PlasmoGEM news

News and updates

Fertility screen

Sexual reproduction is essential for malaria parasite transmission through the mosquito and provides a divergent eukaryotic model for studying sex. Systematic barcoded mutagenesis of male- and female-producing Plasmodium berghei lines identified 401 gene functions associated with fertility and transmission. The study is now published in Cell Systems: Sayers et al. (2024), PMID 39541984.

 

Gametocyte screen

It is becoming clearer how malaria parasites decide on their gender when they go from asexual to sexual reproduction. A recent genetic screen Russel et al. 2023 provides insight into the function of a transcription factor in coordinating this transition and producing parasites that are both male and female.

 

Liver stage screen

The PlasmoGEM screen is Stanway et al. 2023 here. By examining over 1300 mutants across the lifecycle, we've identified numerous parasite genes crucial during the liver stage and developed a specialized model of metabolism for this specific stage.