Prof Birkholtz investigates gene regulatory  mechanisms underlying the pathogenic processes that drive both asexual proliferation as well as gametocyte differentiation of malaria parasites.

We try to understand the mechanisms the parasite uses to ensure a controlled transition during the different stages that the parasite progresses through, both during asexual proliferation as well as gametocyte differentiation. We are particularly interested in what we propose to be regulatory points within the asexual cycle and sexual development and are trying to define the mechanisms that contribute to this. This is a substantial research challenge, and one we approach from a systems level. We therefore generate global descriptors of asexual parasite proliferation and gametocyte differentiation, to tease apart the molecular regulators involved. With this we provided a reference landscape of gametocyte development on both transcriptional and epigenomic levels and we infer several regulatory functions that we are exploring further with gene manipulation techniques. This information is also directly informative and provide meaningful information on essential druggable processes.

This project is funded by the South African DSI/NRF South African Research Chair (SARChI) Initiative to Prof Birkholtz as SARChI Chair in Sustainable Malaria Control.

Current collaborations:

Prof Manuel Llinás, Pennsylvania State University, USA; Prof Ben Garcia, University of Pennsylvania, USA

Dr Niemand investigates the membrane transport processes that support both asexual proliferation as well as gametocyte differentiation of malaria parasites.

We try to identify transport processes that is either 1) essential in both asexual stage parasites and gametocytes, thereby allowing the simultaneous targeting in both asexual stage parasites and gametocytes, or 2) gametocyte specific. We aim to prioritize membrane transport proteins essential to the P. falciparum parasite that can be investigated as drug targets in future drug development programs.

This project is funded by the South African National Research Fund Y-rated grant programme to Dr Niemand.