Calcium signaling in Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes

Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for the most severe form of malaria in humans, causing thousands of deaths every year. Transmission of parasites from the human host to the mosquito vector is mediated by the sexual stages (gametocytes) of the parasite, which are formed inside erythrocytes. Intracellular Ca2+ is a vital second messenger and controls several physiological processes in Plasmodium biology. Ca2+ signaling in the asexual stages has been studied in recent decades by several groups, however, knowledge about this signaling pathway in gametocytes is still limited. To achieve the objective this project will rely on the expertise of Prof. Matthias Marti (an expert in Plasmodium gametocytes) and the construction of a Plasmodium strain capable of forming gametocytes encoding the Ca2+ indicator GCaMP3.

Project Details

Basic Science

Jun 2025 — Jul 2025

Brazil