Professor Joanne Blanchfield
Professor

Joanne Blanchfield

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Phone: 
+61 7 336 53622

Background

Natural Products from Traditional Medicines and drug development.

My group focuses on isolating bioactive natural products from plants and organisms used in traditional and herbal medicines in cultures across the globe. We screen extracts and purified compounds for biological activity and for bioavailability using cell techniques. We are also involved in synthesising analogues of natural compounds and components of subunit vaccines. We also work with first responders to develop methods for detection and decompostion of dangerous chemicals.

Availability

Professor Joanne Blanchfield is:
Available for supervision

Fields of research

Medicinal and biomolecular chemistry Organic chemistry

Qualifications

  • Bachelor (Honours) of Science (Advanced), The University of Queensland
  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland

Research interests

  • Natural products from traditional medicines

    Plants used for thousands of years for their medicinal properties are valuable sources of potential drug leads. We use the ancient knowledge of traditional medicines from across the globe to guide our search for potential bioactive compounds.

  • Detection and decomposition of hazardous chemicals

    The accurate detection and effective decomposition of dangerous chemicals such as illicit drugs and toxic agents is essential for the safety of first responders and military personal. We work closely with these groups to ensure that they have the best protocols for detection in real time and the most effective and safe decomposition methods available.

Research impacts

Our work with first responders and the Defence Force has identified a more effective method of decomposition of dangerous pharceutical agents encountered in various field settings. We are also working on optimising a method of detection for the most dangerous of compounds that can be performed on site and in real time. This work leads to a safer environment for first responders and for the community.

Our work with the indigenous communities and herbal medicine industry partners has identified bioactive compounds in Australian native plants that have been used by indigenous groups for hundreds of years.

Search Professor Joanne Blanchfield’s works on UQ eSpace

142 works between 1991 and 2024
All (142) Journal Article (82) Book Chapter (2) Conference Publication (57) Other Outputs (1)

141 - 142 of 142 works

1993

Journal Article

Alkaloids from some Australian Stephania (Menispermaceae) species

Blanchfield, Joanne T., Kitching, William, Sands, Donald P.A., Thong, Y. H., Kennard, Colin H.L. and Byriel, Karl A. (1993). Alkaloids from some Australian Stephania (Menispermaceae) species. Natural Product Letters, 3 (4), 305-312. doi: 10.1080/10575639308043881

Alkaloids from some Australian Stephania (Menispermaceae) species

1991

Journal Article

Mercury(II)-mediated routes to some side-chain functionalised 1,7-dioxaspiro[5.5]undecanes. Applications of Luche-Barbier chemoselective addition to ketoaldehydes

Devoss, JJ, Jamie, JF, Blanchfield, JT, Fletcher, MT, Oshea, MG and Kitching, W (1991). Mercury(II)-mediated routes to some side-chain functionalised 1,7-dioxaspiro[5.5]undecanes. Applications of Luche-Barbier chemoselective addition to ketoaldehydes. Tetrahedron, 47 (10-11), 1985-1996. doi: 10.1016/S0040-4020(01)96110-1

Mercury(II)-mediated routes to some side-chain functionalised 1,7-dioxaspiro[5.5]undecanes. Applications of Luche-Barbier chemoselective addition to ketoaldehydes

Past funding

  • 2020 - 2022
    Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) using Spatial Offset Raman Spectroscopy (SORS) for spectral analysis of selected threats
    Commonwealth Defence Science and Technology Group
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2016
    Online, virtual and adaptive learning environments: improving the journey through large first year chemistry courses
    Technology-Enhanced Learning Grants
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2017
    Bioproduction and bioavailability of steroidal saponins, bioactives in herbal medicines
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2015
    An evaluation of the effectiveness of various absorption enhancers on the bioavailability of herbal extracts
    UniQuest Pty Ltd
    Open grant
  • 2010 - 2011
    Assessing the oral bioavailability of components of herbal extracts using Caco-2 cell monolayers
    UQ FirstLink Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2009 - 2013
    Physiological effects of bile pigments (Austrian Science Fund project administered by the University of Vienna)
    University of Vienna
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2010
    New neuropathic pain drugs
    NHMRC Development Grant
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2009
    Analytical and preparative enantioselective chromatography
    ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities
    Open grant
  • 2006
    A high resolution, high-throughput chromatographic system for separation and characterisation of complex samples
    ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities
    Open grant
  • 2006 - 2008
    Next Generation Polymer Nanostructures
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2004 - 2005
    Biological membrane transporters:  Delivery of an oligonucleotide inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)
    NHMRC Development Grant
    Open grant
  • 2004 - 2006
    Synthesis Of Glycopeptide CNS Drug Candidates Applying Chemical And Chemo-Enzymatic Methods
    University of Queensland Research Development Grants Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2003 - 2004
    A novel liposaccharide system for the delivery of opioid peptides across the blood brain barrier
    UQ New Staff Research Start-Up Fund
    Open grant
  • 2003 - 2006
    A combinatorial approach to creation of new epitopes with biological activity
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant

Availability

Professor Joanne Blanchfield is:
Available for supervision

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Available projects

  • Identification of bioactive compounds from Australian native plants

    In consultation with indigenous collaborators and herbal medicine industry collaborators, we extract Australian native plants that have been identifying as having some medicinal properties and screen the extracts for selected biological activities. We then fractionate the extracts using a variety of chromatographic techniques to isolate individual natural products present in the plants. The structures of these compounds are then identified using modern analytical techniques including mass spectrometry and 1 and 2 dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. The isolated compounds and extracts can also be screened for potential bioavailability using Caco-2 cell monolayers.

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Isolation and identification of natural products from Australian Native Medicinal Plants

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor James De Voss

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The construction of synthetic mimics of complex conformational epitopes of HIV

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Paul Burn

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Identification of the Structure and bioavailability of bioactive compounds from Australian native plants.

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor James De Voss

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Isolation and identification of natural products from Australian Native Medicinal Plants

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor James De Voss

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Selenium - The SuperElement against Superbugs

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Mark Blaskovich

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Conotoxins - advanced probes for studying pain pathways

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Mark Blaskovich

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Structure Elucidation in Pursuit of Bioactive Compounds

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor James De Voss

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Bioactive Phytochemicals from Australian Native Plants used as Ingienous medicines

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor James De Voss

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Clicking Conjugates into Place for the Fight Against Antibiotic Resistance

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Anthony Verderosa, Professor Mark Blaskovich

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Synthesis of peptide antibiotic constituents for elucidation of their biosyntheses and II) Characterization of bacterial cytochromes P450

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor James De Voss

Completed supervision

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