at Villanova University
We study the basic cellular and molecular mechanisms used by parasites to develop in their host. Our models include single cell-eukaryotic parasites belonging to the group kinetoplastids, which contains several species that are pathogenic to humans and animals. All pathogenic kinetoplastids are transmitted by insect vectors, in which the parasites go through distinct developmental programs. Kinetoplastids are the causative agents of diseases such as African sleeping sickness, Chagas disease, and leishmanias
Pathogenic parasites must adapt their metabolism to survive in their different hosts. In some cases, these changes are accompanied by striking changes in mitochondrial shape, the mechanisms of which are completely unknown. We are interested in exploring this process as model for the relationship between organelle structure and function. These studies utilize the distinct advantages of Trypanosoma brucei and Crithidia fasciculata to address how mitochondrial shape relates to metabolic adaptation in different