tailieunhanh - Molecular approaches to malaria: on the way to integration Zbynek Bozdech

A report on the Molecular Approaches to Malaria meeting, Lorne, Australia, 4-8 February 2004. species-specific genes are mainly involved in unique, species-specific processes of the parasites and thus are potential targets for antimalarial strategies. David Roos (University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA) introduced the updated version of the Plasmodium Genome Resource [], which includes the complete P. falciparum genome as well as the partial genome sequences of additional plasmodial. | Meeting report Molecular approaches to malaria on the way to integration Zbynek Bozdech Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics University of California San Francisco 600 16th street San Francisco CA 94122 USA. E-mail zbynek@ Published 26 March 2004 Genome Biology 2004 5 319 The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at http 2004 5 4 3l9 2004 BioMed Central Ltd A report on the Molecular Approaches to Malaria meeting Lorne Australia 4-8 February 2004. The Molecular Approaches to Malaria MAM 2004 meeting was the second gathering of researchers studying the molecular basis of malaria. Compared to the first meeting MAM2000 four years ago the organizers registered twice as many abstract submissions featuring a large number of accomplishments as well as the development of novel approaches in studies of this important disease. The completion of the genome sequence of Plasmodium falciparum the main causative agent of human malaria is clearly the main achievement of the past few years and the sequence resource has been instrumental for much of the recent development in this field. This report focuses on some of the main themes of the presentations at the meeting which - by incorporating new techniques - are rapidly changing the focus of research within the protozoan parasitology research community. Plasmodium falciparum genomics Representing the malaria genome-sequencing consortium Matthew Berriman Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute Hinxton UK summarized the sequencing projects that have been ongoing at the institute since the completion of the P. falciparum genome in October 2002. Currently three- to five-fold coverage of the genome sequence is available for about six other Plasmodium species which are parasites of species ranging from mouse to human. This sequence coverage allows assembly of the partial genomes using the completed P. falciparum genome as a template. Phylogenetic comparisons .