Defining the role of zinc at the host-pneumococcal interface

肺炎链球菌是世界上最重要的细菌病原体。在澳大利亚，细菌感染每年造成9000多人死亡，与治疗肺炎球菌感染引起的疾病相关的经济负担每年超过10亿美元。本提案旨在确定过渡金属锌在先天免疫抵抗细菌感染中的作用。这一知识将揭示下一代抗菌药物的新靶点。

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the world’s foremost bacterial pathogen. In Australia, bacterial infections are responsible for more than 9000 deaths every year, and the economic burden associated with treating diseases arising from pneumococcal infections is more than $1 billion annually. This proposal aims to define the role of the transition metal zinc in innate immune resistance to bacterial infection. This knowledge will reveal new targets for next generation antimicrobial therapeutics.