Current Group
Name |
Position |
Project |
|---|---|---|
John Boothroyd |
Prof. |
How does Toxoplasma infect and persist within a huge number of warm-blooded hosts and why does the outcome of that infection range from essentially no symptoms at all through to fatal encephalitis? |
Matt Anderson |
Grad. Student |
What is the role of pseudouridine synthase in the differentiation of tachyzoites to bradyzoites? [TgPUS1 was found by genetic screens to be key to differentiation.] |
Lidia Barouh |
Research Technician |
How does Toxoplasma infect and persist within a huge number of warm-blooded hosts and why does the outcome of that infection range from essentially no symptoms at all through to fatal encephalitis? |
Jon Boyle |
Post-doc |
What is the genetic basis of differences in virulence between Toxoplasma strains? [Some strains kill a mouse 100% of the time even when just a single parasite initiates the infection while others are non-lethal with an inoculum of over 100,000 parasites.] |
Kerry Buchholz |
Post-doc |
How do rhoptry proteins facilitate tachyzoite and bradyzoite invasion and persistence? [Rhoptry proteins are presumed key to bradyzoite invasion and growth just as they are for tachyzoites but they are much less studied in this stage of asexual growth.] |
Anita Koshy |
Post-doc |
How does Toxoplasma cross the blood-brain barrier, where does it reside once across and how does it persist in that environment? [During the chronic stages of an infection, Toxoplasma bradyzoites are found in large numbers in the brain where they appear able to reside for the life of the host.] |
Melissa Lodoen |
Post-doc |
What role does injection of the rhoptry protein, Toxofilin, have in the infection process? [Toxofilin is a potent actin binder that Toxoplasma injects into the host cell.] |
Yi-Ching Ong |
Grad. Student |
What proteins does the injected rhoptry kinase ROP16 phosphorylate once inside the cell and how does this serve the parasite’s interest? [ROP16 is a polymorphic protein kinase that is injected into the host cell where it has major effects on host gene expression.] |
Sandeep Ravindran |
Grad. Student |
How are rhoptry proteins introduced into a host cell? [We know several rhoptry proteins that end up inside the host cell but the machinery and process that delivers them to this destination are not known.] |
Michael Reese |
Post-doc |
How do ROP2-related proteins associate with the parasitophorous vacuole membrane (PVM) and what is their role once so positioned? [ROP2 is the canonical member of a family of over a dozen protein-kinase-related proteins, although many lack kinase activity.] |
Jessica Tyler |
Post-doc |
How does the moving junction form and how do its constituents facilitate invasion? [The moving junction is a ring of contact between the invading parasite and the plasma membrane of the host cell.] |
Gusti Zeiner |
Post-doc |
How does Toxoplasma manipulate host microRNAs to its advantage? [Infection by Toxoplasma appears to substantially alter host miRNA levels.] |
