Molecular Parasitology

Description of Course:

This course merges classical and modern parasitology. Molecular parasitology will be useful to both pre-medical students and those interested in basic problems in molecular and cell biology. In addition to their biomedical interest, the protozoan  parasites present excellent model systems for the analysis of basic biological phenomena such as gene regulation, molecular development, cell-cell interactions, molecular evolution, and novel biochemical pathways. A short list of the novel biological phenomena in protozoan parasites includes trans-splicing, lipid anchors of membrane proteins, RNA editing, regulation of expression mechanisms for drug resistance, description and analysis of the hydrogenosome, and the regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis during the parasite life cycle.          

Lectures

 
 Introduction to Protozoa and Parasites  (pdf)

What is Kuhn's  Scientific "Paradigm Shift"?

Evidence for an early prokaryotic endosymbiosis

Human gut microbiota

T. REX and trichomonas

"What is Science and Why do I do It?" - Essay

Who am I? - Essay

Christmas Island Extinction

 Chagas Disease: Trypanosoma cruzi -  Epidemiology and Pathogenesis (pdf)

"When Hiking Through Latin America, Be Alert to Chagas' Disease"

Review on Chagas Disease

Chagas Disease in Mummies

Genetic Exchange in T. cruzi

Kissing bugs in Tucson AZ infected with T. cruzi

Complete works of Charles Darwin

My chapter on Darwin and Chagas Disease

More on Darwin and Chagas Disease

Documents about death of Darwin

Discovery of Gentian  Violet treatment of blood

African Trypanosomiasis: Epidemiology and Life Cycle of Trypanosoma brucei    (pdf)

Eradication of tsetse flies

Statistical prediction of tsetse range-1

Distribution of tsetse-2

"The Fly Who Would be King" (Desowitz)

A good review of African trypanosomiasis

Fexinidazole - A new oral drug for trypanosomaisis

African Trypanosomiasis: Gene Expression  and Antigenic Variation  (pdf)

Sex in trypanosomes - review

Review of transcription in trypanosomes

Review of Antigenic Switching in trypanosomes

Mosaic VSG genes

Review on antigenic variation and mosaic VSGs

What has DNA sequencing revealed about VSG expression sites?

VSG expression site in nucleus

African Trypanosomiasis: Resistance to human serum (pdf)

Review of trypanosome lytic factor

Mutual self-defense - the trypanolytic factor story

Distinct roles of haptoglobin-releated protein and apolipoprotein L-I in trypanolysis by human serum.

A haptoglobin-hemoglobin receptor conveys innate immunity to T. brucei in humans

Construction of a therapeutic tool

The SRA gene

Leishmaniasis : Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Parasite Surface and Virulence Factors   (pdf)

Desowitz - Chapter on Kala-Azar

Mini-review on Leishmaniasis

Visceral leishmaniasis: A trip to the Greek Islands is not always idyllic

Review of Galectin paper

Review on transmission of Leishmania by sand flies.

Kinetoplast DNA (pdf)

Review by Paul Englund

Attachment of minicircles to network in replication

Two antipodal nodes

Differences between replication in T. brucei and Crithidia

Rotational dynamics

World of Small RNAs: RNA interference, micro RNAs, snoRNAs   (pdf)