Biography
Jeffrey Mak (PhD) is an organic chemist at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience. His publications cover a range of disciplines such as biological and medicinal chemistry, total synthesis, and physical organic chemistry. Dr Mak was selected as a Rising Star of Chemistry by the Australian Journal of Chemistry (2022).
Jeffrey Mak was awarded the Harriett Marks Bursary and a UQ University Medal before undertaking doctorate studies in natural product total synthesis with Prof. Craig Williams. This culminated in the first total synthesis of two caged diterpenes, (−)-neovibsanin G and (−)-14-epi-neovibsanin G. Next, he joined Prof. David Fairlie's group at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience. He is currently active in the fields of chemical biology and drug development. He is recognised for his development of ligands that modulate mucosal associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, which are a newly characterised subset of immune cells important in antibacterial defence (Accounts of Chemical Research, 2021). In 2014, he was part of an Australian team that discovered the identity of the ligands that activate MAIT cells, as published in Nature, playing a key role in the chemical synthesis and characterisation of the unstable and structurally unprecedented ligands (Nature Communications, 2017). He was selected as a CAS SciFinder Future Leader by the Chemical Abstract Service (a division of the American Chemical Society, 2017). In 2018, Dr Mak was chief investigator on a UQ Early Career Researcher Grant for developing new drug leads that target MAIT cells. Other recent awards include RSC Twitter Poster Conference (Chemical Biology) 1st Prize (2018), and a CASS Travel Award (2018).
Dr Mak has lectured in the undergraduate course Advanced Organic Chemistry (CHEM3001, 2017-2023). He has also served as an ACS Wikipedia Fellow to systematically improve the chemistry and scientific content on Wikipedia (2018). He is currently a member of the UQ Cultural Inclusion Council.
Student projects
Projects in medicinal chemistry, synthesis, and chemical biology are available for enthusiastic organic chemistry students at all levels (PhD, Masters, Honours, Undergraduate). These include the design and synthesis of:
Previous student publications:
Research tools
Dr Mak played the key role in the synthesis of the ligands 5-OP-RU and its functionally similar and stable analogue as MAIT cell research reagents (1 patent). These are currently used in twenty labs worldwide and have enabled >15 papers in the MAIT cell field.
Selected talks
Selected awards
Dr Mak has received >10 awards/honours since 2007, including:
Journal Article: Chemical modulators of mucosal associated Invariant T cells
Mak, Jeffrey Y.W., Liu, Ligong and Fairlie, David P. (2021). Chemical modulators of mucosal associated Invariant T cells. Accounts of Chemical Research, 54 (17) acs.accounts.1c00359, 3462-3475. doi: 10.1021/acs.accounts.1c00359
Journal Article: HDAC7 inhibition by phenacetyl and phenylbenzoyl hydroxamates
Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Wu, Kai-Chen, Gupta, Praveer K., Barbero, Sheila, McLaughlin, Maddison G., Lucke, Andrew J., Tng, Jiahui, Lim, Junxian, Loh, Zhixuan, Sweet, Matthew J, Reid, Robert C., Liu, Ligong and Fairlie, David P. (2021). HDAC7 inhibition by phenacetyl and phenylbenzoyl hydroxamates. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 64 (4), 2186-2204. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01967
Journal Article: Endoplasmic reticulum chaperones stabilize ligand-receptive MR1 molecules for efficient presentation of metabolite antigens
McWilliam, Hamish E. G., Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Awad, Wael, Zorkau, Matthew, Cruz-Gomez, Sebastian, Lim, Hui Jing, Yan, Yuting, Wormald, Sam, Dagley, Laura F., Eckle, Sidonia B. G., Corbett, Alexandra J., Liu, Haiyin, Li, Shihan, Reddiex, Scott J. J., Mintern, Justine D., Liu, Ligong, McCluskey, James, Rossjohn, Jamie, Fairlie, David P. and Villadangos, Jose A. (2020). Endoplasmic reticulum chaperones stabilize ligand-receptive MR1 molecules for efficient presentation of metabolite antigens. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117 (40), 1-12. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2011260117
Journal Article: Stabilizing short-lived Schiff base derivatives of 5-aminouracils that activate mucosal-associated invariant T cells
Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Xu, Weijun, Reid, Robert C., Corbett, Alexandra J., Meehan, Bronwyn S., Wang, Huimeng, Chen, Zhenjun, Rossjohn, Jamie, McCluskey, James, Liu, Ligong and Fairlie, David P. (2017). Stabilizing short-lived Schiff base derivatives of 5-aminouracils that activate mucosal-associated invariant T cells. Nature Communications, 8 (1) 14599, 14599. doi: 10.1038/ncomms14599
Journal Article: Natural Products with Anti-Bredt and Bridgehead Double Bonds
Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Pouwer, Rebecca H. and Williams, Craig M. (2014). Natural Products with Anti-Bredt and Bridgehead Double Bonds. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 53 (50), 13664-13688. doi: 10.1002/anie.201400932
Journal Article: T-cell activation by transitory neo-antigens derived from distinct microbial pathways
Corbett, Alexandra J., Eckle, Sidonia B. G., Birkinshaw, Richard W., Liu, Ligong, Patel, Onisha, Mahony, Jennifer, Chen, Zhenjun, Reantragoon, Rangsima, Meehan, Bronwyn, Cao, Hanwei, Williamson, Nicholas A., Strugnell, Richard A., Van Sinderen, Douwe, Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Fairlie, David P., Kjer-Nielsen, Lars, Rossjohn, Jamie and McClusky, James (2014). T-cell activation by transitory neo-antigens derived from distinct microbial pathways. Nature, 509 (7500), 361-365. doi: 10.1038/nature13160
Journal Article: Enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-neovibsanin G and (-)-14-epi-neovibsanin G
Mak, Jeffrey Y.W. and Williams, Craig M. (2012). Enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-neovibsanin G and (-)-14-epi-neovibsanin G. Chemical Communications, 48 (2), 287-289. doi: 10.1039/c1cc15995j
Developing a drug lead to target a new and abundant immune cell
(2018) UQ Early Career Researcher
Continuous-Flow Hydrogenation Reactor (H-Cube Pro)
(2014) UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
Design and synthesis of novel Major histocompatibility complex class I-Related protein ligands
Doctor Philosophy
Discovering novel anticancer drugs
Doctor Philosophy
Novel chemical approaches to drugs that selectively target immune cells
Doctor Philosophy
Chemical modulators of mucosal associated Invariant T cells
Mak, Jeffrey Y.W., Liu, Ligong and Fairlie, David P. (2021). Chemical modulators of mucosal associated Invariant T cells. Accounts of Chemical Research, 54 (17) acs.accounts.1c00359, 3462-3475. doi: 10.1021/acs.accounts.1c00359
HDAC7 inhibition by phenacetyl and phenylbenzoyl hydroxamates
Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Wu, Kai-Chen, Gupta, Praveer K., Barbero, Sheila, McLaughlin, Maddison G., Lucke, Andrew J., Tng, Jiahui, Lim, Junxian, Loh, Zhixuan, Sweet, Matthew J, Reid, Robert C., Liu, Ligong and Fairlie, David P. (2021). HDAC7 inhibition by phenacetyl and phenylbenzoyl hydroxamates. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 64 (4), 2186-2204. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01967
McWilliam, Hamish E. G., Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Awad, Wael, Zorkau, Matthew, Cruz-Gomez, Sebastian, Lim, Hui Jing, Yan, Yuting, Wormald, Sam, Dagley, Laura F., Eckle, Sidonia B. G., Corbett, Alexandra J., Liu, Haiyin, Li, Shihan, Reddiex, Scott J. J., Mintern, Justine D., Liu, Ligong, McCluskey, James, Rossjohn, Jamie, Fairlie, David P. and Villadangos, Jose A. (2020). Endoplasmic reticulum chaperones stabilize ligand-receptive MR1 molecules for efficient presentation of metabolite antigens. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117 (40), 1-12. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2011260117
Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Xu, Weijun, Reid, Robert C., Corbett, Alexandra J., Meehan, Bronwyn S., Wang, Huimeng, Chen, Zhenjun, Rossjohn, Jamie, McCluskey, James, Liu, Ligong and Fairlie, David P. (2017). Stabilizing short-lived Schiff base derivatives of 5-aminouracils that activate mucosal-associated invariant T cells. Nature Communications, 8 (1) 14599, 14599. doi: 10.1038/ncomms14599
Natural Products with Anti-Bredt and Bridgehead Double Bonds
Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Pouwer, Rebecca H. and Williams, Craig M. (2014). Natural Products with Anti-Bredt and Bridgehead Double Bonds. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 53 (50), 13664-13688. doi: 10.1002/anie.201400932
T-cell activation by transitory neo-antigens derived from distinct microbial pathways
Corbett, Alexandra J., Eckle, Sidonia B. G., Birkinshaw, Richard W., Liu, Ligong, Patel, Onisha, Mahony, Jennifer, Chen, Zhenjun, Reantragoon, Rangsima, Meehan, Bronwyn, Cao, Hanwei, Williamson, Nicholas A., Strugnell, Richard A., Van Sinderen, Douwe, Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Fairlie, David P., Kjer-Nielsen, Lars, Rossjohn, Jamie and McClusky, James (2014). T-cell activation by transitory neo-antigens derived from distinct microbial pathways. Nature, 509 (7500), 361-365. doi: 10.1038/nature13160
Enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-neovibsanin G and (-)-14-epi-neovibsanin G
Mak, Jeffrey Y.W. and Williams, Craig M. (2012). Enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-neovibsanin G and (-)-14-epi-neovibsanin G. Chemical Communications, 48 (2), 287-289. doi: 10.1039/c1cc15995j
Thiazoles in peptides and peptidomimetics
Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Xu, Weijun and Fairlie, David P. (2017). Thiazoles in peptides and peptidomimetics. Peptidomimetics I. (pp. 235-266) edited by William D. Lubell. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/7081_2015_176
Sulfated bile acid is a host-derived ligand for MAIT cells
Ito, Emi, Inuki, Shinsuke, Izumi, Yoshihiro, Takahashi, Masatomo, Dambayashi, Yuki, Ciacchi, Lisa, Awad, Wael, Takeyama, Ami, Shibata, Kensuke, Mori, Shotaro, Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Fairlie, David P., Bamba, Takeshi, Ishikawa, Eri, Nagae, Masamichi, Rossjohn, Jamie and Yamasaki, Sho (2024). Sulfated bile acid is a host-derived ligand for MAIT cells. Science Immunology, 9 (91), eade6924. doi: 10.1126/sciimmunol.ade6924
Kammann, Tobias, Gorin, Jean-Baptiste, Parrot, Tiphaine, Gao, Yu, Ponzetta, Andrea, Emgård, Johanna, Maleki, Kimia T., Sekine, Takuya, Rivera-Ballesteros, Olga, Gredmark-Russ, Sara, Rooyackers, Olav, Skagerberg, Magdalena, Eriksson, Lars I., Norrby-Teglund, Anna, Mak, Jeffrey Y.W., Fairlie, David P., Björkström, Niklas K., Klingström, Jonas, Ljunggren, Hans-Gustaf, Aleman, Soo, Buggert, Marcus, Strålin, Kristoffer, Sandberg, Johan K. and Karolinska COVID-19 Study Group (2023). Dynamic MAIT Cell Recovery after Severe COVID-19 Is Transient with Signs of Heterogeneous Functional Anomalies. The Journal of Immunology, 212 (3), 389-396. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300639
Nelson, Adam G., Wang, Huimeng, Dewar, Phoebe M., Eddy, Eleanor M., Li, Songyi, Lim, Xin Yi, Patton, Timothy, Zhou, Yuchen, Pediongco, Troi J., Meehan, Lucy J., Meehan, Bronwyn S., Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Fairlie, David P., Stent, Andrew W., Kjer-Nielsen, Lars, McCluskey, James, Eckle, Sidonia B. G., Corbett, Alexandra J., Souter, Michael N. T. and Chen, Zhenjun (2023). Synthetic 5-amino-6-D-ribitylaminouracil paired with inflammatory stimuli facilitates MAIT cell expansion in vivo. Frontiers in Immunology, 14 1109759, 1-15. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1109759
Wang, Yizhuo, Abrol, Rishika, Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Das Gupta, Kaustav, Ramnath, Divya, Karunakaran, Denuja, Fairlie, David P. and Sweet, Matthew J. (2023). Histone deacetylase 7: a signalling hub controlling development, inflammation, metabolism and disease. The FEBS Journal, 290 (11), 2805-2832. doi: 10.1111/febs.16437
Wang, Carl J.H., Awad, Wael, Liu, Ligong, Mak, Jeffrey Y.W., Veerapen, Natacha, Illing, Patricia T., Purcell, Anthony W., Eckle, Sidonia B.G., McCluskey, James, Besra, Gurdyal S., Fairlie, David P., Rossjohn, Jamie and Le Nours, Jérôme (2022). Quantitative affinity measurement of small molecule ligand binding to Major Histocompatibility Complex class-I related protein 1 MR1. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 298 (12) 102714, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102714
A specialized tyrosine-based endocytosis signal in MR1 controls antigen presentation to MAIT cells
Lim, Hui Jing, Wubben, Jacinta M., Garcia, Cristian Pinero, Cruz-Gomez, Sebastian, Deng, Jieru, Mak, Jeffrey Y.W., Hachani, Abderrahman, Anderson, Regan J., Painter, Gavin F., Goyette, Jesse, Amarasinghe, Shanika L., Ritchie, Matthew E., Roquilly, Antoine, Fairlie, David P., Gaus, Katharina, Rossjohn, Jamie, Villadangos, Jose A. and McWilliam, Hamish E.G. (2022). A specialized tyrosine-based endocytosis signal in MR1 controls antigen presentation to MAIT cells. Journal of Cell Biology, 221 (12) e202110125. doi: 10.1083/jcb.202110125
Souter, Michael N.T., Awad, Wael, Li, Shihan, Pediongco, Troi J., Meehan, Bronwyn S., Meehan, Lucy J., Tian, Zehua, Zhao, Zhe, Wang, Huimeng, Nelson, Adam, Le Nours, Jérôme, Khandokar, Yogesh, Praveena, T., Wubben, Jacinta, Lin, Jie, Sullivan, Lucy C., Lovrecz, George O., Mak, Jeffrey Y.W., Liu, Ligong, Kostenko, Lyudmila, Kedzierska, Katherine, Corbett, Alexandra J., Fairlie, David P., Brooks, Andrew G., Gherardin, Nicholas A., Uldrich, Adam P., Chen, Zhenjun, Rossjohn, Jamie, Godfrey, Dale I. ... Eckle, Sidonia B.G. (2022). CD8 coreceptor engagement of MR1 enhances antigen responsiveness by human MAIT and other MR1-reactive T cells. Journal of Experimental Medicine, 219 (9) e20210828, 1-30. doi: 10.1084/jem.20210828
de Araujo, Aline Dantes, Hoang, Huy N., Lim, Junxian, Mak, Jeffrey and Fairlie, David P. (2022). Tuning electrostatic and hydrophobic surfaces of aromatic rings to enhance membrane association and cell uptake of peptides. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 61 (29) e202203995, e202203995. doi: 10.1002/anie.202203995
de Araujo, Aline D., Hoang, Huy N., Lim, Junxian, Mak, Jeffrey Y. W. and Fairlie, David P. (2022). Tuning Electrostatic and Hydrophobic Surfaces of Aromatic Rings to Enhance Membrane Association and Cell Uptake of Peptides. Angewandte Chemie, 134 (29). doi: 10.1002/ange.202203995
Wang, Huimeng, Nelson, Adam G., Wang, Bingjie, Zhao, Zhe, Lim, Xin Yi, Shi, Mai, Meehan, Lucy J., Jia, Xiaoxiao, Kedzierska, Katherine, Meehan, Bronwyn S., Eckle, Sidonia B. G., Souter, Michael N. T., Pediongco, Troi J., Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Fairlie, David P., McCluskey, James, Wang, Zhongfang, Corbett, Alexandra J. and Chen, Zhenjun (2022). The balance of IL ‐12 and IL ‐23 determines the bias of MAIT1 versus MAIT17 responses during bacterial infection. Immunology & Cell Biology, 100 (7), 547-561. doi: 10.1111/imcb.12556
Differential location of NKT and MAIT cells within lymphoid tissue
Johnson, Darryl N., Ruan, Zheng, Petley, Emma V., Devi, Sapna, Holz, Lauren E., Uldrich, Adam P., Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Hor, Jyh Liang, Mueller, Scott N., McCluskey, James, Fairlie, David P., Darcy, Phillip K., Beavis, Paul A., Heath, William R. and Godfrey, Dale I. (2022). Differential location of NKT and MAIT cells within lymphoid tissue. Scientific Reports, 12 (1) 4034, 4034. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-07704-4
Tran, Thao Thanh, Mathmann, Carmen D., Gatica-Andrades, Marcela, Rollo, Rachel F., Oelker, Melanie, Ljungberg, Johanna K., Nguyen, Tam T. K., Zamoshnikova, Alina, Kummari, Lalith K., Wyer, Orry J. K., Irvine, Katharine M., Melo-Bolívar, Javier, Gross, Annette, Brown, Darren, Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Fairlie, David P., Hansford, Karl A., Cooper, Matthew A., Giri, Rabina, Schreiber, Veronika, Joseph, Shannon R., Simpson, Fiona, Barnett, Timothy C., Johansson, Jörgen, Dankers, Wendy, Harris, James, Wells, Timothy J., Kapetanovic, Ronan, Sweet, Matthew J. ... Blumenthal, Antje (2022). Inhibition of the master regulator of Listeria monocytogenes virulence enables bacterial clearance from spacious replication vacuoles in infected macrophages. PLoS Pathogens, 18 (1) e1010166, e1010166. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010166
Human MAIT cells respond to and suppress HIV-1
Phetsouphanh, Chansavath, Phalora, Prabhjeet, Hackstein, Carl-Philipp, Thornhill, John, Munier, Mee Ling, Meyerowitz, Jodi, Murray, Lyle, VanVuuren, Cloete, Goedhals, Dominique, Drexhage, Linnea, Moore, Rebecca, Sattentau, Quentin J, Mak, Jeffrey YW, Fairlie, David P, Fidler, Sarah, Kelleher, Anthony, Frater, John and Klenerman, Paul (2021). Human MAIT cells respond to and suppress HIV-1. eLife, 10 e50324. doi: 10.7554/elife.50324
Chemical modulators of mucosal associated Invariant T cells
Mak, Jeffrey Y.W., Liu, Ligong and Fairlie, David P. (2021). Chemical modulators of mucosal associated Invariant T cells. Accounts of Chemical Research, 54 (17) acs.accounts.1c00359, 3462-3475. doi: 10.1021/acs.accounts.1c00359
MAIT cells regulate NK cell-mediated tumor immunity
Petley, Emma V., Koay, Hui-Fern, Henderson, Melissa A., Sek, Kevin, Todd, Kirsten L., Keam, Simon P., Lai, Junyun, House, Imran G., Li, Jasmine, Zethoven, Magnus, Chen, Amanda X. Y., Oliver, Amanda J., Michie, Jessica, Freeman, Andrew J., Giuffrida, Lauren, Chan, Jack D., Pizzolla, Angela, Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., McCulloch, Timothy R., Souza-Fonseca-Guimaraes, Fernando, Kearney, Conor J., Millen, Rosemary, Ramsay, Robert G., Huntington, Nicholas D., McCluskey, James, Oliaro, Jane, Fairlie, David P., Neeson, Paul J., Godfrey, Dale I. ... Darcy, Phillip K. (2021). MAIT cells regulate NK cell-mediated tumor immunity. Nature Communications, 12 (1) 4746, 1-15. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-25009-4
Zhao, Zhe, Wang, Huimeng, Shi, Mai, Zhu, Tianyuan, Pediongco, Troi, Lim, Xin Yi, Meehan, Bronwyn S., Nelson, Adam G., Fairlie, David P., Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Eckle, Sidonia B. G., de Lima Moreira, Marcela, Tumpach, Carolin, Bramhall, Michael, Williams, Cameron G., Lee, Hyun Jae, Haque, Ashraful, Evrard, Maximilien, Rossjohn, Jamie, McCluskey, James, Corbett, Alexandra J. and Chen, Zhenjun (2021). Francisella tularensis induces Th1 like MAIT cells conferring protection against systemic and local infection. Nature Communications, 12 (1) 4355, 1-15. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-24570-2
Identification and phenotype of MAIT cells in cattle and their response to bacterial infections
Edmans, Matthew D., Connelley, Timothy K., Jayaraman, Siddharth, Vrettou, Christina, Vordermeier, Martin, Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Liu, Ligong, Fairlie, David P., Maze, Emmanuel Atangana, Chrun, Tiphany, Klenerman, Paul, Eckle, Sidonia B. G., Tchilian, Elma and Benedictus, Lindert (2021). Identification and phenotype of MAIT cells in cattle and their response to bacterial infections. Frontiers in Immunology, 12 627173, 627173. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.627173
Howson, Lauren J., Li, Jasmine, von Borstel, Anouk, Barugahare, Adele, Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Fairlie, David P., McCluskey, James, Turner, Stephen J., Davey, Martin S. and Rossjohn, Jamie (2021). Mucosal-associated invariant t cell effector function is an intrinsic cell property that can be augmented by the metabolic cofactor α-ketoglutarate. The Journal of Immunology, 206 (7) ji2001048, 1425-1435. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.2001048
HDAC7 inhibition by phenacetyl and phenylbenzoyl hydroxamates
Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Wu, Kai-Chen, Gupta, Praveer K., Barbero, Sheila, McLaughlin, Maddison G., Lucke, Andrew J., Tng, Jiahui, Lim, Junxian, Loh, Zhixuan, Sweet, Matthew J, Reid, Robert C., Liu, Ligong and Fairlie, David P. (2021). HDAC7 inhibition by phenacetyl and phenylbenzoyl hydroxamates. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 64 (4), 2186-2204. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01967
Determination of sample concentrations by PULCON NMR spectroscopy
Mak, Jeffrey Y. W. (2021). Determination of sample concentrations by PULCON NMR spectroscopy. Australian Journal of Chemistry, 75 (2), 160-164. doi: 10.1071/ch21149
Leeansyah, Edwin, Hey, Ying Ying, Sia, Wan Rong, Ng, Justin Han Jia, Gulam, Muhammad Yaaseen, Boulouis, Caroline, Zhu, Feng, Ahn, Matae, Mak, Jeffrey Y.W., Fairlie, David P., Kwa, Andrea Lay Hoon, Sandberg, Johan K. and Wang, Lin-Fa (2020). MR1-restricted T cells with MAIT-like characteristics are functionally conserved in the Pteropid Bat Pteropus alecto. iScience, 23 (12) 101876, 101876. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101876
Yu, Huifeng, Yang, Amy, Derrick, Steven, Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Liu, Ligong, Fairlie, David P. and Cowley, Siobhan (2020). Artificially induced MAIT cells inhibit M. bovis BCG but not M. tuberculosis during in vivo pulmonary infection. Scientific Reports, 10 (1) 13579, 13579. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-70615-9
McWilliam, Hamish E. G., Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Awad, Wael, Zorkau, Matthew, Cruz-Gomez, Sebastian, Lim, Hui Jing, Yan, Yuting, Wormald, Sam, Dagley, Laura F., Eckle, Sidonia B. G., Corbett, Alexandra J., Liu, Haiyin, Li, Shihan, Reddiex, Scott J. J., Mintern, Justine D., Liu, Ligong, McCluskey, James, Rossjohn, Jamie, Fairlie, David P. and Villadangos, Jose A. (2020). Endoplasmic reticulum chaperones stabilize ligand-receptive MR1 molecules for efficient presentation of metabolite antigens. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117 (40), 1-12. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2011260117
Yu, Huifeng, Yang, Amy, Liu, Ligong, Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Fairlie, David P. and Cowley, Siobhan (2020). CXCL16 stimulates antigen-induced MAIT cell accumulation but trafficking during lung infection is CXCR6-independent. Frontiers in Immunology, 11 1773, 1773. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01773
Absence of mucosal-associated invariant T cells in a person with a homozygous point mutation in MR1
Howson, Lauren J., Awad, Wael, von Borstel, Anouk, Lim, Hui Jing, McWilliam, Hamish E. G., Sandoval-Romero, Maria L., Majumdar, Shamik, Hamzeh, Abdul Rezzak, Andrews, Thomas D., McDermott, David H., Murphy, Philip M., Le Nours, Jérôme, Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Liu, Ligong, Fairlie, David P., McCluskey, James, Villadangos, Jose A., Cook, Matthew C., Turner, Stephen J., Davey, Martin S., Ojaimi, Samar and Rossjohn, Jamie (2020). Absence of mucosal-associated invariant T cells in a person with a homozygous point mutation in MR1. Science Immunology, 5 (49) 9492, eabc9492. doi: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abc9492
Boulouis, Caroline, Sia, Wan Rong, Gulam, Muhammad Yaaseen, Teo, Jocelyn Qi Min, Png, Yi Tian, Phan, Thanh Kha, Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Fairlie, David P., Poon, Ivan K. H., Koh, Tse Hsien, Bergman, Peter, Lim, Chwee Ming, Wang, Lin-Fa, Kwa, Andrea Lay Hoon, Sandberg, Johan K. and Leeansyah, Edwin (2020). Human MAIT cell cytolytic effector proteins synergize to overcome carbapenem resistance in Escherichia coli. PLoS Biology, 18 (6) e3000644, e3000644. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000644
Koay, Hui Fern, Su, Shian, Amann-Zalcenstein, Daniela, Daley, Stephen R, Comerford, Iain, Whyte, Carly E, Konstantinov, Igor E, d’Udekem, Yves, Baldwin, Tracey, Hickey, Peter F, Berzins, Stuart P, Mak, Jeffrey Y.W., Kallies, Axel, Chen, Zhenjun, Nussing, Simone, Kedzierska, Katherine, Mackay, Laura K, McColl, Shaun R, Deenick, Elissa K, Fairlie, David P, McCluskey, James, Goodnow, Christopher C, Ritchie, Matthew E, Belz, Gabrielle T, Naik, Shalin H, Pellicci, Daniel G and Godfrey, Dale I (2020). A divergent transcriptional landscape underpins the development and functional branching of MAIT cells. The Journal of Immunology, 204 (1_Supplement), 223.8-223.8. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.204.supp.223.8
The molecular basis underpinning the potency and specificity of MAIT cell antigens
Awad, Wael, Ler, Geraldine J. M., Xu, Weijun, Keller, Andrew N., Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Lim, Xin Yi, Liu, Ligong, Eckle, Sidonia B. G., Le Nours, Jérôme, McCluskey, James, Corbett, Alexandra J., Fairlie, David P. and Rossjohn, Jamie (2020). The molecular basis underpinning the potency and specificity of MAIT cell antigens. Nature Immunology, 21 (4), 400-411. doi: 10.1038/s41590-020-0616-6
MAIT cells promote tumor initiation, growth and metastases via tumor MR1
Yan, Juming, Allen, Stacey, McDonald, Elizabeth, Das, Indrajit, Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Liu, Ligong, Fairlie, David P., Meehan, Bronwyn S., Chen, Zhenjun, Corbett, Alexandra J., Varelias, Antiopi, Smyth, Mark J. and Teng, Michele W. L. (2020). MAIT cells promote tumor initiation, growth and metastases via tumor MR1. Cancer Discovery, 10 (1), 124-141. doi: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-19-0569
Koay, H-. F., Su, S., Amann-Zalcenstein, D., Daley, S. R., Comerford, I., Miosge, L., Whyte, C. E., Konstantinov, I. E., d'Udekem, Y., Baldwin, T., Hickey, P. F., Berzins, S. P., Mak, J. Y. W., Sontani, Y., Roots, C. M., Sidwell, T., Kallies, A., Chen, Z., Nüssing, S., Kedzierska, K., Mackay, L. K., McColl, S. R., Deenick, E. K., Fairlie, D. P., McCluskey, J., Goodnow, C. C., Ritchie, M. E., Belz, G. T., Naik, S. H. ... Godfrey, D. I. (2019). A divergent transcriptional landscape underpins the development and functional branching of MAIT cells. Science Immunology, 4 (41) eaay6039, eaay6039. doi: 10.1126/sciimmunol.aay6039
Wang, Huimeng, Kjer-Nielsen, Lars, Shi, Mai, D'Souza, Criselle, Pediongco, Troi J., Cao, Hanwei, Kostenko, Lyudmila, Lim, Xin Yi, Eckle, Sidonia B. G., Meehan, Bronwyn S., Zhu, Tianyuan, Wang, Bingjie, Zhao, Zhe, Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Fairlie, David P., Teng, Michele W. L., Rossjohn, Jamie, Yu, Di, de St Groth, Barbara Fazekas, Lovrecz, George, Lu, Louis, McCluskey, James, Strugnell, Richard A., Corbett, Alexandra J. and Chen, Zhenjun (2019). IL-23 costimulates antigen-specific MAIT cell activation and enables vaccination against bacterial infection. Science Immunology, 4 (41) eaaw0402, eaaw0402. doi: 10.1126/sciimmunol.aaw0402
Ler, Geraldine J. M., Xu, Weijun, Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Liu, Ligong, Bernhardt, Paul V. and Fairlie, David P (2019). Computer modelling and synthesis of deoxy and monohydroxy analogues of a ribitylaminouracil bacterial metabolite that potently activates human T cells. Chemistry – A European Journal, 25 (68) chem.201903732, 15594-15608. doi: 10.1002/chem.201903732
Juno, Jennifer A., Wragg, Kathleen M., Amarasena, Thakshila, Meehan, Bronwyn S., Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Liu, Ligong, Fairlie, David P., McCluskey, James, Eckle, Sidonia B. G. and Kent, Stephen J. (2019). MAIT cells upregulate α4β7 in response to acute simian immunodeficiency virus/simian HIV infection but are resistant to peripheral depletion in pigtail macaques. The Journal of Immunology, 202 (7), ji1801405-2120. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1801405
MAIT cells protect against pulmonary Legionella longbeachae infection
Wang, Huimeng, D’Souza, Criselle, Lim, Xin Yi, Kostenko, Lyudmila, Pediongco, Troi J., Eckle, Sidonia B. G., Meehan, Bronwyn S., Shi, Mai, Wang, Nancy, Li, Shihan, Liu, Ligong, Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Fairlie, David P., Iwakura, Yoichiro, Gunnersen, Jennifer M., Stent, Andrew W., Godfrey, Dale I., Rossjohn, Jamie, Westall, Glen P., Kjer-Nielsen, Lars, Strugnell, Richard A., McCluskey, James, Corbett, Alexandra J., Hinks, Timothy S. C. and Chen, Zhenjun (2018). MAIT cells protect against pulmonary Legionella longbeachae infection. Nature Communications, 9 (1) 3350, 3350. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-05202-8
Recipient mucosal-associated invariant T cells control graft-versus-host-disease within the colon
Varelias, Antiopi, Bunting, Mark, Ormerod, Kate, Koyama, Motoko, Olver, Stuart, Straube, Jasmin, Kuns, Rachel, Robb, Renee, Henden, Andrea, Cooper, Leanne, Lachner, Nancy, Gartlan, Kate, Lantz, Olivier J., Kjer-Nielsen, Lars, Mak, Jeffrey, Fairlie, David, Clouston, Andrew, McCluskey, James, Rossjohn, Jamie, Lane, Steven, Hugenholtz, Phil and Hill, Geoff (2018). Recipient mucosal-associated invariant T cells control graft-versus-host-disease within the colon. The Journal of Immunology, 200 (1_Supplement), 55.15-55.15. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.200.supp.55.15
An overview on the identification of MAIT cell antigens
Kjer-Nielsen, Lars, Corbett, Alexandra J., Chen, Zhenjun, Liu, Ligong, Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Godfrey, Dale I., Rossjohn, Jamie, Fairlie, David P., McCluskey, James and Eckle, Sidonia B. G. (2018). An overview on the identification of MAIT cell antigens. Immunology and Cell Biology, 96 (6), 573-587. doi: 10.1111/imcb.12057
Recipient mucosal-associated invariant T cells control GVHD within the colon
Varelias, Antiopi, Bunting, Mark D., Ormerod, Kate L., Koyama, Motoko, Olver, Stuart D., Straube, Jasmin, Kuns, Rachel D., Robb, Renee J., Henden, Andrea S., Cooper, Leanne, Lachner, Nancy, Gartlan, Kate H., Lantz, Olivier, Kjer-Nielsen, Lars, Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Fairlie, David P., Clouston, Andrew D., McCluskey, James, Rossjohn, Jamie, Lane, Steven W., Hugenholtz, Philip and Hill, Geoffrey R. (2018). Recipient mucosal-associated invariant T cells control GVHD within the colon. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 128 (5), 1919-1936. doi: 10.1172/JCI91646
D'Souza, Criselle, Pediongco, Troi, Wang, Huimeng, Scheerlinck, Jean-Pierre Y., Kostenko, Lyudmila, Esterbauer, Robyn, Stent, Andrew W., Eckle, Sidonia B. G., Meehan, Bronwyn S., Strugnell, Richard A., Cao, Hanwei, Liu, Ligong, Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Lovrecz, George, Lu, Louis, Fairlie, David P., Rossjohn, Jamie, McCluskey, James, Every, Alison L., Chen, Zhenjun and Corbett, Alexandra J. (2018). Mucosal-Associated Invariant T Cells Augment Immunopathology and Gastritis in Chronic Helicobacter pylori Infection. Journal of Immunology, 200 (5), 1901-1916. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1701512
Stoermer, Martin J., Wickramasinghe, Wasantha A., Byriel, Karl A., Hockless, David C. R., Skelton, Brian W., Sobolev, Alexandre N., White, Allan H., Mak, Jeffrey Y. W. and Fairlie, David P. (2017). Stereoelectronic Effects on Dienophile Separation Influence the Diels–Alder Synthesis of Molecular Clefts. European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2017 (45), 6793-6796. doi: 10.1002/ejoc.201701319
Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Xu, Weijun, Reid, Robert C., Corbett, Alexandra J., Meehan, Bronwyn S., Wang, Huimeng, Chen, Zhenjun, Rossjohn, Jamie, McCluskey, James, Liu, Ligong and Fairlie, David P. (2017). Stabilizing short-lived Schiff base derivatives of 5-aminouracils that activate mucosal-associated invariant T cells. Nature Communications, 8 (1) 14599, 14599. doi: 10.1038/ncomms14599
Drugs and drug-like molecules can modulate the function of mucosal-associated invariant T cells
Keller, Andrew N., Eckle, Sidonia B. G., Xu, Weijun, Liu, Ligong, Hughes, Victoria A., Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Meehan, Bronwyn S., Pediongco, Troi, Birkinshaw, Richard W., Chen, Zhenjun, Wang, Huimeng, D'Souza, Criselle, Kjer-Nielsen, Lars, Gherardin, Nicholas A., Godfrey, Dale I., Kostenko, Lyudmila, Corbett, Alexandra J., Purcell, Anthony W., Fairlie, David P., McCluskey, James and Rossjohn, Jamie (2017). Drugs and drug-like molecules can modulate the function of mucosal-associated invariant T cells. Nature Immunology, 18 (4), 402-411. doi: 10.1038/ni.3679
PAR2 modulators derived from GB88
Yau, Mei-Kwan, Liu, Ligong, Suen, Jacky Y., Lim, Junxian, Lohman, Rink-Jan, Jiang, Yuhong, Cotterell, Adam J., Barry, Grant D., Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Vesey, David A., Reid, Robert C. and Fairlie, David P. (2016). PAR2 modulators derived from GB88. ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 7 (12), 1179-1184. doi: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.6b00306
Recognition of Vitamin B precursors and byproducts by Mucosal Associated Invariant T cells
Eckle, Sidonia B.G., Corbett, Alexandra J., Keller, Andrew, Chen, Zhenjun, Godfrey, Dale I., Liu, Ligong, Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Fairlie, David P., Rossjohn, Jamie and McCluskey, James (2015). Recognition of Vitamin B precursors and byproducts by Mucosal Associated Invariant T cells. The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 290 (51), 30204-30211. doi: 10.1074/jbc.R115.685990
Natural Products with Anti-Bredt and Bridgehead Double Bonds
Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Pouwer, Rebecca H. and Williams, Craig M. (2014). Natural Products with Anti-Bredt and Bridgehead Double Bonds. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 53 (50), 13664-13688. doi: 10.1002/anie.201400932
T-cell activation by transitory neo-antigens derived from distinct microbial pathways
Corbett, Alexandra J., Eckle, Sidonia B. G., Birkinshaw, Richard W., Liu, Ligong, Patel, Onisha, Mahony, Jennifer, Chen, Zhenjun, Reantragoon, Rangsima, Meehan, Bronwyn, Cao, Hanwei, Williamson, Nicholas A., Strugnell, Richard A., Van Sinderen, Douwe, Mak, Jeffrey Y. W., Fairlie, David P., Kjer-Nielsen, Lars, Rossjohn, Jamie and McClusky, James (2014). T-cell activation by transitory neo-antigens derived from distinct microbial pathways. Nature, 509 (7500), 361-365. doi: 10.1038/nature13160
Mak, Jeffrey Y. W. and Williams, Craig M. (2012). Erratum: Enantioselective total synthesis of ()-neovibsanin G and ()-14-epi-neovibsanin G (Chemical Communications (2012) (287-289) DOI: 10.1039/c1cc15995j)). Chemical Communications, 48 (100) doi: 10.1039/c2cc90426h
Key achievements in the total synthesis of vibsane-type diterpenoids
Mak, Jeffrey Y. W. and Williams, Craig M. (2012). Key achievements in the total synthesis of vibsane-type diterpenoids. Natural Product Reports, 29 (4), 440-448. doi: 10.1039/c2np00067a
Mak, Jeffrey Y. W. and Williams, Craig M. (2012). Total synthesis of (-)-neovibsanin G and (-)-14-epi-neovibsanin G: Towards the synthesis of 15-O-methylneovibsanin F and 14-epi-15-O-methylneovibsanin F. European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2012 (10), 2001-2012. doi: 10.1002/ejoc.201101796
Enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-neovibsanin G and (-)-14-epi-neovibsanin G
Mak, Jeffrey Y.W. and Williams, Craig M. (2012). Enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-neovibsanin G and (-)-14-epi-neovibsanin G. Chemical Communications, 48 (2), 287-289. doi: 10.1039/c1cc15995j
Inhibition of purple acid phosphatase with alpha-alkoxynaphthylmethylphosphonic acids
McGeary, Ross P., Vella, Peter, Mak, Jeffery Y. W., Guddat, Luke W. and Schenk, Gerhard (2009). Inhibition of purple acid phosphatase with alpha-alkoxynaphthylmethylphosphonic acids. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 19 (1), 163-166. doi: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2008.10.125
Wang, H., Kjer-Nielsen, L., Shi, M., Souza, D. C., Pediongco, T., Cao, H., Kostenko, L., Lim, X., Eckle, S., Meeha, B., Wang, B., Zhu, T., Mak, J., Fairlie, D., Teng, M., Rossjohn, J., Yu, D., Groth, B., McCluskey, J., Strugnell, R., Corbett, A. and Chen, Z. (2019). IL-23 co-stimulation drives antigen-specific MAIT cell activation and enables vaccination against bacterial infection. 17th International Congress of Immunology (IUIS), Beijing, China, 19-23 October, 2019. Weinheim, Germany: WILEY. doi: 10.1002/eji.201970400
Recipient mucosal-associated invariant T cells control graft-versus-host-disease within the colon
Varelias, Antiopi, Bunting, Mark, Ormerod, Kate, Koyama, Motoko, Olver, Stuart, Straube, Jasmin, Kuns, Rachel, Robb, Renee, Henden, Andrea, Cooper, Leanne, Lachner, Nancy, Gartlan, Kate, Lantz, Olivier J., Kjer-Nielsen, Lars, Mak, Jeffrey, Fairlie, David, Clouston, Andrew, McCluskey, James, Rossjohn, Jamie, Lane, Steven, Hugenholtz, Phil and Hill, Geoff (2018). Recipient mucosal-associated invariant T cells control graft-versus-host-disease within the colon. Immunology Meeting, Austin Tx, 4-8 May 2018. Bethesda, MD United States: American Association of Immunologists.
Stoermer, Martin J., Wickramasinghe, Wasantha A., Byriel, Karl A., Hockless, David C. R., Skelton, Brian W., Sobolev, Alexandre N., White, Alan H., Mak, Jeffrey Y. W. and Fairlie, David P. (2018). Stereoelectronic effects on dienophile separation influence the Diels–Alder synthesis of molecular clefts. 2018 Royal Society of Chemistry Twitter Conference, London, United Kingdom (held online), 6-7 March 2018. London, United Kingdom: Royal Society of Chemistry.
Vitamin B2 related molecules that activate T cells
Mak, Jeffrey, Xu, Weijun, Reid, Robert, Corbett, Alexandra, Meehan, Bronwyn, Wang, Huimeng, Chen, Zhenjun, Rossjohn, Jamie, McCluskey, James, Liu, Ligong and Fairlie, David (2017). Vitamin B2 related molecules that activate T cells. 254th National Meeting and Exposition of the American-Chemical-Society (ACS) on Chemistry's Impact on the Global Economy, Washington DC, USA, 20-24 August 2017. Washington DC, USA: American Chemical Society.
Common drugs modulate mucosal-associated invariant T cell function
Keller, A. N., Eckle, S. B. G., Xu, W., Liu, L., Hughes, V. A., Mak, J., Meehan, B., Pediongco, T., Birkinshaw, R. W., Chen, Z., Wang, H., Souza, C., Kostenko, L., Corbett, A. J., Purcell, A. W., Fairlie, D. P., McCluskey, J. and Rossjohn, J. (2016). Common drugs modulate mucosal-associated invariant T cell function. International Congress of Immunology (ICI), Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 21-26 August 2016. Germany: Wiley. doi: 10.1002/eji.201670200
Drugs/drug analogues modulate MAIT cell function in an MR1-dependent manner
Eckle, S. B. G., Keller, A. N., Xu, W., Meehan, B., Pediongco, T., Liu, L., Hughes, V. A., Mak, J. Y. W., Birkinshaw, R. W., Chen, Z., Wang, H., D'Souza, C., Kostenko, L., Corbett, A. J., Purcell, A. W., Fairlie, D. P., Rossjohn, J. and McCluskey, J. (2016). Drugs/drug analogues modulate MAIT cell function in an MR1-dependent manner. International Congress of Immunology (ICI), Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 21-26 August 2016. Weinheim, Germany: Wiley - VCH. doi: 10.1002/eji.201670200
McCluskey, J., Corbett, A. J., Eckle, S. B. G., Chen, Z., Wang, H., Sun, S., D'Souza, C., Kostenko, L., Reantragoon, R., Meehan, B., Birkinshaw, R. W., Liu, L., Patel, O., Mahony, J., Cao, H., Jackson, D., Williamson, N. A., Strugnell, R. A., Mak, J. Y. W., Van Sinderen, D., Fairlie, D. P., Kjer-Nielsen, L., Godfrey, D., I and Rossjohn, J. (2016). MAIT cells: Friend or Foe in recognising microbial vitamin metabolites presented by the MHC-I-related molecule MR1. International Congress of Immunology (ICI), Melbourne, Australia, August 21-26, 2016. Weinheim, Germany: Wiley. doi: 10.1002/eji.201670200
Developing a drug lead to target a new and abundant immune cell
(2018) UQ Early Career Researcher
Continuous-Flow Hydrogenation Reactor (H-Cube Pro)
(2014) UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
Design and synthesis of novel Major histocompatibility complex class I-Related protein ligands
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
Discovering novel anticancer drugs
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Novel chemical approaches to drugs that selectively target immune cells
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
New strategies in heterocyclic chemistry for drug discovery
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Novel activators and inhibitors of innate immune cells
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Structure-function relationships of a ribityl uracil T-cell antigen
(2020) Master Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors: