Discovery of malaria vaccine peptide targets
- Research Opportunity
- PhD students, Masters by Research, Honours students
- Department / Centre
- Microbiology and Immunology
- Location
- Doherty Institute
Primary Supervisor | Number | Webpage | |
---|---|---|---|
Dr Daniel Fernandez-Ruiz | danielfr@unimelb.edu.au | 8344 5715 |
Summary This project will develop an innovative method to test the immunogenicity of these epitopes and to assess the protective capacity of specific liver-tissue-resident memory T cells against parasite infection in the mouse model. Promising epitopes will be included in our TRM-based malaria vaccines and the immunogenicity of ortholog antigens in human parasites will be tested
Project Details
Using Plasmodium-specific transgenic T cells in a mouse model we demonstrated that tissue-resident memory T (TRM) cells can fight malaria parasites in the liver with great efficacy. We then developed novel malaria vaccines aimed at the generation of these cells and achieved high levels of protection against infection. However, the lack of known parasite-derived protective epitopes that can be included as antigens in these vaccines is an important limitation for their future development and hinders translation into humans. We have recently defined multiple candidate parasite epitopes with high potential as vaccine antigens. This project will develop an innovative method to test the immunogenicity of these epitopes and to assess the protective capacity of specific liver-tissue-resident memory T cells against parasite infection in the mouse model. Promising epitopes will be included in our TRM-based malaria vaccines and the immunogenicity of ortholog antigens in human parasites will be tested. This project will involve several advanced immunological techniques with a strong focus on flow cytometry.
Faculty Research Themes
School Research Themes
Research Opportunities
PhD students, Masters by Research, Honours students
Students who are interested in joining this project will need to consider their elegibility as well as other requirements before contacting the supervisor of this research
Key Contact
For further information about this research, please contact a supervisor.
Department / Centre
Research Group / Unit / Centre
Heath laboratory: CD8 T lymphocytes, dendritic cells, self tolerance and immunity
Research Node
Doherty InstituteMDHS Research library
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