Overview

Our laboratory studies the essential and specific biology of malaria blood stage parasites. We would like to understand how the parasite interacts with its host red blood cell to survive and replicate in its unique environment. Specific research questions we address include how the parasite exports proteins into the host cell, how it takes up and ingests host cell cytosol or how it obtains nutrients. These studies also revealed how the parasite can become resistant to the current frontline drug artemisinin and this is a further topic of our interest. A detailed rationale for our research with information on specific topics and approaches can be found below under 'Background and our research in more detail' below.