Our major focus is the replication and assembly of daughter cells of the human pathogen Toxoplasma gondii, which infects an estimated one-third of the US population. During Toxoplasma replication, multiple daughters assemble simultaneously within the mother, a process in which assembly of the cytoskeleton is critical. With fluorescent reporter proteins and advanced imaging techniques we analyze replication of the various subcellular organelles over time, using time-lapse video microscopy, image deconvolution, laser scanning confocal microscopy, fluorescence photobleaching, and laser ablation. We aim to determine the chronological order of critical events in T. gondii replication, the cause and effect relationships associated with these processes, and the molecular mechanisms involved.

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Researcher/Clinician:
Office Phone: 898-3045