Malaria
Malaria Research Laboratory
The malaria research group is offering projects on the molecular biology and immunology of malaria infection. Malaria affects young children and pregnant women most severely, causing 1 to 3 million deaths each year, and these numbers are increasing. Our group is working to understand basic mechanisms of disease and immunity to malaria.
Malaria parasite adhesion to the human placenta
Supervisor: Dr Philippe Boeuf
Location: Department of Medicine (RMH/WH), Clinical Sciences Building, Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne
Contact: Dr Philippe Boeuf 8344 3263 Email: pboeuf@unimelb.edu.au
A better understanding of the mechanisms of malaria parasite adhesion to the human placenta would allow for the design of intervention strategies, including a vaccine.
In this project, you will use placentas from women delivering at the Royal Women’s Hospital as a matrix for malaria parasite adhesion. By studying the adhesion of various parasite lines under different experimental conditions, you will gain insights in the characteristics of this adhesion.
This project is based at the Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, in the malaria lab that has a long-term experience of malaria parasite adhesion. The lab is made of 1 lab head, 3 post-docs (including your supervisor), 2 research assistants, 6 PhD students and 2 mid-term honour students as well as visiting scientists from all over the world.
Epigenetic control of malaria gene expression with a focus on control of antigenic variation
Supervisor: Dr Michael Duffy, Dr Michaela Petter
Location: Department of Medicine (RMH/WH), Clinical Sciences Building, Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne
Contact: Dr Michael Duffy T : 8344 3267 E : mduffy@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Michaela Petter T : 8344 3267 E : mpetter@unimelb.edu.au
Various conserved and novel proteins appear to be involved in epigenetic control of transcription in Plasmodium falciparum, the pathogen that causes malaria. This process is critical in the regulation of antigenic variation and cytoadhesion, two pathogenic processes essential for the parasite’s escape of host immunity. We are investigating a range of these proteins by transfecting parasites to express tagged proteins and by making recombinant proteins for generation of antibodies used in immunofluorescence assays, western blots, co-immunopreciptations, chromatin immunoprecipitation etc.
Techniques involve (but are not limited to): malaria parasite culture, biochemistry, flow cytometry, confocal microscopy and western blotting.