromatography, for the isolation of small extracellular vesicles

Visan, Kekoolani S., Lobb, Richard J., Ham, Sunyoung, Lima, Luize G., Palma, Carlos, Edna, Chai Pei Zhi, Wu, Li-Ying, Gowda, Harsha, Datta, Keshava K., Hartel, Gunter, Salomon, Carlos and Möller, Andreas (2022). Comparative analysis of tangential flow filtration and ultracentrifugation, both combined with subsequent size exclusion chromatography, for the isolation of small extracellular vesicles. Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, 11 (9) 12266, 12266. doi: 10.1002/jev2.12266

Comparative analysis of tangential flow filtration and ultracentrifugation, both combined with subsequent size exclusion chromatography, for the isolation of small extracellular vesicles

2022

Journal Article

Blood-derived extracellular vesicle-associated miR-3182 detects non-small cell lung cancer patients

Visan, Kekoolani S., Lobb, Richard J., Wen, Shu Wen, Bedo, Justin, Lima, Luize G., Krumeich, Sophie, Palma, Carlos, Ferguson, Kaltin, Green, Ben, Niland, Colleen, Cloonan, Nicole, Simpson, Peter T., McCart Reed, Amy E., Everitt, Sarah J., MacManus, Michael P., Hartel, Gunter, Salomon, Carlos, Lakhani, Sunil R., Fielding, David and Möller, Andreas (2022). Blood-derived extracellular vesicle-associated miR-3182 detects non-small cell lung cancer patients. Cancers, 14 (1) 257, 257. doi: 10.3390/cancers14010257

Blood-derived extracellular vesicle-associated miR-3182 detects non-small cell lung cancer patients

2021

Journal Article

Generation of nanoyeast single-chain variable fragments as high-avidity biomaterials for dengue virus detection

Farokhinejad, Fahimeh, Lane, Rebecca E., Lobb, Richard J., Edwardraja, Selvakumar, Wuethrich, Alain, Howard, Christopher B. and Trau, Matt (2021). Generation of nanoyeast single-chain variable fragments as high-avidity biomaterials for dengue virus detection. ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering, 7 (12) acsbiomaterials.1c01001, 5850-5860. doi: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.1c01001

Generation of nanoyeast single-chain variable fragments as high-avidity biomaterials for dengue virus detection

2021

Journal Article

Characterizing the heterogeneity of small extracellular vesicle populations in multiple cancer types via an ultrasensitive chip

Wang, Jing, Wuethrich, Alain, Lobb, Richard J., Antaw, Fiach, Sina, Abu Ali Ibn, Lane, Rebecca E., Zhou, Quan, Zieschank, Chloe, Bell, Caroline, Bonazzi, Vanessa F., Aoude, Lauren G., Everitt, Sarah, Yeo, Belinda, Barbour, Andrew P., Möller, Andreas and Trau, Matt (2021). Characterizing the heterogeneity of small extracellular vesicle populations in multiple cancer types via an ultrasensitive chip. ACS Sensors, 6 (9) acssensors.1c00358, 3182-3194. doi: 10.1021/acssensors.1c00358

Characterizing the heterogeneity of small extracellular vesicle populations in multiple cancer types via an ultrasensitive chip

2021

Journal Article

Amplification-free SARS-CoV-2 detection using nanoyeast-scFv and ultrasensitive plasmonic nanobox-integrated nanomixing microassay

Li, Junrong, Wuethrich, Alain, Edwardraja, Selvakumar, Lobb, Richard J., Puttick, Simon, Rose, Stephen, Howard, Christopher B. and Trau, Matt (2021). Amplification-free SARS-CoV-2 detection using nanoyeast-scFv and ultrasensitive plasmonic nanobox-integrated nanomixing microassay. Analytical Chemistry, 93 (29) acs.analchem.1c01657, 10251-10260. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c01657

Amplification-free SARS-CoV-2 detection using nanoyeast-scFv and ultrasensitive plasmonic nanobox-integrated nanomixing microassay

2021

Journal Article

Tumor microenvironmental cytokines bound to cancer exosomes determine uptake by cytokine receptor-expressing cells and biodistribution

Lima, Luize G., Ham, Sunyoung, Shin, Hyunku, Chai, Edna P. Z., Lek, Erica S. H., Lobb, Richard J., Müller, Alexandra F., Mathivanan, Suresh, Yeo, Belinda, Choi, Yeonho, Parker, Belinda S. and Möller, Andreas (2021). Tumor microenvironmental cytokines bound to cancer exosomes determine uptake by cytokine receptor-expressing cells and biodistribution. Nature Communications, 12 (1) 3543, 1-12. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-23946-8

Tumor microenvironmental cytokines bound to cancer exosomes determine uptake by cytokine receptor-expressing cells and biodistribution

2020

Journal Article

The evolving translational potential of small extracellular vesicles in cancer

Möller, Andreas and Lobb, Richard J. (2020). The evolving translational potential of small extracellular vesicles in cancer. Nature Reviews Cancer, 20 (12), 697-709. doi: 10.1038/s41568-020-00299-w

The evolving translational potential of small extracellular vesicles in cancer

2020

Journal Article

The role of exosomes in the promotion of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and metastasis

Visan, Kekoolani S., Lobb, Richard J. and Moller, Andreas (2020). The role of exosomes in the promotion of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and metastasis. Frontiers in Bioscience - Landmark, 25 (6) 4846, 1022-1057. doi: 10.2741/4846

The role of exosomes in the promotion of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and metastasis

2019

Journal Article

Breast cancer-derived exosomes reflect the cell-of-origin phenotype

Wen, Shu Wen, Lima, Luize G., Lobb, Richard J., Norris, Emma L., Hastie, Marcus L., Krumeich, Sophie and Möller, Andreas (2019). Breast cancer-derived exosomes reflect the cell-of-origin phenotype. Proteomics, 19 (8) 1800180, 1800180. doi: 10.1002/pmic.201800180

Breast cancer-derived exosomes reflect the cell-of-origin phenotype

2019

Journal Article

Secreted cellular prion protein binds doxorubicin and correlates with anthracycline resistance in breast cancer

Wiegmans, Adrian P., Saunus, Jodi M., Ham, Sunyoung, Lobb, Richard J., Kutasovic, Jamie R., Dalley, Andrew J., Miranda, Mariska, Atkinson, Caroline, Foliaki, Simote T., Ferguson, Kaltin, Niland, Colleen, Johnstone, Cameron N., Lewis, Victoria, Collins, Steven, Lakhani, Sunil R., Al-Ejeh, Fares and Möller, Andreas (2019). Secreted cellular prion protein binds doxorubicin and correlates with anthracycline resistance in breast cancer. JCI Insight, 5 (6) e124092. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.124092

Secreted cellular prion protein binds doxorubicin and correlates with anthracycline resistance in breast cancer

2018

Journal Article

The interaction of selenium with chemotherapy and radiation on normal and malignant human mononuclear blood cells

Lobb, Richard J., Jacobson, Gregory M., Cursons, Ray T. and Jameson, Michael B. (2018). The interaction of selenium with chemotherapy and radiation on normal and malignant human mononuclear blood cells. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 19 (10) 3167, 3167. doi: 10.3390/ijms19103167

The interaction of selenium with chemotherapy and radiation on normal and malignant human mononuclear blood cells

Current funding

  • 2025 - 2029
    Across the blood-brain barrier: digital profiling of circulating brain-derived extracellular vesicles to monitor primary brain cancer and brain metastases
    NHMRC Investigator Grants
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2025
    nanoIMPAC: Monitoring immune toxicities and tumour immune evasion in lung cancer
    Cancer Australia
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2024
    Liquid Biopsy array platform to monitor GBM Progression (The Mark Hughes Foundation grant administered by The University of Newcastle)
    University of Newcastle
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2024
    Can the brain's immune cell be used to track treatment response in high-grade glioma? (University of Newcastle led Mark Huges Foundation Brain Cancer Innovation Project Grant)
    University of Newcastle
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2022
    Engineering therapeutic cells for pan-cancer diagnosis and eradication
    CSIRO Synthetic Biology Fellowship
    Open grant

Availability

Dr Richard Lobb is:
Available for supervision

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Available projects

  • A New Window into the Brain: Profiling Extracellular Vesicles for Neuro-Oncology

    Establish a liquid biopsy approach for brain cancer by mapping the molecular phenotype of blood-derived EVs from brain-resident cells. This project leverages tissue-specific EV markers and multiplexed nanotechnologies to enable minimally invasive monitoring of glioblastoma, brain metastases, and neuroinflammation.

  • Advanced Bionanoparticle Engineering for Therapeutics

    Develop next-generation extracellular vesicle (EV) engineering strategies for targeted therapeutic delivery. This project focuses on the design and functionalisation of EVs and synthetic mimetics, integrating bio-orthogonal chemistry, surface display technologies, and therapeutic cargo loading to optimise delivery to tumours and inflamed tissues.

  • Unravelling EV-Mediated Intercellular Communication in Health and Disease

    Investigate the functional roles of EVs in modulating recipient cell behaviour. This project combines controlled EV isolation with advanced in vitro/ in vivo models to dissect how EV cargo influences signalling pathways, immune responses, and cellular plasticity in the context of cancer and injury.

  • Multiplexed Nanotechnology for EV Analysis and Diagnostics

    Design and apply cutting-edge nanostructures—including nanopillar arrays and barcoded nanoparticles—for high-sensitivity EV capture and molecular profiling. This platform supports multi-marker EV analysis in clinical biospecimens, with applications in early detection, disease monitoring, and precision medicine.

Supervision history

Current supervision

Completed supervision

Enquiries

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