QUT - Academic profiles - Associate Professor Makrina Totsika

Biography

Dr Makrina Totsika is a Principal Research Fellow at QUT. She leads the Bacterial Pathogenesis and Therapeutics Research group and is the Program Leader for Infection Control at QUT's Centre for Immunology and Infection Control (CIIC).

Originally from Volos, Greece, Makrina moved to Scotland in 1998 to study at the University of Edinburgh, where she graduated with a First Class BSc(Hons) in Biological Sciences-Genetics (2002), a MSc by Reseach in Life Sciences with Distinction (2003) and a PhD in Bacterial Genetics (2007). Makrina was the recipient of a prestigious Wellcome Trust 4-Year PhD studentship for her research project on virulence gene regulation in pathogenic bacteria that she conducted at the Centre for Infectious Diseases Research, University of Edinburgh.

Makrina immigrated to Australia in 2007 as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Queensland. In May 2014, she joined QUT as an ARC DECRA fellow and in 2016 was awarded a QUT Vice-Chancellor's Senior Research Fellowship. She was promoted to Associate Professor in 2018 and in the same year received the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Research, Partnerships and Engagement.

Makrina has authored over 100 scientific articles, reviews and editorials and has been awarded >$12 M in research grants and fellowships from the ARC, NHMRC and philanthropic foundations. Her work is at the forefront of antimicrobial drug research and development, including novel non-antibiotic therapeutics that are promising to revolutionise the way we treat bacterial infections that are no longer treatable with antibiotics.

Makrina is a frequent science communicator and winner of the 2016 Queensland Young Tall Poppy Scientist of the Year award by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science (AIPS). In 2016 she was the recipient of a Senior Researcher Queensland Health and Medical Research Award by the Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR).

She is an elected Fellow of the Australian Society for Microbiology that honoured her in 2018 with the award of the Frank Fenner Award for distinguished contributions to Australian research in Microbiology. In 2020, she was one of six scientists nationally to receive the Georgina Sweet Award for Women in Quantitative Biomedical Sciences, with special recognition for Inclusivity.

Lab website: https://research.qut.edu.au/ciic/projects/bacterial-pathogenesis-research/

Pronouns: she / her

+61 7 3138 0410

makrina.totsika@qut.edu.au

View location details(QUT staff and student access only)

Personal details

Positions

Principal Research Fellow
Faculty of Health,
School of Biomedical Sciences

Keywords

bacterial pathogenesis, adhesins, biofilms, virulence, urinary tract infections, intestinal infections, E. coli, Salmonella, antimicrobial resistance, antivirulence therapeutics

Research field

Medical microbiology, Microbiology, Genetics

Field of Research code, Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC), 2020

Qualifications

PhD (University of Edinburgh)

Professional memberships and associations

Fellow of the Australian Society for Microbiology (FASM), Member of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), Member of the Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR)

Teaching

Microbiology 2nd and 3rd year units - LQB362, LQB494, LQB594 Infectious Diseases Capstone unit - LQB694 WILS, VRES, Honours, Masters, MPhil and PhD program

Experience

Real World Engagement

2017-2019 Flying Scientist, 'Engaging Rural Queenslanders in Science', Office of the Queensland Chief Scientist and Wonder of Science Program

2019 Wonder of Science Program, QLD State Conference - Brisbane, 'Speed Meet the Scientist’

2018 Regional World Science Festival - Toowoomba, ‘BUGS & DRUGS: The Resistance Wars’

2017 Regional World Science Festival - Chinchilla, ‘Amazing Microbes’

2015 - current, Research Supervisor, QUT STEM for High Schools Research Internships Program

2014 National Science Week, QUT Public Lecture, 'When antibiotics stop working, the bugs fight back'

2012 QLD Finalist, Fresh Science Competition, 'Meet the next deadly E. coli superbug'

Publications

Research outputs by year

Contribution to a Journal
Contribution to a Newspaper / Magazine or Website
Working Paper

{ "year": 2015, "totalForYear": 5, "totalCumulative": 52, "totalForYearPerCategory": { "cat1": 5, "cat2": 0, "cat3": 0, "cat4": 0, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 }, "totalCumulativePerCategory": { "cat1": 52, "cat2": 0, "cat3": 0, "cat4": 0, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 } }

5 new publications in 2015

{ "year": 2016, "totalForYear": 8, "totalCumulative": 60, "totalForYearPerCategory": { "cat1": 8, "cat2": 0, "cat3": 0, "cat4": 0, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 }, "totalCumulativePerCategory": { "cat1": 60, "cat2": 0, "cat3": 0, "cat4": 0, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 } }

8 new publications in 2016

{ "year": 2017, "totalForYear": 5, "totalCumulative": 65, "totalForYearPerCategory": { "cat1": 5, "cat2": 0, "cat3": 0, "cat4": 0, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 }, "totalCumulativePerCategory": { "cat1": 65, "cat2": 0, "cat3": 0, "cat4": 0, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 } }

5 new publications in 2017

{ "year": 2018, "totalForYear": 3, "totalCumulative": 68, "totalForYearPerCategory": { "cat1": 3, "cat2": 0, "cat3": 0, "cat4": 0, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 }, "totalCumulativePerCategory": { "cat1": 68, "cat2": 0, "cat3": 0, "cat4": 0, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 } }

3 new publications in 2018

{ "year": 2019, "totalForYear": 6, "totalCumulative": 74, "totalForYearPerCategory": { "cat1": 5, "cat2": 1, "cat3": 0, "cat4": 0, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 }, "totalCumulativePerCategory": { "cat1": 73, "cat2": 1, "cat3": 0, "cat4": 0, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 } }

6 new publications in 2019

{ "year": 2020, "totalForYear": 4, "totalCumulative": 78, "totalForYearPerCategory": { "cat1": 4, "cat2": 0, "cat3": 0, "cat4": 0, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 }, "totalCumulativePerCategory": { "cat1": 77, "cat2": 1, "cat3": 0, "cat4": 0, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 } }

4 new publications in 2020

{ "year": 2021, "totalForYear": 9, "totalCumulative": 87, "totalForYearPerCategory": { "cat1": 8, "cat2": 1, "cat3": 0, "cat4": 0, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 }, "totalCumulativePerCategory": { "cat1": 85, "cat2": 2, "cat3": 0, "cat4": 0, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 } }

9 new publications in 2021

{ "year": 2022, "totalForYear": 12, "totalCumulative": 99, "totalForYearPerCategory": { "cat1": 12, "cat2": 0, "cat3": 0, "cat4": 0, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 }, "totalCumulativePerCategory": { "cat1": 97, "cat2": 2, "cat3": 0, "cat4": 0, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 } }

12 new publications in 2022

{ "year": 2023, "totalForYear": 9, "totalCumulative": 108, "totalForYearPerCategory": { "cat1": 9, "cat2": 0, "cat3": 0, "cat4": 0, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 }, "totalCumulativePerCategory": { "cat1": 106, "cat2": 2, "cat3": 0, "cat4": 0, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 } }

9 new publications in 2023

{ "year": 2024, "totalForYear": 5, "totalCumulative": 113, "totalForYearPerCategory": { "cat1": 4, "cat2": 0, "cat3": 1, "cat4": 0, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 }, "totalCumulativePerCategory": { "cat1": 110, "cat2": 2, "cat3": 1, "cat4": 0, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 } }

5 new publications in 2024

{ "year": 2025, "totalForYear": 1, "totalCumulative": 114, "totalForYearPerCategory": { "cat1": 1, "cat2": 0, "cat3": 0, "cat4": 0, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 }, "totalCumulativePerCategory": { "cat1": 111, "cat2": 2, "cat3": 1, "cat4": 0, "cat5": 0, "cat6": 0, "cat7": 0, "cat8": 0, "cat9": 0, "other": 0 } }

1 new publication in 2025201520162017201820192020202120222023202420250510152020152016201720182019202020212022202320242025

Verderosa, A., Dhouib, R., Fairfull-Smith, K. & Totsika, M. (2020). Nitroxide functionalized antibiotics are promising eradication agents against Staphylococcus aureus biofilms. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 64(1), 1–13. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/197197
Totsika, M., Vagenas, D., Paxman, J., Wang, G., Dhouib, R., Sharma, P., Martin, J., Scanlon, M. & Heras, B. (2018). Inhibition of diverse DsbA enzymes in multi-DsbA encoding pathogens. Antioxidants and Redox Signaling, 29(7), 1–14. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/223528
Sarkar, S., Hutton, M., Vagenas, D., Ruter, R., Schuller, S., Lyras, D., Schembri, M. & Totsika, M. (2018). Intestinal colonization traits of pandemic multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli ST131. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 218(6), 979–990. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/223585
Totsika, M., (2016). Benefits and challenges of antivirulence antimicrobials at the dawn of the post-antibiotic era. Drug Delivery Letters, 6(1), 30–37. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/93573
Petty, N., Ben Zakour, N., Stanton-Cook, M., Skippington, E., Totsika, M., Forde, B., Phan, M., Gomes Moriel, D., Peters, K., Davies, M., Rogers, B., Dougan, G., Rodriguez-Bano, J., Pascual, A., Pitout, J., Upton, M., Paterson, D., Walsh, T., Schembri, M. & Beatson, S. (2014). Global dissemination of a multidrug resistant Escherichia coli clone. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 111(15), 5694–5699. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/77377
Heras, B., Totsika, M., Peters, K., Paxman, J., Gee, C., Jarrott, R., Perugini, M., Whitten, A. & Schembri, M. (2014). The antigen 43 structure reveals a molecular Velcro-like mechanism of autotransporter-mediated bacterial clumping. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 111(1), 457–462. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/77379
Totsika, M., Kostakioti, M., Hannan, T., Upton, M., Beatson, S., Janetka, J., Hultgren, S. & Schembri, M. (2013). A FimH inhibitor prevents acute bladder infection and treats chronic cystitis caused by multidrug-resistant uropathogenic Escherichia coli ST131. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 208(6), 921–928. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/77382
Totsika, M., Wells, T., Beloin, C., Valle, J., Allsopp, L., King, N. & Ghigo, J. (2012). Molecular characterization of the EhaG and UpaG trimeric autotransporter proteins from pathogenic Escherichia coli. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 78(7), 2179–2189. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/77390
Totsika, M., Beatson, S., Sarkar, S., Phan, M., Petty, N., Bachmann, N., Szubert, M., Sidjabat, H., Paterson, D., Upton, M. & Schembri, M. (2011). Insights into a multidrug resistant Escherichia coli pathogen of the globally disseminated ST131 lineage: genome analysis and virulence mechanisms. PLoS One, 6(10), 1–11. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/77394
Heras, B., Shouldice, S., Totsika, M., Scanlon, M., Schembri, M. & Martin, J. (2009). DSB proteins and bacterial pathogenicity. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 7(3), 215–225. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/77411

QUT ePrints

For more publications by Makrina, explore their research in QUT ePrints (our digital repository).

View more publications

Filter publications:

2025

Qin, J., Hong, Y., Maczuga, N. T., Morona, R. & Totsika, M. (2025). Tolerance mechanisms in polysaccharide biosynthesis: Implications for undecaprenol phosphate recycling in Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri. PLoS Genetics, Article e1011591, 21(1). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/255843

2024

Gavin, N. C., Wignall, E., Marsh, N., Marquart, L., Dobeli, K. L., O'Brien, C., Verderosa, A. D., Totsika, M. & Keogh, S. (2024). Perforated intravenous catheter design is acceptable for the administration of contrast-enhanced computed tomography administration in cancer patients: Results of a pilot randomised controlled trial. Journal of Vascular Access, 25(5), 1519–1527. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/248480
Qin, J., Hong, Y. & Totsika, M. (2024). Determining glycosyltransferase functional order via lethality due to accumulated O-antigen intermediates, exemplified with Shigella flexneri O-antigen biosynthesis. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Article e02203-23, 90(6). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/254807
Hong, Y., Qin, J., Mitchell, L., Paxman, J. J., Heras, B. & Totsika, M. (2024). Bacterial suppressor-of-copper-sensitivity proteins exhibit diverse thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase cellular functions. iScience, Article 111392, 27(12). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/254808
Qin, J., Hong, Y., Morona, R. & Totsika, M. (2024). Tolerance Mechanisms in Polysaccharide Biosynthesis: Implications for Undecaprenol Phosphate Recycling in Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri.
Penning, S., Hong, Y., Cunliffe, T., Hor, L., Totsika, M., Paxman, J. J. & Heras, B. (2024). Unveiling the versatility of the thioredoxin framework: Insights from the structural examination of Francisella tularensis DsbA1. Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal, 23, 4324–4336. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/255845

2023

Hong, Y., Hu, D., Verderosa, A., Qin, J., Totsika, M. & Reeves, P. R. (2023). Repeat-Unit Elongations To Produce Bacterial Complex Long Polysaccharide Chains, an O-Antigen Perspective. EcoSal Plus, 11(1). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/237342
Wang, G., Qin, J., Verderosa, A. D., Hor, L., Santos-Martin, C., Paxman, J. J., Martin, J. L., Totsika, M. & Heras, B. (2023). A Buried Water Network Modulates the Activity of the Escherichia coli Disulphide Catalyst DsbA. Antioxidants, Article 380, 12(2). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/239030
Hong, Y., Qin, J., Bertran Forga, X. & Totsika, M. (2023). Extensive Diversity in Escherichia coli Group 3 Capsules Is Driven by Recombination and Plasmid Transfer from Multiple Species. Microbiology Spectrum, 11(4), e0143223. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/240996
Ndukwe, A. R. N., Hawas, S., Qin, J., Wiedbrauk, S., Totsika, M., Boase, N. R. B. & Fairfull-Smith, K. E. (2023). Simple and Efficient Synthesis of 3-Aryl-2-oxazolidinone Scaffolds Enabling Increased Potency toward Biofilms. Molecular Pharmaceutics, 20(7), 3484–3493. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/243577
Qin, J., Hong, Y., Morona, R. & Totsika, M. (2023). O antigen biogenesis sensitises Escherichia coli K-12 to bile salts, providing a plausible explanation for its evolutionary loss. PLoS Genetics, Article e1010996, 19(10). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/245114
Hong, Y., Qin, J. & Totsika, M. (2023). A conditional nature for the synthetical lethality between defects in lipid and peptidoglycan biosynthesis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 120(52). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/245386
Hawas, S., Qin, J., Wiedbrauk, S., Fairfull-Smith, K. & Totsika, M. (2023). Preclinical Evaluation of Nitroxide-Functionalised Ciprofloxacin as a Novel Antibiofilm Drug Hybrid for Urinary Tract Infections. Antibiotics, Article 1479, 12(10). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/245831
Ndukwe, A. R. N., Qin, J., Wiedbrauk, S., Boase, N. R. B., Fairfull-Smith, K. E. & Totsika, M. (2023). In Vitro Activities of Oxazolidinone Antibiotics Alone and in Combination with C-TEMPO against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms. Antibiotics, Article 1706, 12(12). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/245832
Hawas, S., Vagenas, D., Haque, A. & Totsika, M. (2023). Bladder-draining lymph nodes support germinal center B cell responses during urinary tract infection in mice. Infection and Immunity, Article e00317-23, 91(11). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/253548

A complete list of publications is available at: https://www.qut.edu.au/about/our-people/academic-profiles/makrina.totsika

Awards

Type: Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
Reference year: 2020
Details: Georgina Sweet Women in Quantitative Biomedical Sciences Award, including Excellence in Inclusivity

Type: Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
Reference year: 2018
Details: Frank Fenner Award

Type: Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
Reference year: 2016
Details: Winner of the Senior Researcher Category Health and Medical Research Award

Type: Academic Honours, Prestigious Awards or Prizes
Reference year: 2016
Details: Queensland Young Tall Poppy of the Year, Young Tall Poppy Science Awards

Type: Recipient of an Australia Council Grant or Australia Council Fellowship
Reference year: 2013
Details: ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA)

Selected research projects

Title: Eradicating Bacterial Biofilms with Nitroxide-Antimicrobial Hybrids
Primary fund type: CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
Project ID: DP210101317
Start year: 2021
Keywords: DP210101317

Title: Molecular Mechanisms of Novel Bacterial Copper Defense Proteins
Primary fund type: CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
Project ID: DP190101613
Start year: 2019
Keywords

Title: DsbA Foldases from Multidrug Resistant Pathogens as Targets for New Antimicrobials
Primary fund type: CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
Project ID: 1144046
Start year: 2018
Keywords: Infection; Virulence; Enzyme Inhibitors; Enzyme Activity; Antimicrobial Therapy

Title: DsbA Inhibitors: From Hits to Leads
Primary fund type: CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
Project ID: 1099151
Start year: 2016
Keywords

Title: The current multidrug resistant Escherichia coli pandemic: exploring novel therapies against the predominant culprit E. coli ST131.
Primary fund type: CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
Project ID: 1069370
Start year: 2014
Keywords: Escherichia Coli; Adhesins; Virulence; Urinary Tract Infection (UTI); Multidrug Resistance; Fimbriae; Infectious Diseases

Title: Understanding how bacteria become sticky
Primary fund type: CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
Project ID: DE130101169
Start year: 2013
Keywords: Bacterial Adhesins; Disulfide Bond Proteins; Periplasmic Chaperones

Projects listed above are funded by Australian Competitive Grants. Projects funded from other sources are not listed due to confidentiality agreements.

Supervision

Current supervisions

PhD, Principal Supervisor
Other supervisors: Professor Kathryn Fairfull-Smith
Characterising Regions of Genomic Variation in 'Critical Priority' Multi-drug Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii
PhD, Mentoring Supervisor
Other supervisors: Dr Johanna Kenyon, Dr Yaoqin Hong
PhD, Associate Supervisor
Other supervisors: Professor Kathryn Fairfull-Smith, Dr Sandra Wiedbrauk

Completed supervisions (Doctorate)

Completed supervisions (Masters by Research)

Supervision topics

The supervisions listed above are only a selection.

Associate ProfessorMakrina Totsika

Biography

Personal details

Positions

Keywords

Research field

Qualifications

Professional memberships and associations

Teaching

Experience

Publications

Research outputs by year

Selected publications

QUT ePrints

All publicationsLatest publications

2025

2024

2023

Awards

Selected research projects

Supervision

Current supervisions

Completed supervisions (Doctorate)

Completed supervisions (Masters by Research)

Supervision topics

Associate Professor
Makrina Totsika