CANCELLED *CANCELED* Interdisciplinary approaches to reveal parasite vulnerabilities

Emily Derbyshire, Duke University
Within the liver a single Plasmodium parasite transforms into tens of thousands of blood infective forms to cause malaria. The Derbyshire lab combines chemical biology, biochemistry and genomics to uncover molecular events that drive this transient developmental stage within the liver. Through an integrative approach, we utilize small molecule probes, gene sequencing technologies and a forward genetic screen in liver cells to discover parasite and host processes involved in Plasmodium parasite infection. Our findings highlight the dependence of Plasmodium on host factors and reveal parasite vulnerabilities that may be leveraged for future disease control efforts.