Department of Microbiology
Monash University
Clayton, Victoria, 3800
Phone: +61 (3) 9905 1468 Fax: +61 (3) 9905 4811
Email: Paul.Crellin@med.monash.edu.au
Dr Crellin's main areas of research interest are processes of mycobacterial cell wall synthesis and biochemical mechanisms of mobile DNA elements. His role within the Centre is within the drug discovery pipeline project in which essential target enzymes from mycobacteria are identified, validated and cloned for protein expression and structural studies within the Monash University Protein Crystallography Unit, led by Professor Jamie Rossjohn. This research focuses on the biosynthetic processes that assemble the cell wall, a complex structure containing many compounds unique to mycobacteria and their relatives, including the veterinary pathogen Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis.
Such processes are excellent targets for new drugs since the cell wall is essential for mycobacterial cell viability. Functional studies are performed on essential mycobacterial enzymes using the related species, Corynebacterium glutamicum, as a model.
This organism can tolerate cell wall lesions that are lethal to mycobacteria, allowing viable gene knockout mutants to be engineered and analysed. Combining the functional data with the 3D structure of the enzyme allows processes of wall assembly to e examined in detail, with the ultimate aim of structure-based inhibitor design. Dr Crellin is also the leader of the Tuberculosis research group within the laboratory of Professor Coppel and responsible for postgraduate student supervision and training.