Hi #ScienceMastodon! Check out the last Research Highlight from Issue 17 of JCS: Ke Hu and colleagues at Arizona State University mess with microtubule-associated proteins in Toxoplasma gondii to answer whether the distinct helical motility of this apicomplexan parasite arises from the spiral arrangement of its remarkably stable cortical microtubules.
#CellBiology #microtubules #parasitology

Function follows form of cortical microtubules in Toxoplasma gondii
https://journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/136/17/e136_e1702/327904/Function-follows-form-of-cortical-microtubules-in

TheOnion: Doctors Find Live Parasitic Worm In Woman’s Brain https://www.theonion.com/doctors-find-live-parasitic-worm-in-woman-s-brain-1850789214?utm_source=regular #healthmedicalpharma #tropicaldiseases #diseaseecology #parasiticworm #chelseamarkis #helminthiases #parasitology #adamrinaldo #jonmeagher #parasitism #ascaridida #worm

@Krikket If you like zombie stuff, #MiraGrant’s #Newsflesh series is awesome! I’ve not read #IntoTheDrowningDeep or her #Parasitology series yet, but they’re both on my #ReadingList.

Living python roundworm found in the brain of an Australian woman who "was so courageous and wonderful,” Senanayake said. “You don’t want to be the first patient in the world with a roundworm found in pythons and we really take our hats off to her. She’s been wonderful.”

Has anyone informed @seananmcguire ? #parasitology #Ophidascaris

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/28/live-worm-living-womans-brain-australia-depression-forgetfulness?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

'Hence, a parasite protein known to bind two host cytokine receptor subunits has evolved a third receptor specificity, which serves to raise the avidity and cell type–specific potency of TGF-β signaling in mammalian cells.'
#immunology #Parasitology #HostPathogen

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2302370120#sec-2

Anyone with a #parasitology #neurology background want to #betaread a #shortstory involving eosinophilic meningitis?

#booktok
#bookstodon
@bookstodon

Voting closes in ONE WEEK for our 2023 image competition. Go to FocalPlane to check out the shortlisted entries, read more about the images and cast your vote!
https://focalplane.biologists.com/2023/07/04/focalplane-image-competition-vote-for-your-favourite/
#microscopy #sciart #devbio #cellbiology #parasitology

Parasitic Relationships: Trapped in time

Analysis of specimens preserved in amber from the Cretaceous period suggests that nematodes changed their host preference towards insects with a complete metamorphosis more recently.

https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.90008

#paleobiology #paleontology #amber #resin #EvolutionaryBiology #Evolution #Ecology #parasitism #parasitology

AAAS: "'Win-win-win' strategy reduces dangerous parasite infections in African villages." A parasitic flatworm in the genus Schistosoma in Africa infects millions, causing pain, weakness + in children failure to thrive plus cognitive dysfunction. Some peope get liver disease or cancer. "Now, researchers have shown in a trial in Senegal that a simple intervention could reduce the risk of infection and break the resulting spiral of poverty and disease." Harvesting aquatic plants removes habitat for the snails carrying the parasite, which slashes rates of schistosomiasis, benefiting farmers with the vegatation being used for fertilizer + fodder for animals. Infected people pass schistosome eggs in their urine or stool, depending on species. The eggs infect certain snail species, which release second-stage larvae which can burrow through intact human skin, completing the cycle. The drug praziquantel can knock down the disease burden in people, but rapid reinfection often occurs. In the randomized, controlled trial,  residents of 8 villages in Senegal were paid to remove water plants every 3 months for 3 yrs. The number of snails was reduce eightfold compared to control villages. "And the percentage of schoolchildren infected with one flatworm parasite, Schistosoma mansoni, was 23.5% in sites where the vegetation was removed, whereas it was 31.5% in control villages, Rohr and colleagues report in Nature." The composted plants increased yields of papper + onions, 2 local crops. As for fodder, goats were not interested, but sheep, donkey + cattle were happy to partake. As a former president told us, this represents so much winning that we should be sick + tired of all the winning.   #schistosomiasis    #parasitology    #winning

Postdoctoral fellowships on malaria parasite transmission blocking

University of Idaho

Join us!
TWO POSTDOC FELLOWSHIPS
luckhartlab.com
University of Idaho
Moscow, Idaho
#job #malaria #insectphysiology #parasitology #entomology

See the full job description on jobRxiv: https://jobrxiv.org/job/university-of-idaho-27778-postdoctoral-fellowships-on-malaria-paras...
https://jobrxiv.org/job/university-of-idaho-27778-postdoctoral-fellowships-on-malaria-parasite-transmission-blocking/?feed_id=47907

Kyle Harper’s #Plagues Upon the #Earth is a remarkable accomplishment that weaves together #microbiology, history, and economics to understand the role of #diseases in shaping human history. Harper, an established historian known for his first three books on Rome and late #antiquity, has an impressive command of #virology, #bacteriology, and #parasitology as well as #history and #economics.
https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2023/06/plagues-upon-the-earth.html

Ars Technica: People in Old Testament Jerusalem suffered from widespread dysentery, study finds https://arstechnica.com/?p=1941246 #Tech #arstechnica #IT #Technology #archaeoparasitology #paleoparasitology #parasitology #Archaeology #dysentery #Culture #Science #History

People in Old Testament Jerusalem suffered from widespread dysentery, study finds - Enlarge / Fecal samples in sediment collected from beneath this stone t... - https://arstechnica.com/?p=1941246 #archaeoparasitology #paleoparasitology #parasitology #archaeology #dysentery #culture #science #history

Postdoctoral fellowships on malaria parasite transmission blocking
University of Idaho

Join us!
TWO POSTDOC FELLOWSHIPS
luckhartlab.com
University of Idaho
Moscow, Idaho
#job #malaria #insectphysiology #parasitology #entomology

See the full job description on jobRxiv: https://jobrxiv.org/job/university-of-idaho-27778-postdoctoral-fellowships-on-malaria-parasit...
https://jobrxiv.org/job/university-of-idaho-27778-postdoctoral-fellowships-on-malaria-parasite-transmission-blocking/?feed_id=45899

Gut bacteria influence Blastocystis sp. phenotypes and may trigger pathogenicity
https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0011170

#parasitology #blastocystis

The Lancet Microbe's Senior Editor Rebecca Barksby talks to Dr Nichola Calvani about gender equity in science and Herminthology, an online initiative that produces online profiles of women working in #parasitology

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1794195/12367445

#InternationalWomensDay

New review: Parasites: The Inside Story is a well-presented and fun introduction to the ecological and evolutionary aspects of parasites, though its brevity turns it into a medley that might leave readers wanting more.

https://inquisitivebiologist.com/2023/02/21/book-review-parasites-the-inside-story/

#Books #BookReview #Bookstodon #Parasites #Parasitology #Scicomm @princetonupress @princetonnature @bookstodon

My first preprint in Canada 🇨🇦 from the wonderful Wasmuth lab. My first preprint in a new field - parasitology!

We used protein structures to identify molecular mimicry in Plasmodium falciparum.

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.08.527763v1?rss=1

#parasitology #malaria #plasmodium #preprint #canada #parasites #bioinformatics

"Here, we investigated the fetal hematopoietic response to maternal infection with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), an intracellular parasite that elicits Type II IFNγ-mediated maternal immunity."

#immunology #Parasitology #Toxoplasma #HostPathogen #InfetionImmunity #Preprint

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.29.518417v3

out of all #academic #science disciplines, i feel like #parasitology people have the highest threshold for ick