Post-genomic investigation of the relict plastid and mitochondrion of malaria parasites. Malaria is a major global health problem. The malaria parasite has two substructures, a relict chloroplast and a mitochondrion, that are excellent targets for new and existing drugs. However, we do not know the key functions of these two compartments. The entire genetic blueprint (genome) is now available for the malaria parasite and I propose to determine exactly which parts of the genome service the rel ....Post-genomic investigation of the relict plastid and mitochondrion of malaria parasites. Malaria is a major global health problem. The malaria parasite has two substructures, a relict chloroplast and a mitochondrion, that are excellent targets for new and existing drugs. However, we do not know the key functions of these two compartments. The entire genetic blueprint (genome) is now available for the malaria parasite and I propose to determine exactly which parts of the genome service the relict chloroplast and mitochondria. This will sketch out a picture of their inner workings. Armed with this information we can take a rational approach to seeking an Achilles? Heel of malaria against which parasite-specific drugs can be developed.Read moreRead less
The Na+-H+ Exchanger And H+-pumping Pyrophosphatases Of The Malaria Parasite
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$664,604.00
Summary
Malaria is an infectious disease caused by a single-celled parasite. The disease kills up to 2 million people each year and the parasite is becoming increasingly resistant to available drugs. This work focuses on the mechanisms by which the parasite controls its internal ion concentrations. These mechanisms may be new drug targets, and they may also play a role in antimalarial drug resistance. For both of these reasons it is important that we understand them.
Effector Export In P. Falciparum Infected Human Erythrocytes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,066,920.00
Summary
We will investigate malaria, a parasitic disease that kills over 450,000 people a year. We will explore how the parasite identifies, invades and remodels the host cells in which it lives, scavenging nutrients and hiding from the immune system. We will characterize the proteins involved in these critical events, as they are potential targets for drugs. We will study how parasites cause disease and how the host responds to infection.
The Structural Resolution Of PTEX, The Translocon Of Virulence Proteins And Malaria Parasites.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$561,028.00
Summary
The extraordinary virulence of malaria parasites is in part due to their ability to export hundreds of proteins into their red blood cell hosts that help them obtain nutrients and avoid the immune system. Recently we discovered the molecular machine that exports proteins into the host cell and we now wish to establish how it works so drugs can be tailored to block the machine and kill the parasites.
Functional Dissection Of The Malaria RhopH Complex And Its Contribution To New Permeation Pathways
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$604,718.00
Summary
The ability of Plasmodium to invade and remodel its host erythrocyte are the most significant contributors to its ability to cause the disease malaria. This project aims to understand how proteins secreted from a specialized rhoptry organelle during erythrocyte invasion help Plasmodium to remodel the erythrocyte so that the parasite can gain access to the vital nutrients it requires for survival. This research will validate whether drugs targeting the rhoptry proteins are viable drug targets.
Determining The Mechanistic Basis Of The Patterns Of Inverse Drug Susceptibility Induced By Two Key Drug Resistance Proteins Of The Malaria Parasite.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$567,273.00
Summary
The inexhaustible capacity of many pathogens and cancers to develop resistance to new drugs is a serious threat to world health. Yet in acquiring resistance to one drug, many pathogens and cancer cells become hypersensitive to one or more other drugs. We seek to elucidate several of the molecular mechanisms underpinning this phenomenon in the malaria parasite. Insights gained from this work will contribute to the formulation of new therapeutic strategies that overcome or retard drug resistance.
Malaria is a devastating disease of global significance. With mounting resistance to current drugs and no licensed malaria vaccine, there is a pressing need to search for new strategies to reduce the global burden of malaria. My research program aims to understand how the parasites that cause malaria extensively renovate the cells in which they reside and subvert their host so that they can thrive and survive, with a view to identifying new pathways that can be targeted by drugs or vaccines.
Functional Characterisation Of The Malaria Protein Export Machinery
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$556,104.00
Summary
The ability of malaria parasites to cause one of the most devastating infectious diseases of humans is in part due to their ability to export hundreds of proteins into their host red blood cells to obtain nutrients, evade the immune system and contribute to associated pathologies. Recently, we discovered the molecular machine that exports proteins into the host cell and so now we wish to establish how it works so that drugs can be tailored to block it to kill these parasites.