Cellular dissection of Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte invasion

Malaria parasites cause disease by invading and multiplying inside human red blood cells. Red blood cell invasion is a possible vaccine target because if it is prevented, the parasite is unable to grow and divide. Invasion is a complex process that involves multiple interactions between parasite and red blood cell proteins, but we currently know little about the function of the parasite proteins involved. We aim to understand invasion in a much more comprehensive way. We will focus on understanding the function of two specific families of parasite invasion proteins, the EBLs and RHs. We will establish how these proteins interact with each other and with other invasion proteins, and explore their role in allowing malaria parasites to distinguish between different types of red blood cell. This work will significantly change our understanding of the essential process of invasion, and help prioritise components for future vaccine development.