Mapping malaria parasite population structure in the Asia-Pacific
Project type
Honours and/or PhD
| Supervisor(s) | Division | |
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(Primary) |
Infection and Immunity | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) |
| (Co-supervisor) | Infection and Immunity | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) |
Details of project
With many countries scaling up malaria control and attempting elimination there is an urgent need for molecular studies to provide insight into the structure of parasite populations at both local and broader geographic scales. Such data can help to make more informed choices about malaria control strategies, predict the spread of drug resistance and pinpoint the source of outbreaks.
Our previous work has shown that on the northern coast of Papua New Guinea (PNG), locally circulating Plasmodium falciparum parasites are structured into subpopulations, suggesting that significant barriers to gene flow exist (1). If this pattern occurs throughout PNG, maps of population structure could be used by public health authorities to deploy resources to defined populations and to assess the risk of importation of malaria parasites from other malarious regions. Furthermore, because parasites from the same area will form discrete clusters in population genetic analyses, the analysis of parasites infecting patients in non-endemic areas may allow identification of the source of imported infections and outbreaks.
The aim of this project is to map the population structure of P. falciparum in Papua New Guinea.Together with the PNG Institute of Medical Research we are collecting parasite isolates from three distinct parasite populations of PNG for genome-wide sequencing. We will utilise this genome sequence data to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for high-resolution genotyping of P. falciparum populations.
The project will involve identifying SNPs appropriate for population genetics using bioinformatic approaches. High throughput SNP genotyping assays (2) will then be developed to genotype parasite isolates from the PNG National Malaria Survey conducted across all 20 provinces of the country. Analysis of the resulting data will define the structure of malaria parasite populations on a fine scale throughout PNG. Rapid approaches to characterise parasite populations will then be developed to identify the source of outbreaks in areas where malaria has been or is in the process of being eliminated.
Project references
- Schultz L, Wapling J, Mueller I, Senn N, Ntsuke PO, Buckee CO, Nale J, Kiniboro B, Siba PM, Reeder JC and Barry AE. Multilocus haplotypes reveal variable genetic diversity and population structure in Papua New Guinea, a region of intense perennial transmission, Malaria Journal. 2010 9:336.
- Campino et al. Population genetic analysis of Plasmodium falciparum parasites using a customized Illumina GoldenGate genotyping assay. PLoS One. 2011 6(6):e20251.
Research interests
Malaria is an infectious disease that causes significant morbidity and mortality throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The disease is caused by infection with protozoan parasites of the Plasmodium genus via the bite of an infected anopheline mosquito. One of the major obstacles to controlling and eliminating malaria is a lack of understanding of the diversity and organization of natural malaria parasite populations.
Our research focuses on defining the population structure of Plasmodium spp. to reveal insights into disease transmission and naturally acquired immunity to malaria. We employ a multidisciplinary approach including epidemiology, genomics, population genetics, immunology and bioinformatics. Most of our research is concentrated in the Asia Pacific, where we have strong collaborative links with researchers conducting large epidemiological surveys.
Research theme
Infectious diseases
Scientific discipline
- Genetics
- Genomics
- Microbiology
Keywords
malaria control, Plasmodium falciparum, genomics, epidemiology, population genetics, SNPs