Infectious disease

The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) selected Whitehead Institute Member Sebastian Lourido to receive its 2024 William Trager Award. 

Whitehead Institute Member Sebastian Lourido and colleagues performed the first genome-wide screen of Toxoplasma gondii in live hosts, uncovering genes that are important for infection but had been undetected in cell culture experiments. Their results demonstrate the importance of studying parasites in live hosts and point to a possible new drug target.

In a brief audio clip, Sebastian Lourido discusses his lab's recent work.

Apicomplexan parasites are responsible for several prevalent infectious diseases including malaria. Whitehead Institute Member Sebastian Lourido and colleagues identified a protein complex that the parasites require for a critical step in invading host cells.

Whitehead Institute Member Sebastian Lourido and colleagues identified key parts of the pathway that enables apicomplexan parasites to exit one host cell, and travel to infect others, including the important role of a molecule they called HOOK. This finding illuminates how signals can move in cells and could inform drug development against the parasites.

Research from Whitehead Institute Member Sebastian Lourido finds an RNA-binding protein that is key to helping the parasite Toxoplasma gondii commit to its dormant stage.

Climate change and economic development are increasing our risk of being infected by parasites and harmful viruses and bacteria. Whitehead Institute researchers are leveraging their expertise to better assess where pathogens will spread and evaluate their risk to humans.

Whitehead Institute Founding Member Rudolf Jaenisch and colleagues have developed molecular genetic tools that can rescue neurons affected by Rett syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder linked to intellectual disability.

Whitehead Institute Founding Member Harvey Lodish was co-recipient of the 2021 MITx Prize for Teaching and Learning in MOOCs, and Whitehead Institute Member Sebastian Lourido has been named as one of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund’s 2021 Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease.