Last Updated: 06/11/2023
Cellular and molecular biology of Plasmodium
Objectives
*Original title in Portuguese: Biologia celular e molecular de Plasmodium
- To generate transgenic parasites to identify new essential genes at different stages of the parasite cycle.
- To generate new models of parasites to test vaccines and to discover new drugs.
Malaria is a disease that can be prevented, diagnosed and treated. Even so, every year millions of people are infected in the world, and thousands of patients still die of malaria. According to WHO, about half of the population lives in areas at risk of infection by Plasmodium, the parasite that causes malaria. Plasmodium is transmitted to humans through the bite of female mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles, and the disease is caused by the multiplication of the parasite in the blood, inside red blood cells. There are currently no vaccines available against malaria, and the parasite quickly develops drug resistance. Thus, the development of new control alternatives is urgent, such as an effective vaccine, new drugs, or measures that reduce parasite transmission.
Jan 2020
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