Project description:High-throughput sequencing to profile the transcriptome of the human filarial nematode Brugia malayi, the causative agent of lymphatic filariasis, across multiple life-cycle stages.
Project description:Brugia pahangi is a parasitic nematode that is closely related to B. malayi and Wuchereria bancrofti. B. malayi and W. bancrofti are responsible for lymphatic filariasis, affecting around 120 million people in 73 countries worldwide.This project aims to undertake high-throughput sequencing of Brugia pahangi transcriptome. The objective is to use transcriptomics to support gene finding and to recognize genes expressed in given life stages.
Project description:Genomic assembly of nematode Wuchereria bancrofti, as part of the 50 Helminth Genomes Initiative; sequencing of the parasitic worms that have the greatest impact on human, agricultural and veterinary disease and cause significant global health issues particularly in the developing world, or those used as model organisms.
Project description:Mosquito-borne helminth infections are responsible for a significant worldwide disease burden in both humans and animals. Accordingly, development of novel strategies to reduce disease transmission by targeting these pathogens in the vector are of paramount importance. We found that a strain of Aedes aegypti that is refractory to infection by Dirofilaria immitis, the agent of canine heartworm disease, mounts a stronger immune response during infection than does a susceptible strain. Moreover, activation of the Toll immune signaling pathway in the susceptible strain arrests larval development of the parasite, thereby decreasing the number of transmissionstage larvae. Notably, this strategy also blocks transmission stage Brugia malayi, an agent of human lymphatic filariasis. Our data show that mosquito immunity can play a pivotal role in restricting filarial nematode development and suggest that genetically engineering mosquitoes with enhanced immunity will help reduce disease transmission.
