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K-State Today

February 3, 2014

Postdoctoral researcher, professor publish in Journal of Experimental Biology

Submitted by Kristin Michel

Hemocyte expressing immune factor

Malaria is a global public health problem especially in sub-Saharan  Africa, where the mosquito Anopheles gambiae serves as the major vector for the Plasmodium falciparum parasite. A study recently published in The Journal of Experimental Biology analyzes the consequences of blood feeding on the immune status of mosquitoes.

Led by the postdoctoral researcher Bart Bryant, with Kristin Michel, associate professor of biology, the manuscript demonstrates that the normal physiological process of a blood meal activates the cellular immune response in mosquitoes. This process is likely in part regulated by Ras-MAPK signaling, highlighting a novel mechanistic link between blood feeding and immunity.

To access the manuscript, please go to http://jeb.biologists.org/content/early/2013/12/16/jeb.094573.long.

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