How are extreme weather events, such as Hurricane Katrina, spreading heartworms and other parasitic nematodes and what are the implications of their spread?
Parasitology
The Evolution of Drug Resistance; an Issue of “When, not if”
Drug resistance in many pathogens — viruses, bacteria, protozoa, parasitic worms and more — presents a growing and potentially catastrophic challenge to human and animal health. Resistance is manifested by a decreased ability, or complete failure, of previously-effective drugs to successfully prevent or clear infections. Well-known human examples include methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureas (MRSA); multi-drug resistant […]
Meet Janis Weeks: A Neuroscientist Turned Global Health Advocate
Dr. Janis Weeks is the first to admit her career arc has been anything but traditional. The neuroscientist turned parasite researcher and global health advocate fell in love with Africa on her first visit in 1996, while teaching in a neuroscience short-course. Since then her connections with the African continent have grown, including becoming a […]
Using C. elegans to study parasitism
C. elegans is one of the most powerful model organisms and has been used to unravel several key genetic pathways. The C. elegans nematode has been used in parasitology research due to its high genetic tractability as a model organism. Their use in understanding parasitology is considered mainly due to the ease of in vitro culture, short generation […]
A New Era of Transgenics in Parasitic Nematodes
One of the most commonly known nematodes in the scientific community is Caenorhabditis elegans. Ever since Sydney Brenner introduced it as a model organism to study nervous system, the use of C. elegans in various disciplines of biological research has yielded significant results pertinent to the understanding of cell biology, genetics, developmental biology, and neurobiology. […]
