School of Science Capabilities | Page 28

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Antimicrobial Resistance and Phage Therapy
Dr Patrick Tan Hock Siew tan. hocksiew @ monash. edu
Senior Lecturer, Program Director
( Science) and Deputy Director Monash University Malaysia Genomics Platform( MUMGP)
Expertise Antimicrobial resistance Phage biology
Aptamers for diagnostics and therapeutics
Achievement / Award Gold Medal- International Invention, Innovation & Technology Exhibition( 2024) PVC’ s Commendation for Excellence in Research Award
- Monash University Malaysia
( 2024)
Dean’ s Award for Best Honours Supervision- Monash
University( 2022)
My research addresses antimicrobial resistance( AMR) through surveillance and novel treatment strategies. I track resistance genes in environments such as wastewater with national agencies and develop new bacterial drug targets to overcome conventional resistance. By integrating multiomics and AI-driven technologies through interdisciplinary collaboration, my work advances the understanding and prevention of AMR.
My research in phage biology spans discovery to application. Using genomics and transcriptomics to study phage – bacteria interactions, I isolate and characterise novel bacteriophages. I explore natural bacteria – phage coevolution and apply‘ phage training’, a form of directed evolution, to enhance their efficacy against resistant pathogens. This work aims to engineer phages with superior therapeutic potential to combat AMR.
In parallel, my team also developed patented innovations that target key pathogen proteins. This work includes CampySalDeTECT, a rapid detection kit for foodborne pathogens, and APbiotics, a novel therapeutic for resistant bacteria. These award-winning, patented technologies have received international recognition, showcasing a breakthrough in aptamer-based approaches to tackling the global AMR challenge.
My research focuses on developing phage and aptamer platforms for the surveillance and treatment of antimicrobial resistance
SCHOOL OF SCIENCE CAPABILITIES