Malaria Biology

Laboratory Head   

Associate Professor Donald Gardiner

Summary

The Malaria Biology Laboratory researches the molecular and cellular processes involved in critical phases of the malaria parasite life cycle in order to identify novel drug targets and to translate fundamental biological research into new interventions for the control of malaria. We have a fully integrated research program which uses established research methods in conjunction with recent advances in malaria transgenics, molecular modelling and in vivo and in vitro testing.

To date we have identified a number of promising targets in the asexual blood stage of the parasite. We are also currently exploring the biology of the sexual stages (gametocytes) which are essential for the for transmission of the malaria parasite through the mosquito vector with a view to identifying drugs which target this vital life cycle stage.

Conditions researched

• Malaria

Current research

• Investigation of several groups of antimalarial drugs and their proposed targets, including antiretroviral protease inhibitors, aminopeptidases inhibitors and hypoxanthine-guanine-xanthine phosphoribosyltransferase inhibitors
• Development of high throughput assays for anti-gametocyte drug development
• Investigation of protein trafficking pathways in the parasite.

Staff

Laboratory Head: Associate Professor Don Gardiner

Postdoctoral staff: Associate Professor Katharine Trenholme, Liam St Pierre

PhD student: Rachael McGeorge, Alice Butterworth, Tim Spicer

Technical Staff: Karen Anderson

Funding

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the following funding agencies:

• Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre
• Australian Research Council
• Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
• Griffith University
• National Institutes of Health, USA
• Queensland Government
• Queensland Tropical Health Alliance

Collaborators

National

Professor Leann Tilley, La Trobe University Melbourne.

Professors Nick Anstey and Ric Price, Menzies School of Health, Darwin.

Associate Professor C Brown. Griffith University, Brisbane.

Dr M Williams, Griffith University, Brisbane.

Dr C Stack, University of Western Sydney, Sydney.

Professor K Kirk and Dr R Martin, Australian National University, Canberra.

Professor Rob Capon, The University of Queensland, Brisbane

International

Professor John Dalton, McGill University, Montreal Canada

Associate Professor Peter Hodder, Scripps Institute, Jupiter, Florida. USA.

Professor Ben Dunn, The University of Florida. Gainesville, Florida. USA

Dr Frank Schoenen, Kansas University, Lawrence, Kansas USA.

Dr Joanne Thompson, Edinburgh University, Scotland.

Professor Wes van Voohis, University of Washington, USA.

Professor Michael Gelb, University of Washington, USA.