Engineered tools for studying the malaria parasite plasmodium falciparum
Author(s)
Wall, Bridget (Bridget Anne)
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Other Contributors
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biological Engineering.
Advisor
Jacquin C. Niles.
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Show full item recordAbstract
New techniques to both prevent and treat the disease malaria are necessary. To develop these novel strategies, innovative tools must be designed to study the basic biology within Plasmodium falciparum and characteristics of the pathological relationship between host and parasite. These tools will be diverse in nature, yet all seek to address the same fundamental question: what are the characteristics of the parasite that can be exploited to decrease the burden this parasite places on the human species? First, the relationship between nitric oxide and the parasite-infected red blood cell will be measured using a microfluidic device. Second, a toolkit to determine the essentiality of genes of unknown function will be engineered and tested with three separate genes to improve and demonstrate usability. Third, a mutator strain will be engineered and defined for eventual use in the study of drug resistance and the characterization of the resistance potential of anti-malarial drugs.
Description
Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Biological Engineering, 2015. This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections. Cataloged from PDF student-submitted version of thesis. Includes bibliographical references (pages 120-136).
Date issued
2015Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biological EngineeringPublisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Keywords
Biological Engineering.