Dr Michael Smout obtained his BSc from the University of Queensland (UQ) in Brisbane, Australia and his PhD from UQ/Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR).  His research interests have included melanoma, childhood viral infections and most recently parasitic helminths of humans. His expertise focus is the proteins secreted by parasitic helminths and those that facilitate their parasitic existence. His work has taken him to a range of locations, including 2 years at George Washington University working with the Human Hookworm Vaccine Initiative funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation before relocating back to Queensland in 2004.  For the past decade Dr Smout’s research has focused primarily on the search for carcinogenic molecules from the secretions of the human liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrinni - one of only three carcinogenic eukaryotic pathogens. His major scientific achievements include firstly, the identification of the parasite-derived growth factor, granulin, a protein that supercharges wound healing but establishes a tumorigenic environment in the liver of infected patients.  Secondly, the creation of the xWORM assay, a novel objective parasitic worm viability monitoring method.  This method is a vital step when screening for new drug treatments or drug resistance in a range of devastating parasitic worms. 

 With a creative flair for presenting he has won a range of science and general public presentation events since his northern migration to the Queensland Tropical Health Alliance laboratories at James Cook University in Cairns.  At a national level he won the “best pitch” in the 2012 Australian Trailblazer innovation competition and the 2014 Australian Famelab public presentation competition with 3 minutes that included eviscerating a teddy bear.  This led to representing Australia at the International Famelab in the United Kingdom.   His new position in Northern Australia has allowed his love of parasitic worm venom to now include anything tropical and toxic, including scorpions, stonefish and the world’s most venomous creature, the Australian sea wasp, also known as the big box jelly(fish).

 

Google Scholar ID: https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=XkWJ1DQAAAAJ&hl=en

 ORCHID ID: orcid.org/0000-0001-6937-0112

 Research web: https://research.jcu.edu.au/portfolio/michael.smout

 

Interests

Research

• parasite growth factors
• Thai Liver Fluke (Opisthorchis viverrini)
• cancerous transformation
• wound healing
• Liver cancer (cholangiocarcinoma - bile duct cancer)
• Protein purification
• Box jellyfish Toxins
• Cardiac toxins
• Real time cell analysis
• parasite worm motility monitoring
• venom
• Australian animal venom
• sea snake venom
• scorpion venom
• stonefish venom
• new anti-parasitic treatments

Experience

• 2010 to present - Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University (Cairns)
• 2005 to 2009 - PhD Student, Queensland Institute of Medical Research (Brisbane)
• 2000 to 2006 - Research Assistant, Queensland Institute of Medical Research (Brisbane)
• 2002 to 2003 - Research Assistant, George Washington University Medical Centre (Washington DC, USA)
• 1999 to 2000 - Research Assistant, Sir Albert Sakzewski Virus Research Centre (Brisbane)

Research Disciplines

• Medical microbiology (3207)
• Medical biochemistry and metabolomics (3205)
• Genetics (3105)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Expanding knowledge (2801)
• Clinical health (2001)

Awards

• 2018 - Reperio commercialization competition (JCU) crowd voted “People’s Choice” and judges voted “2nd Place”
• 2018 - Australian Society of Medical Research Mid-Career Research (ASMR-MCR) award
• 2018 - International Congress of Parasitology (ICOPA) Poster award
• 2017 - Johnson and Johnson Innovation Quickfire “Singapore metabolic diseases” finalist
• 2016 - Rising Star Early Career award (James Cook University - JCU)
• 2016 - Early Career Researcher (ECR) invited speaker award - Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AITHM)
• 2015 to 2016 - Far North Queensland Hospital large research grant
• 2015 - Queensland Science and Inspiring Australia: Rising star of Queensland Science 2015
• 2014 - Reperio (Innovation pitching competition) winner
• 2014 - Faculty research Grant Scheme
• 2014 - Centre for Biodiscovery and Molecular Development of Therapeutics ECR seed funding
• 2014 - ACEA research travel award
• 2014 - FameLab Australian Winner
• 2014 - National representative in FameLab International
• 2013 - Far North Queensland Hospital small research grant
• 2013 - American Society of Tropical Medicine and Health Young Investigator Presentation Award
• 2013 - American Society of Tropical Medicine and Health (ASTMH) Travel award
• 2012 to 2013 - Centre for Biodiscovery and Molecular Development of Therapeutics ECR award
• 2012 - “My Research in 3 minutes” Early Career Researcher School winner
• 2012 - Trailblazer James Cook University (JCU) finals “Best Pitch” winner
• 2012 - Trailblazer (Uniquest Innovation Awards) Australian Grand Finals “Best Pitch” winner
• 2012 - ASP Early Career Researcher Presentation Award
• 2011 - Trailblazer JCU finalist
• 2010 - University of Queensland PhD thesis Dean’s award nomination
• 2010 - Australian Society of Medical Research (ASMR) Premier awards student finalist
• 2009 - ASMR Premier awards student finalist High Commendation
• 2008 - ASMR Student Oral finalist
• 2005 to 2008 - Dora Lush NHMRC PhD scholarship
• 2007 - Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) Student Oral finalist
• 2007 - Pall Published Paper Award
• 2006 - ASP Student Poster Prize
• 2005 - QIMR Student Oral finalist

Fellowships

• 2012 - Australian Society for Parasitology (ASP) Researcher Exchange Fellowship

Memberships

• 2013 - American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH)
• 2005 - The Australian Society for Medical Research
• 2005 - Australian Society for Parasitology Member
• 2007 to 2010 - American Association for the Advancement of Science

Other

• 2017 - “Frontiers in Medicine” Review Editor

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

• Chaiyadet S, Sotillo J, Krueajampa W, Thongsen S, Smout M, Brindley P, Laha T and Loukas A (2022) Silencing of Opisthorchis viverrini Tetraspanin Gene Expression Results in Reduced Secretion of Extracellular Vesicles. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 12.
• Schmidt C, Cooke I, Wilson D, Miller D, Peigneur S, Tytgat J, Field M, Takjoo R, Smout M, Loukas A and Daly N (2022) Newly Discovered Peptides from the Coral Heliofungia actiniformis Show Structural and Functional Diversity. Journal of Natural Products, 85 (7). pp. 1789-1798
• Adegboye O, Field M, Kupz A, Pai S, Sharma D, Smout M, Wangchuk P, Wong Y and Loiseau C (2021) Natural-product-based solutions for tropical infectious diseases. Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 34 (4).
• Phumrattanaprapin W, Pearson M, Pickering D, Tedla B, Smout M, Chaiyadet S, Brindley P, Loukas A and Laha T (2021) Monoclonal antibodies targeting an opisthorchis viverrini extracellular vesicle tetraspanin protect hamsters against challenge infection. Vaccines, 9 (7).
• Phumrattanaprapin W, Chaiyadet S, Brindley P, Pearson M, Smout M, Loukas A and Laha T (2021) Orally administered Bacillus spores expressing an extracellular vesicle-derived tetraspanin protect hamsters against challenge infection with carcinogenic human liver fluke. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 223 (8). pp. 1445-1455
• Arunsan P, Chaidee A, Cochran C, Mann V, Tanno T, Kumkhaek C, Smout M, Karinshak S, Rodpai R, Sotillo J, Loukas A, Laha T, Brindley P and Ittiprasert W (2020) Liver fluke granulin promote extracellular vesicle-mediated crosstalk and cellular microenvironment conducive to cholangiocarcinoma. Neoplasia, 22 (5). pp. 203-216
• Housley D, Pinyon J, Jonquieres G, Perera C, Smout M, Liddell M, Jennings E, Wilson D and Housley G (2020) Australian scorpion Hormurus waigiensis venom fractions show broad bioactivity through modulation of bio-impedance and cytosolic calcium. Biomolecules, 10 (4).
• Mbanefo E, Agbo C, Zhao Y, Lamanna O, Thai K, Karinshak S, Khan M, Fu C, Odegaard J, Saltikova I, Smout M, Pennington L, Nicolls M, Jardetzky T, Loukas A, Brindley P, Falcone F and Hsieh M (2020) IPSE, an abundant egg-secreted protein of the carcinogenic helminth Schistosoma haematobium, promotes proliferation of bladder cancer cells and angiogenesis. Infectious Agents and Cancer, 15.
• Takjoo R, Wilson D, Bansal P, Loukas A, Smout M and Daly N (2020) Folding of truncated granulin peptides. Biomolecules, 10 (8).
• Arunsan P, Ittiprasert W, Smout M, Cochran C, Mann V, Chaiyadet S, Karinshak S, Sripa B, Young N, Sotillo J, Loukas A, Brindley P and Laha T (2019) Programmed knockout mutation of liver fluke granulin attenuates virulence of infection-induced hepatobiliary morbidity. eLife, 8.
• Andreosso A, Bansal P, Smout M, Wilson D, Seymour J and Daly N (2018) Structural characterisation of predicted helical regions in the Chironex fleckeri CfTX-1 toxin. Marine Drugs, 16 (6). pp. 1-12
• Dastpeyman M, Smout M, Wilson D, Loukas A and Daly N (2018) Folding of granulin domains. Peptide Science, 110 (3).

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 53+ research outputs authored by Dr Michael Smout from 2002 onwards.

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

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

• The Structure and Function of Ichthyocrinotoxins in Stone Fish and it's possible Application as an Anti-Helminth Treatment (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• The role of ?Daun Patah Tulang? (Euphorbia tirucalli) as a traditional remedy for healing (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• C. Fleckeri Mode of Action Investigation (PhD , Secondary Advisor)

Completed

• Characterisation of Disulfide-Rich Peptides ; Exploring Potential Wound Healing Properties (2022, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Structure-function relationships of disulfide-rich peptides (2019, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Molecular and structural insights into Chironex fleckeri venom (2019, PhD , Secondary Advisor)

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.