Marshall Lightowlers
Encyclopedia
Professor Marshall Lightowlers began his career in the field of parasitology
during a post-doctoral appointment at the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science
in Adelaide
where he undertook research on ovine sarcocystosis. In 1981 he began a post-doctoral position at The University of Melbourne, Veterinary Clinical Centre and began a research career focusing on the immunology and molecular biology of taeniid
cestode parasites. His initial research at the University of Melbourne
investigated the immunochemistry
of antigens of Taenia taeniaeformis and Echinococcus granulosus
. Subsequently he was a member of a team of scientists that developed a vaccine
against Taenia ovis infection in sheep, the first recombinant
vaccine
against a parasitic disease. In 1989 Lightowlers took over leadership of the molecular parasitology
research laboratories at the University of Melbourne
and began applying the lessons learnt in the T. ovis research to the development of similar vaccines against infection with the larval stages of other cestode parasites
. This led to the development of highly effective, recombinant vaccines against cysticercosis
in cattle
due to Taenia saginata
and in pigs
due to Taenia solium. In collaboration with Dr David Heath in New Zealand
, he and his colleagues also produced a recombinant
vaccine
against hydatid
disease in sheep. This vaccine
has proven successful in experimental trials carried out in Argentina
, China
, New Zealand
and Australia
and is being manufactured for commercial application. These vaccine
s remain uniquely effective in the field of parasitology
. In 1990 Lightowlers was appointed a Research Fellow of the National Health and Medical Research Council
and subsequently promoted to Principal Research Fellow and Professor in the Faculty of Veterinary Science at Melbourne University. He has published more than one hundred articles in internationally refereed journals and books. Recognition of his scientific standing is evident from his numerous invited contributions to national and international scientific meetings and invited review publications and his receipt of substantial, competitive research funding. He had been a member of the World Health Organisation's Informal Working Groups on Echinococcosis
since 1988 and is currently coordinator of the group evaluating vaccines. A major feature of Lightowler’s career has been his dedication to training highly successful postgraduate students, staff and sabbatical visitors in the discipline of parasitology
. Lightowlers has been an active member of the Australian Society for Parasitology, serving as the society's President in 1995/6, Honorary Secretary, and as a council member representing Victoria
. In 1998 the society awarded Lightowlers the Bancroft-Mackerras Medal in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the science of parasitology
.
Parasitology
Parasitology is the study of parasites, their hosts, and the relationship between them. As a biological discipline, the scope of parasitology is not determined by the organism or environment in question, but by their way of life...
during a post-doctoral appointment at the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science
Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science
Established in 1938, is a wholly South Australian medically-led network of pathology laboratories, providing the people of metropolitan and rural South Australia with comprehensive quality pathology and integrated clinical services....
in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
where he undertook research on ovine sarcocystosis. In 1981 he began a post-doctoral position at The University of Melbourne, Veterinary Clinical Centre and began a research career focusing on the immunology and molecular biology of taeniid
Taenia (tapeworm)
Taenia is a genus of tapeworm that includes some important parasites of livestock. Members of the genus are responsible for taeniasis and cysticercosis in humans. There are more than 100 species recorded...
cestode parasites. His initial research at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
investigated the immunochemistry
Immunochemistry
Immunochemistry is a branch of chemistry that involves the study of the reactions and components on the immune system.Various methods in immunochemistry have been developed and refined, and been used in scientific study, from virology to molecular evolution....
of antigens of Taenia taeniaeformis and Echinococcus granulosus
Echinococcus granulosus
Echinococcus granulosus, also called the Hydatid worm or Hyper Tape-worm, is a cyclophyllid cestode that parasitizes the small intestine of canids as an adult, but which has important intermediate hosts such as livestock and humans, where it causes hydatid disease...
. Subsequently he was a member of a team of scientists that developed a vaccine
Vaccine
A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
against Taenia ovis infection in sheep, the first recombinant
Recombinant DNA
Recombinant DNA molecules are DNA sequences that result from the use of laboratory methods to bring together genetic material from multiple sources, creating sequences that would not otherwise be found in biological organisms...
vaccine
Vaccine
A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
against a parasitic disease. In 1989 Lightowlers took over leadership of the molecular parasitology
Parasitology
Parasitology is the study of parasites, their hosts, and the relationship between them. As a biological discipline, the scope of parasitology is not determined by the organism or environment in question, but by their way of life...
research laboratories at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
and began applying the lessons learnt in the T. ovis research to the development of similar vaccines against infection with the larval stages of other cestode parasites
Parasitism
Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between organisms of different species where one organism, the parasite, benefits at the expense of the other, the host. Traditionally parasite referred to organisms with lifestages that needed more than one host . These are now called macroparasites...
. This led to the development of highly effective, recombinant vaccines against cysticercosis
Cysticercosis
Cysticercosis refers to tissue infection after exposure to eggs of Taenia solium, the pork tapeworm. The disease is spread via the fecal-oral route through contaminated food and water, and is primarily a food borne disease. After ingestion the eggs pass through the lumen of the intestine into the...
in cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
due to Taenia saginata
Taenia saginata
Taenia saginata, also known as Taeniarhynchus saginata or the beef tapeworm, is a parasite of both cattle and humans, causing taeniasis in humans. Taenia saginata occurs where cattle are raised by infected humans maintaining poor hygiene, human feces are improperly disposed of, meat inspection...
and in pigs
PIGS
PIGS is a four letter acronym that can stand for:* PIGS , Phosphatidylinositol glycan anchor biosynthesis, class S, a human gene* PIGS , the economies of Portugal, Italy , Greece and Spain...
due to Taenia solium. In collaboration with Dr David Heath in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, he and his colleagues also produced a recombinant
Recombinant DNA
Recombinant DNA molecules are DNA sequences that result from the use of laboratory methods to bring together genetic material from multiple sources, creating sequences that would not otherwise be found in biological organisms...
vaccine
Vaccine
A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
against hydatid
Echinococcosis
Echinococcosis, which is often referred to as hydatid disease or echinococcal disease, is a parasitic disease that affects both humans and other mammals, such as sheep, dogs, rodents and horses. There are three different forms of echinococcosis found in humans, each of which is caused by the larval...
disease in sheep. This vaccine
Vaccine
A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
has proven successful in experimental trials carried out in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and is being manufactured for commercial application. These vaccine
Vaccine
A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
s remain uniquely effective in the field of parasitology
Parasitology
Parasitology is the study of parasites, their hosts, and the relationship between them. As a biological discipline, the scope of parasitology is not determined by the organism or environment in question, but by their way of life...
. In 1990 Lightowlers was appointed a Research Fellow of the National Health and Medical Research Council
National Health and Medical Research Council
The National Health and Medical Research Council is Australia's peak funding body for medical research, with a budget of roughly 700 million dollars a year...
and subsequently promoted to Principal Research Fellow and Professor in the Faculty of Veterinary Science at Melbourne University. He has published more than one hundred articles in internationally refereed journals and books. Recognition of his scientific standing is evident from his numerous invited contributions to national and international scientific meetings and invited review publications and his receipt of substantial, competitive research funding. He had been a member of the World Health Organisation's Informal Working Groups on Echinococcosis
Echinococcosis
Echinococcosis, which is often referred to as hydatid disease or echinococcal disease, is a parasitic disease that affects both humans and other mammals, such as sheep, dogs, rodents and horses. There are three different forms of echinococcosis found in humans, each of which is caused by the larval...
since 1988 and is currently coordinator of the group evaluating vaccines. A major feature of Lightowler’s career has been his dedication to training highly successful postgraduate students, staff and sabbatical visitors in the discipline of parasitology
Parasitology
Parasitology is the study of parasites, their hosts, and the relationship between them. As a biological discipline, the scope of parasitology is not determined by the organism or environment in question, but by their way of life...
. Lightowlers has been an active member of the Australian Society for Parasitology, serving as the society's President in 1995/6, Honorary Secretary, and as a council member representing Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. In 1998 the society awarded Lightowlers the Bancroft-Mackerras Medal in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the science of parasitology
Parasitology
Parasitology is the study of parasites, their hosts, and the relationship between them. As a biological discipline, the scope of parasitology is not determined by the organism or environment in question, but by their way of life...
.