Taiki Yamamoto
Investigating Circadian Cues in Malaria Parasite Population Synchrony
My research at the Rijo-Ferreira Lab focuses on identifying the environmental cues that govern the internal “clocks” of malaria parasites. In infected patients, malaria is characterized by rhythmic fevers that occur every 24 hours, caused by a synchronized burst of parasites out of red blood cells. Our lab has linked this rhythmic burst to parasites synchronizing with the host’s circadian rhythm. By understanding the environmental cues that these malaria parasites synchronize with, we aim to find ways to interrupt it and improve clinical management of the disease.
To investigate these cues, I am contributing to the development and optimization of an automated continuous culture system, where my role includes the maintenance of the hardware and the monitoring of parasitemia during environmental cycling experimentation. While still a prototype, the continuous culture system has many implications for the future of malaria research. It allows researchers to test fluctuating variables, such as gas and temperature, that are difficult to decipher in conventional flask cultures and highly complex in in vivo animal models. Furthermore, due to its cost-effective design, this system would allow malaria-impacted countries to maintain and study local strains without the need to build costly laboratory infrastructures.
Message To Sponsor
Thank you so much for making my summer research experience possible. Your support gave me the amazing opportunity to continue my research in the Rijo-Ferreira Lab without the pressure of also working a part-time job. That freedom let me fully commit to my time spent in the lab, and I grew so much as a researcher as a result. I'm especially grateful that I got to directly contribute to findings that were presented at an international parasitology conference (ICOPA), something that simply wouldn't have happened without your generosity.