Department of Protozoology
 Nagasaki Univ   Institute of Tropical Medicine Department of Protozoology Graduate Course
Guide for the Graduate Course
 You can start from October or April.

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Key Word :: Technique :: Research Theme :: Graduate Schools

1) Key Word

Malaria (Plasmodium falciparum, P. yoelii, P. knowlesi and P. vivax)
   Molecular mechanisms of erythrocyte invasion and modification by malaria parasites
   Calcium signaling in malaria parasite
   Molecular epidemiology of malaria vaccine candidate antigens and drug-resistance genes
   Evolution of malaria parasites
   Understanding the biology of the dormant liver stage of malaria parasites
   Development of vaccines, drugs and diagnostic tools for malaria


2) Techniques we are using in our laboratory

MolecularTechniques
     PCR, real-time PCR, Gene Cloning, Sequencing,Southern, Northern,
    Recombinant protein expression (E. coli and mammalian cells).
    Genetic modification ofP. falciparum, P. yoelii, P. knowlesi
    (CRISPR/Cas9, DiCre, Tet-ON/OFF, and so on.)
Microscopy
     Fluorescence Microscopy, Confocal Microscopy, Super-resolution microscopy,
    Live-imaging, Spectral detector.
Immunological Techniques
    Polyclonal antibody production, Flow Cytometry, ELISA, SDS-PAGE, Western Blot
    Immunoprecipitation, IFA, and so on.
Cell Culture
    Plasmodium falciparum and P. knowlesi, COS cell, CHO cell
Technique to maintain Parasites
    Rodent malaria parasites such as P. yoelii and P. berghei using mouse

3) Research Theme

     Malaria is responsible for a huge burden of death and disease in large areas of the tropical and sub-tropical world. Unfortunately, those countries hardest hit by the disease are often amongst the poorest. Despite continuing efforts, there is still no effective vaccine against the disease. In order to design and implement effective disease intervention strategies, we believe that one of the key priorities in malaria research should be the strengthening of our understanding of the basic biology of the parasite. We are currently investigating some fundamental aspects of the parasite’s life cycle, such as the molecular interactions and signaling mechanisms behind red blood cell (RBC) invasion and the phenomenon of cytoadherence of parasite-infected RBCs. We utilize a variety of malaria parasites including human-infecting Plasmodium falciparum, the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium yoelii, and Plasmodium knowlesi a causative agent of zoonotic human malaria. To expand a platform for basic and clinical malaria research, we are investigating the molecular epidemiology of malaria parasites in endemic countries, the biology of Plasmodium vivax hypnozoites, and the establishment of a novel malaria model using ungulate Plasmodium.

4) Graduate Schools
   Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences [Link]
   School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health [Link]
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