Discovery of new metabolic functions in Plasmodium parasites

这项研究将为寄生虫的代谢提供新的理解，例如那些导致疟疾的寄生虫。这些寄生虫已经进化出定制的代谢网络，可以在包括蚊子和人类在内的各种宿主环境中生存。以前的研究已经揭示了这些生物体中许多独特的基因和代谢产物，但其生化功能尚不清楚。该项目将使用最先进的代谢组学和蛋白质组学技术来准确识别寄生虫产生的新代谢物，并发现负责合成它们的酶。这项工作不仅将促进我们对细胞代谢的理解，而且将为未来的生物技术应用提供新的机会。

This research will provide new understanding about the metabolism of parasites, such as those that cause malaria. These parasites have evolved bespoke metabolic networks to survive in diverse host environments including mosquitos and humans. Previous studies have revealed many unique genes and metabolites in these organisms, but their biochemical function is not known. This project will use state-of-the-art metabolomics and proteomics technology to accurately identify novel metabolites produced by the parasites, and discover the enzymes that are responsible for their synthesis. This work will not only advance our understanding of cellular metabolism, but will provide new opportunities for future biotechnology applications.