The Australian sheep industry exports over $5 billion worth of wool and meat each year, but loses over $435 million to gastrointestinal worms. One of the most serious infections is the Barber’s Pole Worm, a blood-feeding gut worm. Heavy infections can drain sheep of as much as 10% of their blood each day. This hinders sheep production and causes anaemia, pain and can be rapidly fatal. Worm control has relied upon drugs called anthelmintics, but the Australian sheep industry is now threatened by widespread multi-drug resistance. Resistance to multiple drugs was reported in Queensland sheep farms in 2014, severely compromising Queensland farmers’ ability to control these infections. New drugs are urgently needed to protect both Australia’s sheep and our farmers’ livelihoods.

My research harnesses the natural products in spider venoms to make new drugs against these parasites. I use spider venoms because over 99% of spider species are harmless to humans and their venoms have evolved to become complex mixtures of compounds with drug-like properties. I co-ordinate an international team of research labs across Australia, Switzerland and the USA in the first large-scale research program testing venoms against parasites. Through this work we have identified spider venom compounds active against Australian sheep parasites—including a peptide from a Queensland funnel-web spider.

Parasites are also a huge threat to other livestock, companion animals and humans. Worldwide, parasites actually comprise the largest group of the neglected tropical diseases. We have been able to apply our discoveries from sheep parasites to parasites of cats, dogs and humans. We have identified a number of spider venom molecules in preclinical development with activity against parasites, including the causative species of the major neglected tropical diseases Lymphatic Filariasis and Schistosomiasis. This is the first time that spider venoms have been shown to have activity against these parasites, opening up a new area of potential drug discovery.

As part of this work, I studied under the leading parasitologists in Switzerland and France, learning unique skills in parasitology and drug discovery to bring back to Australia to enhance our scientific knowledge and strengthen our resilience against parasites. I have also studied at the world’s largest veterinary pharmaceutical company, Zoetis, Michigan, USA, building connections between Queensland research and American industry and learning how to translate and commercialise our discoveries to support Queensland farmers.

Finally, I also study the biochemistry of the spider venoms to understand how they work and what medical impacts the venoms may have on people and animals. This helps to inform us about the biology of the spiders, identify new toxins that may be potentially dangerous, and identify new venom molecules with additional medical and biotechnological applications beyond antiparasitic drug discovery.