Great work from Nat Ketprasit @nkprst, Chia-Wei Tai, Winnie Ye, Con Dogovski, Mike Griffin, Stanley Xie, University of Melbourne (@Bio21) & Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and colleagues from The Australian Synchrotron, Griffith University, IIT Bombay & ICGEB, India.

The paper describes the structural and biochemical characterization of malaria parasite aspartate tRNA synthetase, revealing why it is more susceptible to hijacking than the equivalent human enzyme.

Parasite aminoacyl tRNA synthetases catalyse the conjugation of DACM to an amino acid thereby disrupting the protein translation machinery. This makes the parasite the agent of its own demise.

We are very pleased to share our publication in PLoS Pathogens (@PLOSPathogens) ( Our team explored a Streptomyces natural product, called dealanylascamycin (DACM). We showed it is a highly mechanism of action.

Amazing Public Lecture by Nobel Laureate Donna Strickland, Nobel Prize in Physics in 2018, at RMIT’s Capitol Theatre. Strickland pioneered chirped pulse amplification for lasers, enabling innovations such as laser eye surgery. An inspirational talk about her love of photons.

And thanks to my fellow panellists: Karena Waller, Shookofeh Shamsi, Tania de Koning-Ward, Simona John von Freyend and Lisa Jones. And to the highly engaged audience. Feel the passion & enjoy the journey.

Very pleased to participate in an amazing Women in Parasitology session today as part of the Australian Society for Parasitology (@AS_Para) 2025 Conference. Thanks very much to Facilitators: Ghizal Siddiqui (@G__Siddiqui) and Hayley Bullen.

Prof Pomat encouraged us continue the fabulous two-way interactions between Australia and PNG promoting medical research initiatives. Now needed more than ever.

I enjoyed meeting Prof William Pomat, Director of the PNG Institute of Medical Research at the 50th Anniversary of the @WEHI_research Parasitology and Infectious Diseases Division. It was great to meet up with friends and colleagues, such as Prof Emeritus Robin Anders.

RT @Rhys__G: Why make a cofactor when you can get it for free? . Our work, led by @FabianMunder, shows that bacteria from 22 phyla use th….

Botswana Chobe National Park. Amazing to see lion cubs playing.

The Malaria Drug Accelerator meeting held in Livingstone, Zambia, was an amazing opportunity to connect with colleagues from across the work, working together to develop new antimalarial drugs.

I really enjoyed visiting my colleagues, Sharon Prince (Deputy Dean, Research) and Edward Sturrock at the University of Cape Town (UCT). It was so rewarding to spend time with Sharon’s excellent and enthusiastic research team.

RT @AS_Para: World Parasite Awareness Day is March 20th. Join us that day as we help to shed light on the importance of parasite prevention….

Congratulations to Nutpakal Ketprasit (@nkprst). He submitted his thesis today on reaction hijacking of tRNA charging enzymes of Plasmodium & bacteria. This work will guide development of new treatments. Co-supervised by Stanley Xie and Stuart Ralph (@sturalph). @UniMelb

RT @NobelPrize: Happy International Women’s Day!. We’re celebrating women who have changed the world. Here are all of the amazing women who….

Thanks to the amazing and inspirational International Women's Day #IWD2025 Morning Tea Panel organised by the School of Biomedical Sciences @UniMelb. “It takes a village to raise a successful woman scientific leader”. Great buzz of collaboration and support at the event.

RT @ChemistryUoM: ** Organic & Biological Seminar **. Prof. Dame Juliet A. Gerrard (Willsmore Fellow).University of Auckland @ScienceUoA @U….

Congratulations Enrico.

Amazing work. Congratulations.