Deciphering developmental commitment in African trypanosomes using single-cell transcriptomics

African trypanosomes are unicellular parasites that infect humans and other mammals, including cattle, where they cause fatal diseases if left untreated. In order to move between mammalian hosts and spread across sub-Saharan African, the parasites must be ingested by tsetse flies during a bloodmeal. While residing in the mammalian bloodstream, trypanosomes pre-adapt for survival in the fly by altering their metabolism and molecular biology in a process termed differentiation. I will monitor gene expression changes that occur in parasites undergoing differentiation using single-cell sequencing techniques. Using computational methods to analyse these data, I will predict which genes are driving the cellular changes during differentiation and then study these further to identify their function. My work will identify key factors in trypanosome differentiation that can be targeted to perturb this process. Ultimately, this may help the development of therapies to prevent transmission of trypanosomes and associated diseases.