The aim of this project is to develop an integrated model for ion and cell volume homeostasis in the malaria parasite and its host red blood cell.  The project will entail using a suite of physiological and biochemical techniques to characterize the mechanisms (channels, transporters, pumps) involved in ion regulation in the parasite (see Kirk, K. (2015). Ann. Rev. Microbiol., 69, 341–359).  The results will be incorporated into a quantitative computer model that will serve as an invaluable tool in understanding the mechanism of action of a growing number of ‘ion-disrupting’ antimalarial drugs.

This project is part of the Crossing Boundaries: Molecular Interactions in Malaria Graduate School. Participants study at both ANU and the Humboldt University in Berlin, earning a dual degree. Find out more.

Photo contribution: James Walsh. Graphic contribution: Kiaran Kirk.