Mayer Lab

Research interests

Specifically: microbiology, cell biology of infectious diseases, pathogenesis

My laboratory is interested in understanding the mechanisms by which Plasmodium falciparum, one of the deadliest protozoans, invades and colonizes human erythrocytes to cause malaria.

Malaria is the most important of the tropical diseases, causing approximately 1 million deaths annually.  It is widespread throughout the tropics but also occurs in many temperate regions.  The causative agent is the single-celled protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium.  Four species infect humans, P. falciparum being the most virulent.  Infection occurs via the bite of a blood-feeding female mosquito of the genus Anopheles which transfers parasites from human to human. In humans, parasites multiply exponentially in the liver and then in infected red blood cells.

Malaria begins as a flu-like illness eight to 30 days after infection. Symptoms include fever (with or without other indications such as headache, muscular aches and weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, cough). All the symptoms associated with malaria occur after entry and multiplication into human erythrocytes.  Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms of entry and colonization human erythrocytes would lead to the elucidation of the pathogenesis of falciparum malaria. 

The research in the laboratory focuses on:

A) Identifying and characterizing the factors produced by the parasite during invasion into human erythrocytes.
The structure and function of these factors as well as the genetics of their production will be studied. 

B) Factors produced after entry into human erythrocytes.
Once inside the erythrocytes, Plasmodium falciparum undergoes a series of developmental changes that lead to numerous modifications of the erythrocyte cytosol, cytoskeleton and plasma membrane. The structure and functions of these molecules will be studied.

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