A5085054990- Parasitic Diseases Research and Treatment
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Trypanosoma species research and implications
- Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
- Insects and Parasite Interactions
- Signaling Pathways in Disease
- Biosensors and Analytical Detection
- Parasites and Host Interactions
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Nematode management and characterization studies
- Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Vector-borne infectious diseases
- Dermatological diseases and infestations
- Biochemical and Molecular Research
- Lysosomal Storage Disorders Research
- Studies on Chitinases and Chitosanases
- Toxin Mechanisms and Immunotoxins
- Insect Resistance and Genetics
- Peptidase Inhibition and Analysis
- Herpesvirus Infections and Treatments
- Poxvirus research and outbreaks
- Bacillus and Francisella bacterial research
- Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniques
- SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing
New England Biolabs (United States)
2015-2024
New England Biolabs (China)
2020-2021
University of Pittsburgh
2007
J. Craig Venter Institute
2007
Imperial College London
2007
University of Dundee
2007
Stanford University
1999
Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource
1999
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
1987-1988
University of London
1987
Parasitic nematodes that cause elephantiasis and river blindness threaten hundreds of millions people in the developing world. We have sequenced approximately 90 megabase (Mb) genome human filarial parasite Brugia malayi predict 11,500 protein coding genes 71 Mb robustly assembled sequence. Comparative analysis with free-living, model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans revealed that, despite these having maintained little conservation local synteny during 350 million years evolution, they...
Accurate detection of filarial parasites in humans is essential for the implementation and evaluation mass drug administration programs to control onchocerciasis lymphatic filariasis. Determining infection levels vector populations also important assessing transmission, deciding when treatments may be terminated monitoring recrudescence. Immunological methods detect are available, however, cross-reactivity issues have been reported. Nucleic acid-based molecular assays offer high specificity...
Abstract Background Wolbachia ( w Bm) is an obligate endosymbiotic bacterium of Brugia malayi , a parasitic filarial nematode humans and one the causative agents lymphatic filariasis. There pressing need for new drugs against parasites, such as B. . As Bm required development fertility, targeting promising approach. However, lifecycle neither nor can be maintained in vitro To facilitate selection potential drug targets we computationally ranked genome based on confidence that particular gene...
We report results from the first genome-wide application of a rational drug target selection methodology to metazoan pathogen genome, completed draft sequence Brugia malayi, parasitic nematode responsible for human lymphatic filariasis. More than 1.5 billion people worldwide are at risk contracting filariasis and onchocerciasis, related filarial disease. Drug treatments have not changed significantly in over 20 years, with resistance rising, there is an urgent need development new...
Abstract Glycolytic interconversion of phosphoglycerate isomers is catalysed in numerous pathogenic microorganisms by a cofactor-independent mutase (iPGM) structurally distinct from the mammalian cofactor-dependent (dPGM) isozyme. The iPGM active site dynamically assembles through substrate-triggered movement phosphatase and transferase domains creating solvent inaccessible cavity. Here we identify alternate ligand binding regions using nematode to select enrich lariat-like ligands an...
Wolbachia, an alpha-proteobacterium closely related to Rickettsia, is a maternally transmitted, intracellular symbiont of arthropods and nematodes. Aedes albopictus mosquitoes are naturally infected with Wolbachia strains wAlbA wAlbB. Cell line Aa23 established from Ae. embryos retains only wAlbB key model study host-endosymbiont interactions. We have assembled the complete circular genome cell using long-read PacBio sequencing at 500× median coverage. The chromosome 1.48 megabases in size,...
While fleas are often perceived simply as a biting nuisance and cause of allergic dermatitis, they represent important disease vectors worldwide, especially for bacterial zoonoses such plague (transmitted by rodent fleas) some the rickettsioses bartonelloses. The cosmopolitan cat ( Ctenocephalides felis ) dog canis fleas, well orientis (restricted to tropical subtropical Asia), breed in human dwellings cat-scratch fever (caused Bartonella spp.) Rickettsia spp., including (agent flea-borne...
Conventional diagnosis of filarial infections is based on morphological identification microfilariae using light microscopy and requires considerable expertise, time-consuming, can be subjective. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has advantages over or PCR because its operational simplicity, rapidity versatility readout options. LAMP assays represent a major step forward in improved diagnostic tools suitable for low resource settings field applicability. The study goal was to...
In this study we developed and evaluated a Brugia Hha I repeat loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for the rapid detection of genomic DNA. Amplification was detected using turbidity or fluorescence as readouts. Reactions generated threshold value clear visual positive within 30 minutes purified DNA equivalent to one microfilaria. Similar results were obtained isolated from blood samples containing B. malayi microfilariae. specific timori, no observed related filarial...
The human filarial parasite Brugia malayi harbors an endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia (wBm) that is required for survival. Consequently, targeting wBm a promising approach anti-filarial drug development. Type IV secretion system (T4SS) plays important role in bacteria-host interactions and under stringent regulation by transcription factors. In wBm, most T4SS genes are contained two operons. We show the active since essential assembly factor virB8-1, transcribed adult worms larval stages,...
Lateral gene transfer events between bacteria and animals highlight an avenue for evolutionary genomic loss/gain of function. Herein, we report functional lateral in animal parasitic nematodes. Members the Nematoda are heme auxotrophs, lacking ability to synthesize heme; however, human filarial parasite Brugia malayi has acquired a bacterial encoding ferrochelatase (BmFeCH), terminal step biosynthesis. BmFeCH, encoded by 9-exon gene, is mitochondrial-targeted, based on enzyme assays,...
Effective management of the COVID-19 pandemic requires widespread and frequent testing population for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Saliva has emerged as an attractive alternative to nasopharyngeal samples surveillance it does not require specialized personnel or materials its collection can be easily provided by patient. We have developed a simple, fast, sensitive saliva-based workflow that minimal sample treatment equipment. After inactivation, RNA is quickly released stabilized in optimized...
The use of antibiotics targeting the obligate bacterial endosymbiont Wolbachia filarial parasites has been validated as an approach for controlling infection in animals and humans. Availability genomic sequences (wBm) present human parasite Brugia malayi enabled genome-wide searching new potential drug targets. In study, we investigated cell division machinery wBm determined that it possesses essential gene ftsZ which was expressed all developmental stages B. examined. FtsZ is a GTPase...
Parasitic nematodes are responsible for devastating illnesses that plague many of the world's poorest populations indigenous to tropical areas developing nations. Among these diseases is lymphatic filariasis, a major cause permanent and long-term disability. Proteins essential do not have mammalian counterparts represent targets therapeutic inhibitor discovery. One promising target trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase (T6PP) from Brugia malayi. In model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, T6PP...
Mpox is a neglected zoonotic disease endemic in West and Central Africa. The outbreak with more than 90,000 cases worldwide since 2022 generated great concern about future outbreaks highlighted the need for simple rapid diagnostic test. virus, MPV, member of Orthopoxvirus (OPV) genus that also contains other pathogenic viruses including variola vaccinia camelpox cowpox virus. Phylogenomic analysis 200 OPV genomes identified 10 distinct phylogroups New World OPVs placed on very long branch...
The intracellular endosymbiotic proteobacteria Wolbachia have evolved across the phyla nematoda and arthropoda. In phylogeny, supergroup F is only clade known so far with members from both arthropod filarial nematode hosts therefore can provide unique insights into their evolution biology. this study, 4 new genomes been assembled using a metagenomic assembly binning approach, wMoz wMpe human parasites Mansonella ozzardi perstans, wOcae wMoviF blue mason bee Osmia caerulescens sheep ked...
Onchocerciasis is a debilitating neglected tropical disease caused by infection with the filarial parasite Onchocerca volvulus. Adult worms live in subcutaneous tissues and produce large numbers of microfilariae that migrate to skin eyes. The spread black flies genus Simulium following ingestion develop into infective stage larvae insect. Currently, transmission monitored capture dissection microscopic examination parasites, or using polymerase chain reaction determine presence DNA pools...
Accurate, simple and affordable diagnostics are needed to detect Onchocerca volvulus infection in humans. A newly developed colorimetric loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was compared PCR skin snip analysis for diagnosis of onchocerciasis. The robustness simplicity the indicates that it may be a useful field tool surveillance endemic countries.
Abstract Mansonelliasis is a widespread yet neglected tropical infection of humans in Africa and South America caused by the filarial nematodes, Mansonella perstans , M . ozzardi rodhaini streptocerca Clinical symptoms are non-distinct diagnosis mainly relies on detection microfilariae skin or blood. Species-specific DNA repeat sequences have been used as highly sensitive biomarkers for nematodes. We developed bioinformatic pipeline to mine Illumina reads obtained from sequencing genomic new...