Research Interests:
Giardia is a major cause of waterborne intestinal disease and is also of basic biological interest as one of the earliest known eukaryotic organisms, with both prokaryotic and eukaryotic properties. Our group's orientation is unusual because we focus broadly on this organism and are not tied to specific techniques (Ann. Rev. Microbiol. 50: 679-705,1996). Our lab has completed the giardial life cycle in vitro for the first time, by inducing the flagellated "trophozoite" form that colonizes the small intestine to differentiate into cysts that survive in the environment. We discovered a novel regulated secretory pathway for the transport of cyst wall proteins during encystation. Cysts infect a new host by responding to signals from the host that lead to a rapid and dramatic differentiation. Excystation entails establishing cellular polarity, cell division, attachment, increases in metabolism, and antigenic switching.
Track(s):
Molecular Pathology
BMS Focus Areas:
Developmental Biology
Bioinformatics
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