Professor Si Ming Man

Contacts

Contact email:siming.man@anu.edu.au
Contact phone:+61 2 612 56793
Location:Room: 3.216
Centre:Division of Immunology and Infectious Diseases
Link:ANU Researchers profile
BMedSc (Hons), PhD (Cambridge)
Group Leader - The Man Group
Centenary Fellow

Training:

  • UNSW Australia, Sydney, Australia
  • University of Cambridge, UK
  • St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Honours and Awards:

  • Commonwealth Health Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Health and Medical Research 2019
  • The Royal Society of NSW Edgeworth David Medal 2019
  • NHMRC Research Excellence Award 2019
  • NHMRC R.D. Wright Career Development Fellowship, Biomedical, 2019–2022
  • Fellowship of the Australian Society for Microbiology (FASM) 2019
  • The American Association of Immunologists Pfizer-Showell Award 2019
  • The Australian Society for Microbiology Jim Pittard Early Career Award 2017
  • National Association of Research Fellows of NHMRC Postdoctoral Investigator Award 2017
  • The Gordon Ada Early Career Researcher Award 2017
  • The International Cytokine & Interferon Society Milstein Young Investigator Award 2016
  • The American Association of Immunologists Thermo Fisher Trainee Achievement Award 2016
  • NHMRC Research Excellence Award 2015
  • NHMRC/R.G. Menzies Early Career Fellowship 2015–2018
  • Neoma Boadway Endowed Fellowship – St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 2014
  • Cambridge International Scholarship, University of Cambridge, U.K. 2009–2013
  • UNSW Faculty of Science Award for Excellence in Sessional Teaching – UNSW, 2009

Research interests

Our lab investigates the role of innate immunity in infectious diseases and cancer. Pattern-recognition receptors are germ-line encoded innate immune sensors which detect pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). These receptors activate signalling pathways and mediate the production of inflammatory cytokines, type I interferons and other anti-microbial molecules. We use cutting-edge technology to study the mechanisms by which host sensors recognise bacteria, viruses and parasites, and how these sensors shape the overall immune response to infection. We also study the molecular basis by which uncontrolled inflammation can lead to the development of cancer, autoimmunity and inflammatory diseases.

Student Projects

  • Uncovering how host cells recognise and respond to intracellular pathogens and danger signals.
  • Unravelling the molecular mechanisms of inflammasome formation.
  • Understanding the role of innate immune sensors in regulating the development of cancer and the composition of the gut microbiota.
  • Identifying novel activators and inhibitors of the innate immune system to prevent and treat infection, autoinflammatory diseases and cancer.

Groups

Mathur, A, Feng, S, Hayward, JA, Ngo, C, Fox, D, Atmosukarto, II,Price, JD, Schauer, K, Märtlbauer E, Robertson, AAB, Burgio, G, Fox, EM, Leppla, SH, Kaakoush, NO,Man, SM(2019) A multi-component toxin from Bacillus cereus incites inflammation and shapes host outcome via the NLRP3 inflammasome. Nature Microbiology. 4:362–374.

Fox, D,* Mathur, A,* Xue, Y, Liu, Y, Tan, WH, Feng, S, Pandey, A, Ngo, C, Hayward, JA, Atmosukarto, II,Price, JD, Johnson, MD, Jessberger, N, Robertson, AAB, Burgio, G, Tscharke, DC, Fox, EM, Leyton, DL, Kaakoush, NO,Märtlbauer E, Leppla, SH, Man, SM(2020) Non-Haemolytic Enteroxin is a non-redundant toxin driving activation of the inflammasome during Bacillus cereus infection. Nature Communications. 11:760. *Co-first author

Man, SM,* Karki, R,* Sasai, M, Place, DE, Kesavardhana, S, Temirov, J, Frase, S, Zhu, Q, Malireddi, RKS, Kuriakose, T, Peters, JL, Neale, G, Brown, SA, Yamamoto, M and Kanneganti, TD (2016) IRGB10 liberates bacterial ligands for sensing by the AIM2 and caspase-11–NLRP3 inflammasomes. Cell 167:382–396 *Co-first author

Man, SM,* Zhu, Q,* Zhu, L,* Liu, Z,* Karki, R, Malik, A, Sharma, D, Li, L, Malireddi, RKS, Gurung, P, Neale, G, Olsen, SR, Carter, RA, McGoldrick, DJ, Wu, G, Finkelstein, D, Vogel, P, Gilbertson, RJ and Kanneganti, TD (2015) Critical role for the DNA sensor AIM2 in stem cell proliferation and cancer. Cell 162:45-58 *Co-first author

Karki, R,* Man, SM,* Malireddi, RKS, Kesavardhana, S, Zhu, Q, Burton, AR, Sharma, BR, Pelletier, S, Vogel, P, Rosenstiel, P and Kanneganti, TD (2016) NLRC3 is an inhibitory sensor of PI3K–mTOR pathways in cancer. Nature 540:583–587 *Co-first author

Man, SM, Karki, R, Malireddi, RKS, Neale, G, Vogel, P, Yamamoto, M, Lamkanfi, M and Kanneganti, TD (2015) The transcription factor IRF1 and guanylate-binding proteins target AIM2 inflammasome activation by Francisella infection. Nature Immunology 16:467–475

Man, SM, Hopkins, LJ, Nugent, E, Cox, S, Gluck, IM, Tourlomousis, P, Wright, JA, Cicuta, P, Monie, TP and Bryant, CE (2014) Inflammasome activation causes dual recruitment of NLRC4 and NLRP3 to the same macromolecular complex. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 111: 7403-7408

Man, SM,* Ekpenyong, AE,* Tourlomousis, P, Achouri, S, Cammarota, E, Hughes, K, Rizzo A, Ng, G, Wright, JA, Cicuta, P, Guck, J and Bryant, CE (2014) Actin polymerization as a key innate immune effector mechanism to control Salmonella infection. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 111:17588–17593 *Co-first author


Man, SM (2018) Inflammasomes in the gastrointestinal tract: infection, cancer and gut microbiota homeostasis. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology. 15:721–737.

Man, SM and Kanneganti, TD (2016) Converging roles of caspases in inflammasome activation, cell death and innate immunity. Nature Reviews Immunology 16:7-21

Man, SM (2011) The clinical importance of emerging Campylobacter species. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology 8:669-685

Man, SM, Kaakoush, NO, Mitchell, HM (2011) The role of bacteria and pattern-recognition receptors in Crohn’s disease. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology 8:152-168

Qi, X,* Man, SM,* Malireddi, RKS, Karki, R, Lupfer, C, Gurung, P, Neale, G, Guy, CS, Lamkanfi, M and Kanneganti, TD (2016) Cathepsin B modulates lysosomal biogenesis and host defense against Francisella novicida infection. Journal of Experimental Medicine 213:2081-2097 *Co-first author

Kuriakose, T, Man, SM, Malireddi, RKS, Karki, R, Kesavardhana, S, Place, DE, Neale, G, Vogel, P, Kanneganti, TD (2016) ZBP1/DAI is an innate sensor of influenza virus triggering the NLRP3 inflammasome and programmed cell death pathways. Science Immunology 1:aag2045

Karki, R, Man SM, Malireddi, RKS, Gurung, P, Vogel, P, Lamkanfi, M and Kanneganti, TD (2015) Concerted activation of the AIM2 and NLRP3 inflammasomes orchestrates host protection against Aspergillus infection. Cell Host & Microbe 17:357-368

Kaakoush, NO, Castaño Rodriguez, N, Mitchell, HM and Man, SM (2015) Global epidemiology of Campylobacter infection. Clinical Microbiology Reviews 28:687-720 ‡ Corresponding author

Xue, Y, Enosi Tuipulotu, D, Tan, WH, Kay, C, Man, SM (2019) Emerging activators and regulators of inflammasomes and pyroptosis. Trends in Immunology. 40:1035-1052.

Kaakoush, NO, Castaño Rodriguez, N, Man, SM and Mitchell, HM (2015) Is Campylobacter to esophageal adenocarcinoma as Helicobacter is to gastric adenocarcinoma? Trends in Microbiology 23:455-462