Joana C. Silva
A5000332288- Malaria Research and Control
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Vector-borne infectious diseases
- vaccines and immunoinformatics approaches
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Vector-Borne Animal Diseases
- Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Viral Infections and Vectors
- Chromosomal and Genetic Variations
- HIV Research and Treatment
- Computational Drug Discovery Methods
- Complement system in diseases
- Insect Resistance and Genetics
- Parasites and Host Interactions
- Parasitic Infections and Diagnostics
- Helminth infection and control
- Trypanosoma species research and implications
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Plant Disease Resistance and Genetics
- Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Toxoplasma gondii Research Studies
- Toxin Mechanisms and Immunotoxins
- CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
University of Maryland, Baltimore
2016-2025
Universidade Nova de Lisboa
2023-2025
Medical Care Development International
2022
Universidade do Porto
2015-2022
University of Dundee
2022
Public Health Institute
2022
Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute
2022
Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra
2021
University System of Maryland
2019
Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia
2019
The human malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax is responsible for 25–40% of the ∼515 million annual cases worldwide. Although seldom fatal, elicits severe and incapacitating clinical symptoms often causes relapses months after a primary infection has cleared. Despite its importance as major pathogen, P. little studied because it cannot be propagated continuously in laboratory except non-human primates. We sequenced genome to shed light on distinctive biological features, means drive development...
A comparison of gene content and genome architecture Trypanosoma brucei, cruzi , Leishmania major three related pathogens with different life cycles disease pathology, revealed a conserved core proteome about 6200 genes in large syntenic polycistronic clusters. Many species-specific genes, especially surface antigen families, occur at nonsyntenic chromosome-internal subtelomeric regions. Retroelements, structural RNAs, family expansion are often associated discontinuities that—along...
We describe the genome sequence of protist Trichomonas vaginalis , a sexually transmitted human pathogen. Repeats and transposable elements comprise about two-thirds ∼160-megabase genome, reflecting recent massive expansion genetic material. This expansion, in conjunction with shaping metabolic pathways that likely transpired through lateral gene transfer from bacteria, amplification specific families implicated pathogenesis phagocytosis host proteins may exemplify adaptations parasite...
The ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila is a model organism for molecular and cellular biology. Like other ciliates, this species has separate germline soma functions that are embodied by distinct nuclei within single cell. germline-like micronucleus (MIC) its genome held in reserve sexual reproduction. soma-like macronucleus (MAC), which possesses processed from of the MIC, center gene expression does not directly contribute DNA to progeny. We report here shotgun sequencing, assembly, analysis...
Species of malaria parasite that infect rodents have long been used as models for disease research. Here we report the whole-genome shotgun sequence one species, Plasmodium yoelii yoelii, and comparative studies with genome human falciparum clone 3D7. A synteny map 2,212 P. y. contiguous DNA sequences (contigs) aligned to 14 chromosomes reveals marked conservation gene within body each chromosome. Of about 5,300 genes, more than 3,300 orthologues predominantly metabolic function were...
We present the genome sequences of a new clinical isolate important human pathogen, Aspergillus fumigatus, A1163, and two closely related but rarely pathogenic species, Neosartorya fischeri NRRL181 clavatus NRRL1. Comparative genomic analysis A1163 with recently sequenced A. fumigatus Af293 has identified core, variable up to 2% unique genes in each genome. While core are 99.8% identical at nucleotide level, identity for can be as low 40%. The most divergent loci appear contain heterokaryon...
The recent emergence of artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria in western Cambodia could threaten prospects for elimination. Identification the genetic basis resistance would provide tools molecular surveillance, aiding efforts to contain resistance. Clinical trials artesunate efficacy were conducted Bangladesh, northwestern Thailand near Myanmar border, and at two sites Cambodia. Parasites collected from trial participants genotyped 8,079 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)...
BACKGROUND: A radiation-attenuated Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) sporozoite (SPZ) malaria vaccine, PfSPZ Vaccine, protected 6 of subjects (100%) against homologous Pf (same strain as in the vaccine) controlled human infection (CHMI) 3 weeks after 5 doses administered intravenously. The next step was to assess protective efficacy heterologous (different from vaccine), fewer doses, and at 24 weeks. METHODS: trial assessed tolerability, safety, immunogenicity, direct venous inoculation (DVI) or...
Chemosensory-related gene (CRG) families have been studied extensively in insects, but their evolutionary history across the Arthropoda had remained relatively unexplored. Here, we address current hypotheses and prior conclusions on CRG family evolution using a more comprehensive data set. In particular, odorant receptors were hypothesized to proliferated during terrestrial colonization by insects (hexapods), association with other pancrustacean clades independent colonizations arthropod...
We report the genome sequence of Theileria parva , an apicomplexan pathogen causing economic losses to smallholder farmers in Africa. The parasite chromosomes exhibit limited conservation gene synteny with Plasmodium falciparum and its plastid-like represents first example where all apicoplast genes are encoded on one DNA strand. tentatively identify proteins that facilitate segregation during host cell cytokinesis contribute persistent infection transformed cells. Several biosynthetic...
Introns are under less selection pressure than exons, and consequently, intronic sequences have a higher rate of gain loss exons. In number plant species, large portion the genome has been segmentally duplicated, giving rise to set duplicated genes. The recent completion rice in which segmental duplication documented allowed us investigate intron evolution within rice, diploid monocotyledonous species.Analysis revealed that 159 Mb 371 21,570 43,719 non-transposable element-related genes were...
Amplified copy number in the plasmepsin II/III genes within Plasmodium falciparum has been associated with decreased sensitivity to piperaquine. To examine this association and test whether additional loci might also contribute, we performed a genome-wide study of ex vivo P. susceptibility DNA from 183 samples collected primarily Cambodia was genotyped at 33716 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Linear mixed models random forests were used estimate associations between parasite...
Abstract Background Transmission of arthropod-borne apicomplexan parasites that cause disease and result in death or persistent infection represents a major challenge to global human animal health. First described 1901 as Piroplasma equi , this re-emergent parasite was renamed Babesia subsequently Theileria reflecting an uncertain taxonomy. Understanding mechanisms by which evade immune chemotherapeutic elimination is required for development effective vaccines chemotherapeutics. The...
A novel apicomplexan parasite was serendipitously discovered in horses at the United States – Mexico border. Phylogenetic analysis based on 18S rDNA showed erythrocyte-infective to be related to, but distinct from, Theileria spp. Africa, most similar taxa being from waterbuck and mountain zebra. The degree of sequence variability observed locus also suggests likely existence additional cryptic species. Among described species, genome this equid is that equi, a pathogen horses. estimated...
Abstract Malaria genomic surveillance often estimates parasite genetic relatedness using metrics such as Identity-By-Decent (IBD), yet strong positive selection stemming from antimalarial drug resistance or other interventions may bias IBD-based estimates. In this study, we use simulations, a true IBD inference algorithm, and empirical data sets different malaria transmission settings to investigate the extent of explore potential correction strategies. We analyze whole genome sequence...
Babesia microti, a tick-transmitted, intraerythrocytic protozoan parasite circulating mainly among small mammals, is the primary cause of human babesiosis. While most cases are transmitted by Ixodes ticks, disease may also be through blood transfusion and perinatally. A comprehensive analysis genome composition, genetic diversity, gene expression profiling seven B. microti isolates revealed that variation in from Northeast United States almost exclusively associated with genes encoding...
Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) whole-organism sporozoite vaccines have been shown to provide significant protection against controlled human malaria infection (CHMI) in clinical trials. Initial CHMI studies showed significantly higher durable homologous than heterologous strains, suggesting the presence of strain-specific vaccine-induced protection. However, interpretation these results and understanding their relevance vaccine efficacy hampered by lack knowledge on genetic differences between...
Background Theileria parva causes an acute fatal disease in cattle, but infections are asymptomatic the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer). Cattle can be immunized against parasite by infection and treatment, immunity is partially strain specific. Available data indicate that CD8+ T lymphocyte responses mediate protection and, recently, several antigens recognised cells have been identified. This study set out to determine nature extent of polymorphism two these antigens, Tp1 Tp2, which...
Estimates of Plasmodium falciparum migration may inform strategies for malaria elimination. Here we elucidate fine-scale parasite population structure and infer recent across Southeast Asia using identity-by-descent (IBD) approaches based on genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms called in 1722 samples from 54 districts. IBD estimates are consistent with isolation-by-distance. We observe greater sharing larger segments between artemisinin-resistant parasites versus sensitive parasites,...
CMTR1 (cap methyltransferase 1) catalyses methylation of the first transcribed nucleotide RNAPII transcripts (N1 2'-O-Me), creating part mammalian RNA cap structure. In addition to marking as self, N1 2'-O-Me has ill-defined roles in expression and translation. Here, we investigated gene specificity its impact on embryonic stem cells. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation, was found bind transcription start sites (TSS) correlating with levels, predominantly binding at histone genes ribosomal...