JCU > Research Portfolio > Prof Andreas Lopata

About

Prof Andreas L. Lopata leads the Molecular Allergy Research Laboratory in the College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, Division of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, where he leads the Molecular Immunology Program in the Centre for Molecular Therapeutics. Prof Lopata graduated in biological sciences from the Heinrich Heine University of Düsseldorf , Germany, and undertook postgraduate studies at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, where he completed his doctorate and worked in the Institute for Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine. His research focused on the molecular characterisation of allergens and their impact on our immune system. In 2006, he moved to Australia, where he works now as a researcher at the JCU.

Andreas has more than 28 years’ experience in the molecular immunological analysis of food allergens for better diagnostics and development of therapeutics, specific to the Australian-Asian region. His discoveries are now translated into mainstream diagnostics and therapeutics for seafood allergy with leading international industry partners. Andreas is considered a world leader on seafood allergy within the field of food allergies, has contributed to the development of national and international guidelines, and sits on national and international expert committees of lead professional societies in the field. Prof Lopata is Associate Editor for ‘Clinical Experimental Allergy’ (Wiley) and Regional Associate Editor (Asia Pacific) for the World Allergy Association (WAO) Journal.

The discovery of allergens in various foods is central to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of allergic reactions. Of the ‘‘Big Eight’’ allergen food groups, fish and shellfish presents a unique challenge in terms of allergen discovery due to the large number and diversity of consumed species. Across the globe, up to 5% of children and adults are allergic to some type of seafood, as they often experience life-threatening reactions. Co-sensitisation and clinical cross-reactivity of consumer with fish, crustacean and/or mollusc allergy is often described; however, the current diagnostic approaches to manage these patients are not based on sufficient molecular knowledge of these seafood allergens.

Prof Lopata’s research team uses cutting-edge approaches in characterising the interactions of immunogenic proteins from different food sources with our human immune system, leading to allergic and inflammatory reactions. He has published over 170 journal articles and presented at over 200 national and international conferences [H-index=46]. The outcomes of his research activities translate into the development of novel diagnostics and platform knowledge for immunotherapeutics. He consults to various organisations including the National Measurement Institute, the National Institute of Occupational Health and the International Union of Immunological Societies sub-committe on allergen nomenclature.

Teaching

BC2024: Principles of Molecular Cell Biology (Level 2; TSV)
BC3102: Molecular Basis of Disease (Level 3; TSV)
BC5102: Advanced Molecular Basis of Disease (Level 5; TSV)

Interests

Professional

Molecular Medicine; Occupational Medicine; Allergology; Food Safety

Research

Molecular Allergology; Occupational Allergy; Diagnostics; Tropical Health; Immunotherapeutics

Teaching

Molecular Immunology; Biochemistry; Professional Doctorate; Food Science

Experience

2020 to present - Appointed Member-JCU Research Committee, James Cook University (Townsville)
2016 to present - Professor, James Cook University (Townsville)
2007 to present - Ajunct Member, Infectious Diseases and Development of Molecular Medicine (South Africa)
2014 to 2016 - Associate Dean of Research, James Cook University (Townsville)
2013 to 2015 - Honours program coordinator, James Cook University (Townsville)
2011 to 2015 - Associate Professor, James Cook University (Townsville)
2011 to 2012 - Academic Advisor-Molecular Sciences, James Cook University (Townsville)
2010 to 2011 - Senior Lecturer, James Cook University (Townsville)
2009 to 2010 - Associate Professor, RMIT University (Melbourne)
2007 to 2008 - Senior Lecturer, RMIT University (Melbourne)
2004 to 2006 - Head of Department of Immunology, University of Cape Town (South Africa)
2002 to 2006 - Senior Lecturer, Department of Immunology; University of Cape Town (South Africa)
1992 to 2002 - Natural Medical Scientist, National Health Laboratory Services (South Africa)
1991 to 1992 - Research Fellow, University of Cape Town (South Africa)

Research Disciplines

Honours

Awards

2020 - JCU Primary Advisor of the Year
2012 - Winner of UniQuest Trailblazer-James Cook University
2011 - Winner of UniQuest Trailblazer-James Cook University

Fellowships

2012 to 2016 - ARC Future Fellow

Memberships

2014 - Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Allergologie und Klinische Immunologie (DGAKI)
2014 - Collegium Internationale Allergologicum (CIA)
2012 - Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia
2009 - Australasian Society for Immunology
2008 - Australasian Society for Parasitology (ASP)
2008 - Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA)
2007 - European Associaton of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (EAACI)

Other

2017 - Review Editor - Frontier Immunology_Vaccines and Molecular Therapeutics
2016 - Reperio Innovation Competition-AITHM People’s Choice Award
2016 - Review Editor---Frontier Microbial Immunology
2016 - Editorial Board---Archives of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology (Croatia)
2016 - Regional Associate Editor -Asia Pacific--World Allergy Organisation Journal (Elsevier)
2016 - Associate Editor---Allergo Journal International (Springer)
2015 - Associate Editor---Clinical & Experimental Allergy (Wiley)
2014 - NATA assessor for laboratories in Australia quantifying allergens
2011 - Adjunct Associate Professor of the School of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne
2010 - Adjunct Professor of the School of Publica Health, University of Cape Town, South Africa
2010 - Appointed External academic reprentative for the Major Course Review Panel of the Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences, Deakin University
2007 - Adjunct of the 'Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine', University of Cape Town, South Africa
2007 - Adjunct - Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine; University of Cape Town; South Africa
2006 - Appointed External Advisor to the National Institute of Occupational Health, Johannesburg, South Africa
2021 to 2024 - Editorial Board -- Proteomes (MDPI)
2014 to 2020 - Associate Editor---Molecular Immunology (Elsevier)
2015 to 2019 - Review Editor---Molecular Immunology (Elsevier)
2009 to 2018 - Honorary Research Associate-Centre for Environmental and Occupational Health Research (CEOHR) and Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, University of Cape Town
2016 - Reperio Innovation Competition- AITHM People’s Choice Award
2015 - Member of the 'National Allergy Strategy'-an initiative of the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy and Anaphylaxis and Allergy Australia
2014 to 2015 - Elected member on the draft proposal on the 'National Allergy Strategy' for Australia
2004 to 2005 - Scientific Evaluator for the European Framework Program FP6 and FP7 "Food Quality and Safety" and "Health", European Union

Publications

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles

Buyuktiryaki B, Masini M, Mori F, Barni S, Liccioli G, Sarti L, Lordi L, Giovannini M, Toit G, Lopata A and Marques-Mejias M (2021) IgE-mediated fish allergy in children. Medicina, 57 (1), Article: 76, DOI:10.3390/medicina57010076.
Karnaneedi S, Huerlimann R, Johnston E, Nugraha R, Ruethers T, Taki A, Kamath S, Wade N, Jerry D and Lopata A (2021) Novel allergen discovery through comprehensive de novo transcriptomic analyses of five shrimp species. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22 (1), Article: 32, DOI:10.3390/ijms22010032.
Chinnappan R, Rahamn A, AlZabn R, Kamath S, Lopata A, Abu-Salah K and Zourob M (2020) Aptameric biosensor for the sensitive detection of major shrimp allergen, tropomyosin. Food Chemistry, 314, Article: 126133, DOI:10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.126133.
Davis C, Gupta R, Aktas O, Diaz V, Kamath S and Lopata A (2020) Clinical management of seafood allergy. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 8 (1), pp. 37-44, DOI:10.1016/j.jaip.2019.10.019.
Kalic T, Kamath S, Ruethers T, Taki A, Nugraha R, Le T, Humeniuk P, Williamson N, Hira D, Rolland J, O'Hehir R, Dai D, Campbell D, Breiteneder H and Lopata A (2020) Collagen-an important fish allergen for improved diagnosis. Journal Of Allergy And Clinical Immunology: In Practice, 8 (9), pp. 3084-3092, DOI:10.1016/j.jaip.2020.04.063.
Kamath S, Scheiblhofer S, Johnson C, Machado Y, McLean T, Taki A, Ramsland P, Iyer S, Joubert I, Hofer H, Wallner M, Thalhamer J, Rolland J, O’Hehir R, Briza P, Ferreira F, Weiss R and Lopata A (2020) Effect of structural stability on endolysosomal degradation and T-cell reactivity of major shrimp allergen tropomyosin. Allergy, 75 (11), pp. 2909-2919, DOI:10.1111/all.14410.
Kidgell J, Glasson C, Magnusson M, Vamvounis G, Sims I, Carnachan S, Hinkley S, Lopata A, de Nys R and Taki A (2020) Themolecular weight of ulvan affects the in vitro inflammatory response of a murine macrophage. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 150, pp. 839-848, DOI:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.02.071.
Le T, Tran T, Ho H, Vu A, McBryde E and Lopata A (2020) The predominance of seafood allergy in Vietnamese adults: results from the first population-based questionnaire survey. World Allergy Organization Journal, 13 (3), DOI:10.1016/j.waojou.2020.100102.
Mendoza-Porras O, Kamath S, Harrison J, Colgrave M, Huerlimann R, Lopata A and Wade N (2020) Resolving hemocyanin isoform complexity in haemolymph of black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon - implications in aquaculture, medicine and food safety. Journal of Proteomics, 218, Article: 103689, DOI:10.1016/j.jprot.2020.103689.
Pratap K, Taki A, Johnston E, Lopata A and Kamath S (2020) A comprehensive review on natural bioactive compounds and probiotics as potential therapeutics in food allergy treatment. Frontiers in Immunology, 11, Article: 996, DOI:10.3389/fimmu.2020.00996.
Ruethers T, Taki A, Khangurha J, Roberts J, Buddhadasa S, Clarke D, Hedges C, Campbell D, Kamath S, Lopata A and Koeberl M (2020) Commercial fish ELISA kits have a limited capacity to detect different fish species and their products. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 100 (12), pp. 4353-4363, DOI:10.1002/jsfa.10451.
Ruethers T, Taki A, Karnaneedi S, Nie S, Kalic T, Dai D, Daduang S, Leeming M, Williamson N, Breiteneder H, Mehr S, Kamath S, Campbell D and Lopata A (2020) Expanding the allergen repertoire of salmon and catfish. Allergy, 76 (5), pp. 1443-1453, DOI:10.1111/all.14574.

More: ResearchOnline@JCU stores 152+ research outputs authored by Prof Andreas Lopata from 1992 onwards.

Current Funding

Current and recent Research Funding to JCU is shown by funding source and project.

National Health & Medical Research Council - Centres of Research Excellence

Centre of Research Excellence in Eradicating Food Allergy: Prevention, Cure and Reducing Adverse Events

Indicative Funding: $81,252 over 5 years (administered by Murdoch Childrens Research Institute)
Summary: Funding is provided as a PHD Scholarship towards Mr Shaymaviswanathan to investigate the clinical cross-reactivity seen in patients with seafood allergy to dust mites and insects. Shellfish allergy affects 2% of Australians, and persists life-long in 80% of cases. Shellfish is now the leading cause for food-releated anaphylaxis fatalities among Australian adults. Clinical cross-reactivity between shellfish and mites and insects is frequently reported, however the implicated molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. This research project aims to identify and characterise the food and inhalant cross-reactive allergen repertoire and elucidate the shared IgE binding epitopes, utilising advanced bioinformatic approaches, immunochemcial and clincial tools.
Investigators: Katrina Allen, Anne-Louise Ponsonby, Shymali Dharmage, Mimi Tang, Dianne Campbell, Susan Prescott, Richard Saffery, Lyle Gurrin, Jennifer Koplin, Kim Dalziel and Andreas Lopata (Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The University of Melbourne, The University of Sydney, The University of Western Australia, College of Public Health and Medical & Vet Sciences)
Keywords: Food Allergy; IgE Antibody; Bioinformatics; Diagnostics; Allergens; Paediatric patients

National Health & Medical Research Council - Project Grant

Probiotic Egg Allergen Immunotherapy for Treatment of Egg Allergy

Indicative Funding: $1,865,369 over 4 years (administered by Murdoch Childrens Research Institute)
Summary: Eight percent of children have a food allergy and prevalence is increasing. There is no cure so management requires food avoidance which is difficult to achieve. Accidental ingestion of allergen is common, and can result in life-threatening anaphylaxis of death. A curative treatment is vital to improve management. We recently developed a novel treatment of peanut allergy that resulted in the best response rates yet reported for any therapy in development - a combination treatment comprising Probiotics and Peanut Oral Immunotherapy (PPOIT). It is now essential to conduct a larger trial to enhance the study design and confirm these findings in order to progres this treatment to practice, which is the focus of this research.
Investigators: Mimi Tang, Lynette Shek, Andreas Lopata, Francesca Orsini and Lydia Wong (Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, National University of Singapore, College of Public Health, Medical & Vet Sciences and National University Hospital (Singapore))
Keywords: Food Allergy; IgE Antibody; Protein analysis; Diagnostic; Allergenic Proteins

National Health & Medical Research Council - Project Grant

Bio-molecular studies for improved diagnosis and management of Australian children with fish allergy

Indicative Funding: $476,794 over 5 years
Summary: Allergy to fish among children is emerging as a significant healthcare issue in Australia and worldwide, with prevalence rates among children with food allergy as high as 16% in Australia. Our strong clinical-laboratory interface, bringing together a highly experienced senior team in the areas of molecular and immunological allergen characterization with leading clinicians in paediatric allergy, will significantly improve the management of fish-allergic children in Australia.
Investigators: Andreas Lopata, Dianne Campbell, Norelle Daly and Katrina Allen (College of Public Health, Medical & Vet Sciences, The University of Sydney, Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine and Royal Childrens Hospital)
Keywords: Paediatric; allergy testing; clinical diagnosis; Proteomics; allergen

QLD Department of Environment and Science - Advance Queensland Women's Academic Fund

The Development of Procedures for Quantifying Prawn Allergens

Indicative Funding: $21,000 over 1 year
Summary: There is an increasing prevalence of food allergies world-wide with shellfish being one of the main food groups that provoke serious IgE-mediated adverse reactions. Shellfish allergy affects up to 2% of the world population, with higher prevalence seen in areas with high seafood consumption. Because of the high incidence of allergic reactions to prawns, the study focuses on this highly consumed shellfish species. The major allergenic proteins from prawns will be purified and monoclonal antibodies will be developed against them. These antibodies will be used to establish a sensitive and reproducible ELISA based quantification method for the prawn allergens.
Investigators: Elecia Johnston, Andreas Lopata and Swati Iyer (College of Public Health and Medical & Vet Sciences)
Keywords: Allergy; Food allergy; IgE antibody; Immunotherapy; Recombinant protein; Vaccine

Supervision

Advisory Accreditation: I can be on your Advisory Panel as a Primary or Secondary Advisor.

These Higher Degree Research projects are either current or by students who have completed their studies within the past 5 years at JCU. Linked titles show theses available within ResearchOnline@JCU.

Current

Marine algal compounds as novel therapeutics for food allergy. (PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
Utilising Bioinformatics Tools to Improve the Diagnosis of Crustacean and Fish Allergy (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
The structure and bioactivity of ulvan, a sulfated polysaccharide from Ulva (chlorophyta) (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
The Physiological Plasticity of Yellowtail Kingfish (Seriola Lalandi) in Response to Varying Nutrition: Improving YTK Aquaculture Through Better Feed Formulation (PhD , Secondary Advisor)

Completed

Epidemiology and clinical presentations of seafood allergy in the Asia Pacific (2019, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
Characterisation of oyster allergens for improved diagnosis of mollusc allergy (2019, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
Biomarker discovery and food allergy profiling distinguishes DOCK8 deficiency from atopic dermatitis (2019, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
Tackling Fish Allergy: Bio Molecular Studies on Allergenic Proteins Causing Fish Allergy in Australian Children for Improved Diagnosis (2020, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
Development of a mouse model to evaluate the degree of immunological cross-reactivity between prawns and abalone (2017, PhD , Primary Advisor)
Current approaches in managing food allergy in Australian settings (2021, Masters , Primary Advisor)

Data

These are the most recent metadata records associated with this researcher. To see a detailed description of all dataset records, visit Research Data Australia.

Lopata, A. (2017) cDNA sequences of major allergenic proteins in Australian seafood species. James Cook University
Lopata, A. (2017) In solution digestion and mass spectrometry identification of major proteins in various crustacean species. James Cook University
Lopata, A. (2017) In solution digestion and mass spectrometry identification of major proteins in various mollusc species. James Cook University
Lopata, A. (2017) Proteome data of the raw and the heated Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas). James Cook University
Kamath, S. (2017) Proteomic analysis of allergenic proteins in King crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) and Edible crab (Cancer pagurus). James Cook University
Lopata, A. (2017) Potential allergens of the Pacific Oyster (Crassostrea gigas). James Cook University
Lopata, A. (2017) Identified proteins in the IgE-reactive spots. James Cook University

Collaboration

The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
Note: Map points are indicative of the countries or states that institutions are associated with.