Transport mechanisms and drug resistance in malaria transporters

Understanding the basic function of membrane transporter in malaria and how they are targeted by drugs

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This project is open for Honours, Master and PhD students.
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The increasing incidence of multi drug resistant malaria across the globe threatens the resurgence of one of humanities most devastating infectious disease. This resistance is often mediated by membrane transporter proteins, thwarting chemotheraputic interventions by transporting the drug molecules away from their site of action. But these membrane transporters may be the Malaria parasite's undoing; it's parasitic lifecycle has streamlined its transportome to a limited set of essential proteins that are ripe for molecular targeting. Projects in this area will seek to answer questions such as what is the structural basis of Malaria's multi drug resistance? Can we predict which drugs will be harder to evolve resistance to? How do drugs interact with their targets, and is it possible to design drug regimes which create evolutionary dead ends.

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