Sawadee

From May 13, 2009.Greetings from Thailand. I am currently in Pathum Thani, a city and province near Bangkok, on a summer internship through HHMI and Rice's BTB. I will be doing research at BIOTEC, a Thai research institute and part of the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA).

This is just a general overview and I apologize for any errors my severe jetlag might have caused. I will be investigating the heme synthesis in the murine (that's mice) malaria parasite by genetic transfection under the supervision of Dr. Philip and Dr. Sumalee at the Protein-Ligand and Molecular Engineering Lab. We are using the murine parasite plasmodium burghi rather than the human form plasmodium falsiparum because this allows for in vivo testing.

Haem is an essential cofactor for many proteins and is used for gas exchange, electron transport, and oxidant defense etc. but must be tightly regulated because it can be toxic. When a parasite has entered its host (that's us), it breaks down the haemoglobin. The globin is used for food but the haem needs to be detoxified. This is done inside of the parasite's food vacuole which provides an acetic environment where two haems are joined together until chains of haem, the inert crystal haemozoin, are formed.

In addition to the haem the parasite gets from its host (extrinsic synthesis pathway), the parasite possesses an intrinsic haem synthesis pathway. This pathway is linked between the cell's apecoplasts (an organelle unique to this group of protozoans) and the mitochondria.

We are trying to see what happens if we knock out the parasite's own heam synthesis and make it reliant on scavenging through its food vacuole. Or, given that the parasite has a lot of haem it gets from degrading heamoglobin, why does it have its own mechanism and is this mechanism necessary for proper functioning?

I am staying at the BIOTEC dorm where many of the employees and students live. So far, I am enjoying the hot tropical weather and the daily rains. Everyone is very friendly here and I have already been invited to homemade Thai food and introduced to fresh exotic Thai fruits at the market. Yesterday I wasn't feeling too well and I had to leave the lab early. I think it was a combination of low blood pressure, dehydration, no sleep, and watching poor little mouse tails get chopped off. But all is well now and I look forward to exploring Bangkok this weekend!