Dr Sue Chin Nang is a Senior Research Fellow and leads the bacteriophage (phage) therapy team in the Laboratory of Antimicrobial Systems Pharmacology at the Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University. Her research tackles the global threat of antimicrobial resistance by combining traditional antibiotics with nontraditional phage approaches. Dr Nang is the recipient of the NHMRC Frank Fenner Investigator Grant Award for her research into combatting antimicrobial resistance through a cell free synthetic biology approach.
Drug resistant infections are taking more lives every year, and the therapeutic pipeline is not keeping pace with the growing threat. These infections have been predicted to cause 10 million deaths a year by 2050, and we were already nearly halfway there in 2019, when it was linked to 4.95 million deaths.
My path into this field was shaped by both scientific curiosity and a desire to contribute to a global challenge.
The concept that a virus could be deployed to combat bacterial infections fascinated me. We usually think of viruses as something to be feared, yet here was a virus capable of healing rather than harming.
Phages have been used for therapeutic purposes for more than a century, predating the antibiotic era. However, the rapid rise and widespread availability of antibiotics soon overshadowed phage therapy. As phage therapy was largely abandoned for so long, our understanding of how to use phages most effectively remained limited.
Key questions about phage selection, dosing, delivery and resistance management were left unanswered. As a result, phage therapy lacks the robust clinical evidence or practical guidelines needed to support their optimal use.
I’m passionate about developing an innovative, rapid phage therapy platform that could transform the way personalised phage treatments are delivered.
This Investigator Grant provides an opportunity for me to bring this vision to life by creating a proof-of-concept ‘one-stop’ platform that helps clinicians take a patient seamlessly from diagnosis to personalised treatment.
Using the latest tools in synthetic biology, pharmacology, and molecular technology, I hope to make phage therapy faster, more precise, and much easier for clinicians to implement.
The ultimate aim is simple but ambitious: to ensure that patients facing stubborn bacterial infections can receive the right phage, at the right time, without unnecessary delays.
Research often feels like navigating a long, winding path, full of uncertainties and setbacks. My advice for early career researchers is to stay curious, be resilient and embrace opportunities that push you beyond your comfort zone. Some of the most rewarding discoveries emerge where disciplines intersect or where assumptions are questioned.
One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is the importance of embracing uncertainty.
Rather than seeing uncertainty as a barrier, I’ve come to view it as the space where innovation takes root. It is often at these boundaries between what we know and what we have yet to understand that the most meaningful advances begin.
Receiving this award is an incredibly meaningful moment in my career. To have my research work recognised is deeply affirming. This award strengthens the momentum behind our efforts to address one of the most pressing health challenges of our time: antimicrobial resistance. It also brings valuable visibility to the field of bacteriophage (phage) therapy at a time when effective alternatives are urgently needed.