Abstract

The parasites that cause deadly diseases such as malaria and sleeping sickness need to hide from destruction by the human body. They invade human cells, finding a safe home in which to divide. They also contain large protein surface families, allowing them to act as shape-shifters, changing their surface appearances to avoid detection. In this talk, we will see their evasion strategies and also identify conserved features of their molecules that can be targeted with vaccines of the future.

Associate Professor Matt Higgins conducts research at the University of Oxford Department of Biochemistry. He has collaborated with the Jenner Institute, the University of Cambridge and the University of Copenhagen in structural studies of the malaria parasite.