Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nynke Raven, Marcel Klaassen, Thomas Madsen, Frederic Thomas, Rodrigo K. Hamede, Beata Ujvari
Summary: Understanding the effects of wildlife diseases on populations requires analyzing multiple factors, including local environmental conditions, host defence mechanisms, host life-history trade-offs, pathogen population dynamics, and their interactions. This study investigated the expression of 10 immune genes in Tasmanian devil blood and found that the expression of these genes differed across seasons and in the presence of DFTD infection. There was also a strong positive association between the expression of an innate immune gene and DFTD infection.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Shanna Landy, Santiago Peralta, Larry Vogelnest, Nadine Fiani
Summary: This study aimed to describe the anatomical and pathological findings in Tasmanian devil skulls and dentition, identifying common abnormalities such as tooth fractures and endodontic disease. This knowledge can help in understanding oral health and management of live animals for this endangered species.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Hannah E. Roberts, Kerry V. Fanson, Naomi Hodgens, Marissa L. Parrott, Pauleen Bennett, La Toya Jamieson
Summary: This study explores the feasibility of using detection dogs as a non-invasive method to detect female estrus in a captive breeding program for the endangered Tasmanian devil. The results show that detection dogs can to some extent correctly distinguish between estrus and non-estrus devil fecal samples, providing a promising tool for monitoring reproductive status in wildlife.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Thomas Madsen, Marcel Klaassen, Nynke Raven, Antoine M. Dujon, Geordie Jennings, Frederic Thomas, Rodrigo Hamede, Beata Ujvari
Summary: This study investigates the association between telomere dynamics and transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devil populations. Longitudinal data from a population exposed to the disease for over 15 years reveals substantial temporal variation in individual telomere length (TL), with TL positively associated with age and marginally longer in devils with devil facial tumour disease (DFTD). However, TL does not significantly affect the development of DFTD. This research highlights the importance of long-term longitudinal sampling for understanding the effects of wildlife diseases on telomere length.
Article
Biology
Amanda R. Stahlke, Brendan Epstein, Soraia Barbosa, Mark J. Margres, Austin H. Patton, Sarah A. Hendricks, Anne Veillet, Alexandra K. Fraik, Barbara Schonfeld, Hamish I. McCallum, Rodrigo Hamede, Menna E. Jones, Andrew Storfer, Paul A. Hohenlohe
Summary: The study found that Tasmanian devils are undergoing multi-locus evolutionary response to devil facial tumour disease, involving multiple aspects such as cell cycling and immune response. Limited overlap was observed between historical and contemporary selection, indicating a unique evolutionary response of devils to the disease.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Olivia Bell, Menna E. Jones, Calum X. Cunningham, Manuel Ruiz-Aravena, David G. Hamilton, Sebastien Comte, Rodrigo K. Hamede, Stuart Bearhop, Robbie A. McDonald
Summary: Devil facial tumor disease (DFTD) is a transmissible cancer that has led to severe population declines in Tasmanian devils. Through stable isotope analysis, it was found that infected devils tend to maintain their isotopic niche despite the disease, unless ecological conditions facilitate a shift in diets and feeding behaviors.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
D. P. Barton, L. Smales, V. Lee, X. Zhu, S. Shamsi
Summary: The study investigated nematode parasites in Tasmanian devils and discovered a new genus and species of oxyurid nematode. Other nematodes collected were identified as Baylisascaris tasmaniensis through morphology and molecular sequencing. Further sampling of parasites in endangered hosts is needed for better conservation management.
JOURNAL OF HELMINTHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Marie R. G. Attard, Anna Lewis, Stephen Wroe, Channing Hughes, Tracey L. Rogers
Summary: Research found that whiskers could record at least nine months of an animal's ecological history and that their growth is not linear, but gradually slows down over time. The study demonstrates that sequentially sampled whiskers have the potential to track monthly and seasonal isotopic changes of an individual animal in the wild.
Article
Ecology
Sean Dempsey, Ruth J. Pye, Amy T. Gilbert, Nicholas M. Fountain-Jones, Jennifer M. Moffat, Sarah Benson-Amram, Timothy J. Smyser, Andrew S. Flies
Summary: This study found that both captive and wild devils are willing to accept and consume placebo versions of commercial baits, but bait dispensers or modified baiting strategies are needed to increase bait uptake by devils.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Sophia Belkhir, Rodrigo Hamede, Frederic Thomas, Beata Ujvari, Antoine M. Dujon
Summary: The study aimed to determine the factors driving tick loads in a Tasmanian devil population affected by DFTD. It was found that tick load in Tasmanian devils was primarily driven by season, weight, body condition, and age. Young devils had more ticks compared to older or healthier devils. The study also revealed that there was no interaction between the transmissible cancer (DFTD) and tick load. The findings emphasize the importance of seasonality and life cycle as primary drivers of tick infestation in Tasmanian devils.
INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Shane D. Morris, Michael R. Kearney, Christopher N. Johnson, Barry W. Brook
Summary: The study examines the potential physiological effects of climate change on the Tasmanian devil during its extinction window in mid-Holocene, finding no widespread negative impacts of climate on the devil's physiology on the mainland. This suggests that cultural and demographic changes in human populations or competition with dingoes may have played a more significant role in the devil's extinction.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Parice A. Brandies, Belinda R. Wright, Carolyn J. Hogg, Catherine E. Grueber, Katherine Belov
Summary: Interindividual variation at genes known to play a role in reproduction may impact reproductive fitness in Tasmanian devils. The study identified functional diversity at reproductive genes, with two genes ADAMTS9 and NANOG showing putative signatures of balancing selection. Researchers will further investigate the interplay between reproductive gene variation and reproductive fitness in Tasmanian devil populations.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Debra M. Shier, Gregory F. Grether, Elizabeth E. Reid-Wainscoat, Samantha Fox, David Pemberton, Jodie Elmer, Ronald R. Swaisgood
Summary: Familiarizing resident Tasmanian devils with the scent of released devils may reduce aggression during translocation, according to a controlled experiment.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Fatih Veysel Nurcin, Niyazi Senturk, Elbrus Imanov, Sam Thalmann, Karen Fagg
Summary: This study aims to develop a computer vision system to assist in monitoring the spread of Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD). The proposed system uses image segmentation, feature extraction, and classification to differentiate healthy devils from those with DFTD. The algorithm achieved 92.4% classification accuracy, providing a helpful tool for field workers and allowing for more frequent analysis of devils.
Review
Immunology
Hiba Zaaroura, Anthony J. Gilding, Cathryn Sibbald
Summary: This study conducted a systematic review and Meta-analysis to identify biomarkers that reflect the activity and severity of AA. The results showed that serum levels of IL6 and CRP were significantly increased in patients with AA, while serum vitamin D levels were significantly decreased. These biomarkers could be used for better assessment of disease activity and treatment response in clinical practice.
AUTOIMMUNITY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Michela L. Mitchell, Gerry Q. Tonkin-Hill, Rodrigo A. Morales, Anthony W. Purcell, Anthony T. Papenfuss, Raymond S. Norton
MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Ki Wook Kim, Digby W. Allen, Thomas Briese, Jennifer J. Couper, Simon C. Barry, Peter G. Colman, Andrew M. Cotterill, Elizabeth A. Davis, Lynne C. Giles, Leonard C. Harrison, Mark Harris, Aveni Haynes, Jessica L. Horton, Sonia R. Isaacs, Komal Jain, Walter Lipkin, Kelly McGorm, Grant Morahan, Claire Morbey, Ignatius C. N. Pang, Anthony T. Papenfuss, Megan A. S. Penno, Richard O. Sinnott, Georgia Soldatos, Rebecca L. Thomson, Peter Vuillermin, John M. Wentworth, Marc R. Wilkins, William D. Rawlinson, Maria E. Craig
PEDIATRIC DIABETES
(2020)
Article
Pathology
Owen W. J. Prall, Violeta Nastevski, Huiling Xu, Christopher R. E. McEvoy, Joep H. A. Vissers, David J. Byrne, Elena Takano, Satwica Yerneni, Sarah Ellis, Thomas Green, Catherine A. Mitchell, William K. Murray, Clare L. Scott, Sean M. Grimmond, Oliver Hofmann, Anthony Papenfuss, Damien Kee, Andrew Fellowes, Ian S. Brown, Gregory Miller, M. Priyanthi Kumarasinghe, Aurel Perren, Christopher B. Nahm, Anubhav Mittal, Jaswinder Samra, Mahsa Ahadi, Stephen B. Fox, Angela Chou, Anthony J. Gill
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Phillip J. Tomezsko, Vincent D. A. Corbin, Paromita Gupta, Harish Swaminathan, Margalit Glasgow, Sitara Persad, Matthew D. Edwards, Lachlan Mcintosh, Anthony T. Papenfuss, Ann Emery, Ronald Swanstrom, Trinity Zang, Tammy C. T. Lan, Paul Bieniasz, Daniel R. Kuritzkes, Athe Tsibris, Silvi Rouskin
Article
Oncology
Emily J. Lelliott, Stefano Mangiola, Kelly M. Ramsbottom, Magnus Zethoven, Lydia Lim, Peter K. H. Lau, Amanda J. Oliver, Luciano G. Martelotto, Laura Kirby, Claire Martin, Riyaben P. Patel, Alison Slater, Carleen Cullinane, Anthony T. Papenfuss, Nicole M. Haynes, Grant A. McArthur, Jane Oliaro, Karen E. Sheppard
Summary: Combined inhibition of BRAF, MEK, and CDK4/6 in melanoma patients with BRAF(V600) mutation shows potent tumor control effects but may lead to resistance to immune checkpoint blockade.
CANCER IMMUNOLOGY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Gerry Tonkin-Hill, Shazia Ruybal-Pesantez, Kathryn E. Tiedje, Virginie Rougeron, Michael F. Duffy, Sedigheh Zakeri, Tepanata Pumpaibool, Pongchai Harnyuttanakorn, OraLee H. Branch, Lastenia Ruiz-Mesia, Thomas S. Rask, Franck Prugnolle, Anthony T. Papenfuss, Yao-ban Chan, Karen P. Day
Summary: The researchers developed a computational approach to explore the evolution of specific DNA sequences of the major VSA gene of the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, successfully distinguishing DNA signatures specific to each species and identifying geographic signatures related to the out of Africa origin of P. falciparum.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Lena Chng, Deborah C. Holt, Matt Field, Joshua R. Francis, Dev Tilakaratne, Milou H. Dekkers, Greg Robinson, Kate Mounsey, Rebecca Pavlos, Asha C. Bowen, Katja Fischer, Anthony T. Papenfuss, Robin B. Gasser, Pasi K. Korhonen, Bart J. Currie, James S. McCarthy, Cielo Pasay
Summary: The study developed a new PCR test for scabies, targeting high copy-number repetitive DNA elements in the Sarcoptes scabiei genome, leading to improved diagnostic sensitivity. The newly developed PCR assays showed better detection of scabies DNA compared to routine microscopy and a published PCR assay. By combining with a non-invasive FLOQ swab sampling method, the developed PCR assays may serve as a useful complementary tool for scabies diagnosis, potentially enhancing scabies control in target populations.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2021)
Meeting Abstract
Oncology
Clare L. Scott, Ratana Lim, Amandine Carmagnac, Cassandra Vandenberg, Gayanie Ratnayake, Genevieve Dall, Joshua Tram, Justin Bedo, Jocelyn Penington, Joep Vissers, Sean Grimmond, Matthew Wakefield, Anthony Papenfuss, Holly Barker
CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2021)
Meeting Abstract
Oncology
Holly E. Barker, Ratana Lim, Amandine Carmagnac, Cassandra Vandenberg, Gayanie Ratnayake, Genevieve Dall, Briony Milesi, Angela Komiti, Emily O'Grady, Joshua Tram, Kym Pham Stewart, Justin Bedo, Jocelyn Penington, Joep Vissers, Sean Grimmond, Matthew Wakefield, Tony Papenfuss, Clare Scott
CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2021)
Meeting Abstract
Oncology
Genevieve Dall, Cassandra Vandenberg, Amandine Carmagnac, Ratana Lim, Briony Milesi, Angela Komiti, Emily O'Grady, Joshua Tram, Gayanie Ratnayake, Kym Pham Stewart, Justin Bedo, Jocelyn Penington, Joep Vissers, Inger Olesen, Sean Grimmond, Holly Barker, Tony Papenfuss, Clare Scott
CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Stefano Mangiola, Ramyar Molania, Ruining Dong, Maria A. Doyle, Anthony T. Papenfuss
Summary: The recently developed tidybulk is a modular framework for bulk transcriptional analyses, introducing a tidy transcriptomic data structure paradigm and analysis grammar. It covers a wide variety of analysis procedures and integrates a large ecosystem of publicly available analysis algorithms. Tidybulk reduces coding burden, facilitates reproducibility, increases efficiency for expert users, lowers the learning curve for inexperienced users, and connects transcriptional data analysis with the tidyverse framework.
Meeting Abstract
Oncology
Xiaomeng Zhang, Lie Yang, Ismael Vergara, Pacman Szeto, Youfang Zhang, Anthony Papenfuss, Mark Shackleton, Kieran Harvey
CANCER EPIDEMIOLOGY BIOMARKERS & PREVENTION
(2020)
Meeting Abstract
Oncology
Damien Kee, Olga Kondrashova, Sumitra Ananda, Michael Paul Brown, Paul Andrew Cohen, Andrew Dean, Jayesh Desai, Andrew Fellowes, Stephen B. Fox, Alison Hadley, Dianne Lindsay, Linda R. Mileshkin, Kenneth John O'Byrne, Owen W. J. Prall, Hamish Scott, David Morgan Thomas, Richard Vines, Nic Waddell, Anthony Papenfuss, Clare L. Scott
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY
(2020)
Meeting Abstract
Oncology
Xiaomeng Zhang, Lie Yang, Ismael Vergara, Pacman Szeto, Youfang Zhang, Anthony Papenfuss, Mark Shackleton, Kieran Harvey
MOLECULAR CANCER RESEARCH
(2020)
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shatha AbuHammad, Carleen Cullinane, Claire Martin, Zoe Bacolas, Teresa Ward, Huiqin Chen, Alison Slater, Kerry Ardley, Laura Kirby, Keefe T. Chan, Natalie Brajanovski, Lorey K. Smith, Aparna D. Rao, Emily J. Lelliott, Margarete Kleinschmidt, Ismael A. Vergara, Anthony T. Papenfuss, Peter Lau, Prerana Ghosh, Sue Haupt, Ygal Haupt, Elaine Sanij, Gretchen Poortinga, Richard B. Pearson, Hendrik Falk, David J. Curtis, Paul Stupple, Mark Devlin, Ian Street, Michael A. Davies, Grant A. McArthur, Karen E. Sheppard
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2020)