Activation of invasion in Plasmodium and Toxoplasma parasites

The phylum Apicomplexa comprises a number of important pathogens including the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium spp and the ubiquitous human pathogen Toxoplasma gondii. The success of these pathogens comes from their ability to invade human cells and hide from the immune system.

Our lab is studying how, upon environmental cues, apicomplexan parasites activate invasion. We use powerful molecular genetic and cellular techniques combined with quantitative proteomics to dissect the pathways that parasites use to activate the intracellular processes governing invasion.

Student projects would involve making a range of transgenic Toxoplasma lines including conditional knockouts and chemical genetic mutants, and assaying for defects in the cellular processes governing invasion. Quantitative proteomic techniques would then be applied to understand how these mutants affect protein phosphorylation to define the signalling pathways that activate infectivity.

This project will be supervised by:
Dr Chris Tonkin ([Email Address Removed]) http://www.wehi.edu.au/faculty_members/dr_chris_tonkin
Dr Alex Uboldi ([Email Address Removed])


Research interests

The Tonkin lab applies the latest and most sensitive techniques to understand how apicomplexan parasites move through tissue and invade host cells. We work with both Plasmodium falciparum (the causative agent of malaria) and Toxoplasma gondii (etiological agent of toxoplasmosis).

Our lab is currently focused on understanding how invasion is activated upon contact with an appropriate host cell and understanding how force is produced by the parasite molecular motor to power invasion. We use a range of techniques including molecular genetics, cell biology, quantitative proteomics, structural biology and biochemistry to ultimately identify new targets for drug and vaccine design for treatment of malaria and toxoplasmosis.