A5040526190- Malaria Research and Control
- Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Dietary Effects on Health
- Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
- Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
- Viral Infections and Vectors
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Digital Imaging for Blood Diseases
- Complement system in diseases
- Medical History and Innovations
- Insect Resistance and Genetics
- Cardiac, Anesthesia and Surgical Outcomes
- Parasites and Host Interactions
- Sperm and Testicular Function
- Mathematical and Theoretical Epidemiology and Ecology Models
- Plant and animal studies
- HIV Research and Treatment
- Process Optimization and Integration
- Airway Management and Intubation Techniques
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Trypanosoma species research and implications
- Yersinia bacterium, plague, ectoparasites research
University of Edinburgh
2014-2025
Carnegie Mellon University
2023
Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution
2011-2021
Institut de Biologia Evolutiva
2019-2020
Institute of Immunology
2019
Google (United States)
2017
Glasgow Caledonian University
1997
Circadian biology assumes that biological rhythms maximize fitness by enabling organisms to coordinate with their environment. Despite circadian clocks being such a widespread phenomenon, demonstrating the benefits of temporal coordination is challenging and studies are rare. Here, we tested consequences—for parasites—of temporally mismatched host using rodent malaria parasite, Plasmodium chabaudi . The cyclical nature infections well known, as cell cycles across parasite species last...
The Asian malaria vector Anopheles stephensi is invading Africa, requiring it to adapt novel climates and ecosystems. In part, this may be facilitated by An. ’s poorly understood seasonal behavioural plasticity in flight timing, leading earlier biting activity cold winters later times the warm summer. Changes timing could directly imposed variation ambient light temperature levels or result from altered entrainment of intrinsically expressed circadian rhythms these factors. We demonstrate...
The environments that parasites experience within hosts change dramatically over 24 h. How rhythms shape host–parasite–vector interactions is poorly understood owing to the challenges of disentangling roles multiple interacting species in context complex lifecycles parasites. Using canonical circadian clock-disrupted hosts, we probe limits flexibility rhythmic replication malaria ( Plasmodium ) and quantify consequences for fitness proxies both parasite host. We reveal alter duration their...
Daily rhythms in behaviour, physiology and molecular processes are expected to enable organisms appropriately schedule activities according consequences of the daily rotation Earth. For parasites, this includes capitalizing on periodicity transmission opportunities for hosts/vectors, may select immune defence. We examine density infectivity forms (gametocytes) rodent malaria parasites host's blood, parasite development inside mosquito vectors potential onwards transmission. Furthermore, we...
Abstract Malaria parasites complete their intra-erythrocytic developmental cycle (IDC) in multiples of 24 h suggesting a circadian basis, but the mechanism controlling this periodicity is unknown. Combining vivo and vitro approaches utilizing rodent human malaria parasites, we reveal that: (i) 57% Plasmodium chabaudi genes exhibit daily rhythms transcription; (ii) 58% these lose transcriptional rhythmicity when IDC out-of-synchrony with host rhythms; (iii) 6% falciparum show expression under...
Circadian rhythms enable organisms to synchronise the processes underpinning survival and reproduction anticipate daily changes in external environment. Recent work shows that (circadian) also parasites maximise fitness context of ecological interactions with their hosts. Because parasite matter for fitness, understanding how they are regulated could lead innovative ways reduce severity spread diseases. Here, we examine host circadian influence asexual replication malaria parasites. Asexual...
Microscopic examination of blood smears remains the gold standard for laboratory inspection and diagnosis malaria. Smear is, however, time-consuming dependent on trained microscopists with results varying in accuracy. We sought to develop an automated image analysis method improve accuracy standardization smear that retains capacity expert confirmation archiving. Here, we present a machine learning achieves red cell (RBC) detection, differentiation between infected/uninfected cells, parasite...
Abstract Background In the blood, synchronous malaria parasite, Plasmodium chabaudi , exhibits a cell-cycle rhythm of approximately 24 hours in which transitions between developmental stages occur at particular times day rodent host. Previous experiments reveal that when timing parasite’s is perturbed relative to circadian host, parasites suffer (~50%) reduction asexual and gametocytes. Why it matters for have schedules synchronization with host’s unknown. The experiment presented here...
Biological rhythms allow organisms to compartmentalise and coordinate behaviours, physiologies, cellular processes with the predictable daily of their environment. There is increasing recognition that biological mosquitoes vector parasites are important for global health. For example, whether perturbations in blood foraging as a consequence control measures can undermine disease control. To address this, we explore impacts altered timing blood-feeding on mosquito life history traits malaria...
The trade-off between survival and reproduction is fundamental in the life history of all sexually reproducing organisms. This includes malaria parasites, which rely on asexually replicating stages for within-host (gametocytes) between-host transmission. proportion asexual that form gametocytes (reproductive effort) varies during infections—i.e. phenotypically plastic—in response to changes a number factors, including anaemia. However, how density age structure red blood cell (RBC) resources...
Abstract Infection can dramatically alter behavioural and physiological traits as hosts become sick subsequently return to health. Such “sickness behaviours” include disrupted circadian rhythms in both locomotor activity body temperature. Host sickness behaviours vary pathogen species-specific manners but the influence of intraspecific variation is rarely studied. We examine how infection with murine malaria parasite, Plasmodium chabaudi , shapes terms parasite genotype-specific effects on...
Circadian clocks coordinate organisms' activities with daily cycles in their environment. Parasites are subject to rhythms the within-host environment, resulting from clock-control of host activities, including immune responses. also exhibit activities: timing replication by malaria parasites is coordinated feeding rhythms. Precisely which feeding-related rhythm(s) align and how this achieved unknown. Understanding rhythmic matters because it underpins disease symptoms fuels transmission...
Here, we test the hypothesis that virulent malaria parasites are less susceptible to drug treatment than parasites. If true, might promote evolution of more (defined here as those doing harm hosts). Drug-resistance mechanisms protect through interactions with molecules at sub-cellular level well known. However, parasite phenotypes associated virulence also help survive in presence drugs. For example, rapidly replicating be better able recover host if fails eliminate We quantified effects on...
Background: Rapid asexual replication of blood stage malaria parasites is responsible for the severity disease symptoms and fuels production transmission forms. Here, we demonstrate that Plasmodium chabaudi's schedule can be orchestrated by isoleucine, a metabolite provided to parasite in periodic manner due host's rhythmic intake food. Methods: We infect female C57BL/6 Per1/2-null TTFL clock-disrupted mice with 1×10 5 red cells containing P. chabaudi (DK genotype). perturb timing rhythms...
<ns4:p><ns4:bold>Background: </ns4:bold>Rapid asexual replication of blood stage malaria parasites is responsible for the severity disease symptoms and fuels production transmission forms. Here, we demonstrate that a <ns4:italic>Plasmodium chabaudi’s</ns4:italic> schedule can be orchestrated by isoleucine, metabolite provided to parasite in periodic manner due host’s rhythmic intake food.</ns4:p><ns4:p> <ns4:bold>Methods: </ns4:bold>We infect female C57BL/6 Per1/2-null mice which have...
Abstract Undertaking certain activities at the time of day that maximises fitness is assumed to explain evolution circadian clocks. Organisms often use daily environmental cues such as light and food availability set timing their These may be rhythms ultimately determine fitness, act proxies for less tractable ultimate drivers, or are used simply maintain internal synchrony. While many pathogens/parasites undertake rhythmic activities, both proximate drivers poorly understood. Explaining...
Abstract Background The intraerythrocytic development cycle (IDC) of the rodent malaria Plasmodium chabaudi is coordinated with host circadian rhythms. When this coordination disrupted, parasites suffer a 50% reduction in both asexual stages and sexual stage gametocytes over acute phase infection. Reduced gametocyte density may not simply follow from loss asexuals because investment into (“conversion rate”) plastic trait; furthermore, densities are highly dynamic during Hence, reasons for...
Maternally transferred immunity can have a fundamental effect on the ability of offspring to deal with infection. However, levels antibodies in adults vary both quantitatively and qualitatively between individuals during course How infection dynamics their modification by drug treatment might affect protection remains poorly understood. Using rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium chabaudi, we demonstrate that curing dams part way through prior pregnancy alter immune response, major consequences...
Circadian rhythms are ubiquitous in nature and endogenous circadian clocks drive the daily expression of many fitness-related behaviors. However, little is known about whether such traits targets selection imposed by natural enemies. In Hawaiian populations nocturnally active Pacific field cricket (