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Fluorescent image of red cells with high and low levels of parasitic infection in green
Parasite Drove Natural Selection in Amazonian Indigenous Groups
The findings could help researchers understand why some individuals are more vulnerable to deadly Chagas disease.
Parasite Drove Natural Selection in Amazonian Indigenous Groups
Parasite Drove Natural Selection in Amazonian Indigenous Groups

The findings could help researchers understand why some individuals are more vulnerable to deadly Chagas disease.

The findings could help researchers understand why some individuals are more vulnerable to deadly Chagas disease.

parasite

A monogenean flatworm
Ecologists Use Museum Specimens to Dig into the Parasitic Past
Ian Rose | Mar 1, 2023 | 4 min read
New techniques to quantify what lived in and on preserved animals throw light on how parasite abundance has changed over time.
a newly hatched mosquito sits on top of water, with its discarded cocoon floating below
In Vitro Malaria Sporozoite Production May Lead to Cheaper Vaccines
Katherine Irving | Jan 20, 2023 | 4 min read
A method for culturing the infectious stage of the Plasmodium lifecycle could increase malaria vaccine production efficiency by tenfold, study authors say.
four wolves cluster together in the snow next to a tree. one wolf at the front looks out into the distance.
Toxoplasma-Infected Wolves More Likely to Lead Packs, Study Finds
Katherine Irving | Nov 29, 2022 | 3 min read
The parasite appears to make infected wolves less risk-averse, potentially influencing the behavior of packs.
Purple and white fluorescent stain of cells
How Fat Cells Help Kick Parasites Out of Mice: Study
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Oct 14, 2022 | 3 min read
Immune cells get a lot of shine when it comes to fighting infection, but it turns out that fat might be just as important for removing parasitic invaders.
Vicu&ntilde;as <em>(Lama vicugna)</em> run across the plains in San Guillermo National Park, Argentina.
How Mange Remade an Ecosystem
Shawna Williams | Jul 5, 2022 | 5 min read
A study traces the effects of a mite outbreak from the earth to the heavens.
Close-up of a fiber with brightly colored pathogens beside it
Microplastics in Seawater May Harbor Parasites
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Apr 26, 2022 | 2 min read
Laboratory experiments find that Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia can congregate on microplastic beads and fibers, suggesting they might make their way into and around the world’s oceans by hitching rides on tiny bits of trash.
smiling woman against a backdrop of bookshelves
WHO Scientist Mwele Malecela Dies at 59
Pradip Chatterjee | Mar 4, 2022 | 3 min read
Her achievements included developing a roadmap to tackle neglected tropical diseases.
Spores of Fusarium xylarioides
Researchers Resurrect Coffee-Destroying Fungus—to Study It
Chloe Tenn | Jan 4, 2022 | 4 min read
Comparing the genomes of modern pathogens with those of cryopreserved strains from several decades ago shed light on the evolution of coffee wilt disease outbreaks in Africa.
Illustration of clear cells with orange nuclei, Toxoplasma gondii, on colorful background
Turning Toxoplasma Against Cancer
Annie Melchor | Jan 3, 2022 | 9 min read
Several research groups have found that Toxoplasma gondii infection can ramp up antitumor immune responses in mice. Can the single-cell parasite be used to develop safe treatments for humans?
mummy
Scratchy Scalps Help Glue Together Pieces of an Ancient Past
Chloe Tenn | Dec 29, 2021 | 3 min read
Scientists find human DNA preserved in lice cement from the heads of South American mummies.
black-legged deer tick waits on leaf for host to feed on
A Lab-Stage mRNA Vaccine Targeting Ticks May Offer Protection Against Lyme and Other Tick-Borne Diseases
Andaleeb Sajid | Nov 18, 2021 | 3 min read
NIH researcher Andaleeb Sajid discusses her study’s finding that ticks were unable to feed on vaccinated guinea pigs, preventing transmission of the pathogen that causes Lyme disease.
screen shot from a microscopy video of a green cell exiting a red cell and then entering two other green cells in sequence as a yellow arrow follows the original green cell
Cancer Cells Parasitize Other Ones to Survive: Study
Marcus A. Banks | May 13, 2021 | 3 min read
Tumor cells missing a critical protein enter neighboring cells to sap their nutrients, then exit those hosts as intact cells, possibly primed to metastasize. Other scholars say it’s too early to know this for sure.
Q&A, conservation biology, ecology & environment, freshwater mussel, translocation, parasite, pathogen
Conservation Biologists May Unintentionally Spread Pathogens
Amanda Heidt | Apr 19, 2021 | 5 min read
When conservationists relocate species, they don’t always account for the pathogens hitching a ride, and the consequences of introducing them to a new environment.
kelp maullinia pathogen parasite marine biology
Kelp Pathogen Has Spread Across the Southern Ocean
Chris Baraniuk | Apr 5, 2021 | 3 min read
Scientists suspect the gall-forming protist Maullinia hitches a ride on kelp rafts to reach new host populations at far-flung sites.
Chelsea Wood Tracks Parasites Around the World
Amanda Heidt | Nov 1, 2020 | 3 min read
The University of Washington parasite ecologist aims to understand how humans have changed the diversity and abundance of the enigmatic and misunderstood organisms.
Image of the Day: Unusual ATP Synthase
Emily Makowski | Jan 8, 2020 | 2 min read
A single-celled organism has an energy-producing enzyme with unique features.
Image of the Day: Cryptosporidiosis Treatment
Emily Makowski | Nov 8, 2019 | 1 min read
An enzyme blocker is highly effective at treating intestinal parasitic infection in mice.
ancient DNA puma parasite roundworm oldest maximum age feces coprolite faeces
Oldest Known Parasites Found in Ancient Puma Feces
Chia-Yi Hou | Aug 28, 2019 | 2 min read
Researchers isolate roundworm DNA from animal excrement that is about 17,000 years old.
Çatalhöyük excavation poop coprolite whipworm parasite egg neolithic farming
Parasites in Ancient Poo Reflect Neolithic Settlers’ Lifestyle
Ashley P. Taylor | Jun 21, 2019 | 4 min read
From an excavation of a site called Çatalhöyük, in modern-day Turkey, scientists recover preserved whipworm eggs—a sign of settling down and living in close quarters.
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