A5076286389- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms
- Malaria Research and Control
- Insect Resistance and Genetics
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Molecular Biology Techniques and Applications
- Microbial Fuel Cells and Bioremediation
- vaccines and immunoinformatics approaches
- Bioinformatics and Genomic Networks
- Radioactive element chemistry and processing
- Gene expression and cancer classification
- Innovative Teaching Methods
- CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
- Online and Blended Learning
- Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Biomedical Research
- Metal Extraction and Bioleaching
- Viral Infectious Diseases and Gene Expression in Insects
- Online Learning and Analytics
- Complement system in diseases
- Educational Games and Gamification
- Parasites and Host Interactions
- Quasicrystal Structures and Properties
- Photochromic and Fluorescence Chemistry
- Insect Utilization and Effects
Johns Hopkins University
2012-2025
Oberlin College
2024
University of Maryland, Baltimore
2018-2023
Harvard University
2022
United States Food and Drug Administration
2021
Michigan State University
2009-2017
MSD (Belgium)
2003
University of Namur
2003
Merck (United Kingdom)
2002
University of Edinburgh
1995-2000
Rhodnius prolixus not only has served as a model organism for the study of insect physiology, but also is major vector Chagas disease, an illness that affects approximately seven million people worldwide. We sequenced genome R. prolixus, generated assembled sequences covering 95% (∼ 702 Mb), including 15,456 putative protein-coding genes, and completed comprehensive genomic analyses this obligate blood-feeding insect. Although immune-deficiency (IMD)-mediated immune responses were observed,...
A host's immune system plays a central role in shaping the composition of microbiota and, return, resident microbes influence responses. Symbiotic associations maternally transmitted bacterium Wolbachia occur with wide range arthropods. It is, however, absent from dengue and Zika vector mosquito Aedes aegypti nature. When is artificially forced to form symbiosis this new host, it boosts basal response enhances mosquito's resistance pathogens, including dengue, virus malaria parasites. The...
Getting to the guts of mosquito control Malaria persistently evades our best efforts eliminate it. Pike et al. genetically modified malaria vector mosquitoes be more immune-resistant infection by parasite, which altered composition mosquitoes' gut bacteria. Genetically male (female) preferentially mated with wild-type females (males). Ten generations later, constituted 90% a caged population without losing resistance parasite. In an alternative strategy, Wang engineered A strain...
Actin is a highly versatile, abundant, and conserved protein, with functions in variety of intracellular processes. Here, we describe novel role for insect cytoplasmic actin as an extracellular pathogen recognition factor that mediates antibacterial defense. Insect actins are secreted from cells upon immune challenge through exosome-independent pathway. Anopheles gambiae interacts the MD2-like AgMDL1, binds to surfaces bacteria, mediating their phagocytosis direct killing. Globular...
Abstract Background Two fifths of the world's population is at risk from dengue. The absence effective drugs and vaccines leaves vector control as primary intervention tool. Understanding dengue virus (DENV) host interactions essential for development novel strategies. availability genome sequences both human mosquito greatly facilitates genome-wide studies DENV-host interactions. Results We developed first draft protein interaction network using a computational approach. weighted includes...
Whereas studies have extensively examined the ability of bacteria to influence Plasmodium infection in mosquito, tripartite interactions between non-entomopathogenic fungi, mosquitoes, and parasites remain largely uncharacterized. Here we report isolation a common mosquito-associated ascomycete fungus, Penicillium chrysogenum, from midgut field-caught Anopheles mosquitoes. Although presence Pe. chrysogenum gambiae does not affect mosquito survival, it renders significantly more susceptible...
Variant surface antigens (VSAs) play a critical role in severe malaria pathogenesis. Defining gaps, or "lacunae", immunity to these Plasmodium falciparum children with would improve our understanding of vulnerability and how protective develops. Using protein microarray 179 antigen variants from three VSA families as well more than 300 other blood stage P. antigens, reactivity was measured sera Malian cerebral malarial anaemia age-matched controls. Sera recognized fewer extracellular PfEMP1...
Abstract Vaccines based on Plasmodium falciparum apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1) have failed due to extensive polymorphism in AMA1. To assess the strain-specificity of antibody responses malaria infection and AMA1 vaccination, we designed protein peptide microarrays representing hundreds unique variants. Following clinical episodes, children had short-lived, sequence-independent increases average whole-protein seroreactivity, as well strain-specific peptides diverse epitopes. Vaccination...
Shewanella frigidimarina NCIMB400 is a non-fermenting, facultative anaerobe from the gamma group of proteobacteria. When grown anaerobically this organism produces wide variety periplasmic c-type cytochromes, mostly unknown function. We have purified small, acidic, low-potential tetrahaem cytochrome with similarities to cytochromes c3 sulphate-reducing bacteria. The N-terminal sequence was used design PCR primers and cctA gene encoding isolated sequenced. EPR spectrum indicates that all four...
The common bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia manipulates its host's reproduction to promote own maternal transmission, and can interfere with pathogen development in many insects making it an attractive agent for the control of arthropod-borne disease. However, important species, including Anopheles mosquitoes, are uninfected. be artificially transferred between laboratory but this a laborious sometimes fruitless process. We used simple ex vivo culturing technique assess suitability...
Malaria, an infectious disease caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum , causes nearly 435,000 deaths annually worldwide. RIFINs and STEVORs are two variant surface antigen families that involved in malaria pathogenesis immune evasion. Recent work has shown a lack of humoral immunity to these proteins is associated with severe vulnerability Malian children. This first study have compared serologic responses children adults settings endemicity examine such before after clinical episode....
Shewanella frigidimarina NCIMB400 is a non-fermenting, facultative anaerobe from the gamma group of proteobacteria. When grown anaerobically this organism produces wide variety periplasmic c-type cytochromes, mostly unknown function. We have purified small, acidic, low-potential tetrahaem cytochrome with similarities to cytochromes c3 sulphate-reducing bacteria. The N-terminal sequence was used design PCR primers and cctA gene encoding isolated sequenced. EPR spectrum indicates that all four...
Conservation of at-risk species requires multi-faceted and carefully-considered management approaches to be successful. For arthropods, the presence endosymbiotic bacteria, such as Wolbachia (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae), may complicate plans exacerbate challenges faced by conservation managers. poses a substantial underappreciated threat arthropods because infection induce number phenotypic effects, most which are considered deleterious host population. In this study, prevalence in...
Flavocytochrome b2 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae couples l-lactate dehydrogenation to cytochrome c reduction. The crystal structure of the native yeast enzyme has been determined [Xia, Z.-X., and Mathews, F. S. (1990) J. Mol. Biol. 212, 837−863] as well that sulfite adduct recombinant produced in Escherichia coli [Tegoni, M., Cambillau, C. (1994) Protein Sci. 3, 303−313]; several key active site residues were identified. In structure, Arg289 adopts two alternative conformations. one them,...
The aim of this study was to validate a low-density DNA microarray “Rat HepatoChip”, which contains 59 genes from range potential toxic markers and drug metabolism-related genes. Liver mRNA isolated rats dosed with six different chemicals, dexamethasone, troleandomycin, miconazole, clotrimazole, methylclofanapate, are all known induce cytochrome P450 genes, isoniazid, does not cause histopathological changes. Replicate microarrays were used measure the variability in chips process. average...
ABSTRACT Antibody responses to variant surface antigens (VSAs) produced by the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum may contribute age-related natural immunity severe malaria. One VSA family, P. erythrocyte membrane protein-1 (PfEMP1), includes a subset of proteins that binds endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) in human hosts and potentially disrupts regulation inflammatory responses, which lead development We probed peptide microarrays containing segments spanning five PfEMP1...
Abstract Circumsporozoite protein (CSP) coats the Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite surface and is a major malaria subunit vaccine target. We measured epitope-specific reactivity to field-derived CSP haplotypes in serum samples from Malian adults children on custom peptide microarray. Compared children, showed greater antibody responses more variants regions proximal within central repeat region. Children acquired short-lived immunity an epitope region but not itself. This approach has...
Conservation of at-risk species requires multi-faceted and carefully-considered management approaches to be successful. For arthropods, the presence endosymbiotic bacteria, such as Wolbachia (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae), may complicate plans exacerbate challenges faced by conservation managers. poses a substantial underappreciated threat arthropods because infection induce number phenotypic effects, most which are considered deleterious host population. In this study, prevalence in...
Mosquitoes that have been genetically engineered for resistance to human pathogens are a potential new tool controlling vector-borne disease. However, genetic modification may unintended off-target effects could affect the mosquitoes’ utility disease control. We measured of five modified Plasmodium-suppressing Anopheles stephensi lines o’nyong’nyong virus, four classes insecticides, and diverse Plasmodium falciparum field isolates characterized interactions between our modifications...