Julian C. Rayner

A combinatorial genetics approach reveals limits to redundancy within Plasmodium falciparum invasion ligand families

This study uses combinatorial genetics to assess redundancy in Plasmodium falciparum invasion ligands, finding that certain gene pairs significantly impact parasite invasion.

Robust High-Throughput Flickering Spectroscopy for Measurements of Red Blood Cell Membrane Mechanics

This paper develops a high-throughput flickering spectroscopy method to measure red blood cell membrane mechanics, validated through chemical modification and simulations.

South American Plasmodium falciparum isolates reveal new insights into the role of PfAAT1 in mediating resistance to Chloroquine

This study identifies region-specific PfAAT1 mutations in South American Plasmodium falciparum isolates that modulate chloroquine resistance through structural and functional analyses.

The spatial proteome of the Plasmodium falciparum schizont illuminates the composition and evolutionary trajectories of its organelles

This study maps the spatial proteome of Plasmodium falciparum schizonts, identifying 24 cellular niches and classifying 1646 proteins, while revealing evolutionary patterns in parasite organelles.

Invasion preferences suggest a possible role for Plasmodium falciparum parasites in the expansion of Duffy negativity in West and Central Africa

The paper investigates whether Plasmodium falciparum parasites preferentially invade Duffy-positive red blood cells and explores the evolutionary implications for Duffy negativity prevalence.

Microfluidic Platform for Automatic Quantification of Malaria Parasite Invasion Under Physiological Flow Conditions

This study develops a microfluidic platform to quantify malaria parasite invasion under physiological flow conditions and shows that flow significantly affects invasion, particularly in parasites lacking the PfEBA175 gene.

Characterisation of Two Plasmodium Virulence Factors Important for Lipid Metabolism and Disease Progression In Vivo

This study identifies two Plasmodium virulence factors involved in lipid metabolism and disease progression by analyzing their function in vivo.

Mechanistic Insights into Dual-Active Liver and Blood-Stage Antiplasmodials

This paper identifies targets of dual-active antimalarials by evolving resistance to nine compounds and validates them using CRISPR and molecular docking.

Plasmodium falciparum Myosin F with a Rab-like tail domain localises to perinuclear membranes and associates with trafficking proteins

This study characterises PfMyoF, a Plasmodium falciparum myosin with a Rab-like tail domain, showing its localisation to perinuclear membranes and association with trafficking proteins.

Under conditions of high wall shear stress, several PfEBA and PfRH ligands are important for Plasmodium falciparum malaria blood-stage growth

Application of barcode sequencing to increase the throughput and complexity of Plasmodium falciparum genetic screening

The paper uses barcoded P. falciparum gene knockouts with BarSeq to phenotype parasite life cycle traits at scale.

A novel chemogenomic screening platform for scalable antimalarial drug target identification

This paper develops a chemogenomic platform using Plasmodium berghei artificial chromosomes to identify antimalarial drug targets through barcode sequencing and validation in Plasmodium falciparum.

Optical tweezers reveal that PfEBA and PfRH ligands, not PfMSP1, play a central role in Plasmodium-falciparum merozoite-erythrocyte attachment

The paper uses optical tweezers to measure merozoite-erythrocyte attachment forces and identifies PfEBA and PfRH ligands as critical for attachment, not PfMSP1.

Regulators of male and female sexual development critical for transmission of a malaria parasite

The paper identifies ten genes critical for male and female sexual development in Plasmodium berghei and reveals a regulatory cascade governing gametogenesis.

A molecular barcode and online tool to identify and map imported infection with Plasmodium vivax

The paper develops a molecular barcode and online tool to identify and map imported Plasmodium vivax infections using SNP analysis and machine learning.

The apicoplast link to fever-survival and artemisinin-resistance in the malaria parasite

The paper identifies genes in Plasmodium falciparum that enable survival at febrile temperatures and links these to artemisinin resistance through apicoplast-related pathways.

Whole Genome Sequencing of Plasmodium vivax Isolates Reveals Frequent Sequence and Structural Polymorphisms in Erythrocyte Binding Genes

This study analyzes whole genome sequences of Plasmodium vivax isolates from Ethiopia to identify sequence and structural polymorphisms in erythrocyte binding genes, revealing positive selection and gene copy number variations associated with host-parasite interactions.

Analysis of Plasmodium vivax schizont transcriptomes from field isolates reveals heterogeneity of expression of genes involved in host-parasite interactions

This study analyzes P. vivax schizont transcriptomes from field isolates, revealing gene expression heterogeneity and identifying genes involved in host-parasite interactions.

Red blood cell tension controls Plasmodium falciparum invasion and protects against severe malaria in the Dantu blood group

The paper shows that Dantu blood group variant increases red blood cell tension, reducing Plasmodium falciparum invasion and protecting against severe malaria.

Refining the transcriptome of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum using amplification-free RNA-seq

This study develops DAFT-seq, an amplification-free RNA-seq protocol for P. falciparum, refining the transcriptome by improving coverage of AT-rich regions and identifying new transcriptional features.

The Malaria Cell Atlas: a comprehensive reference of single parasite transcriptomes across the complete Plasmodium life cycle

The paper creates a comprehensive single-cell transcriptome atlas of the Plasmodium berghei life cycle and applies it to define stages in human malaria parasites.

PlasmoTron: an open-source platform for automated culture of malaria parasites

PlasmoTron automates malaria parasite culture using an open-source liquid-handling robot and database, maintaining cultures at desired parasitaemias.

Phenoplasm: a database of disruption phenotypes for malaria parasite genes

Phenoplasm curates and integrates phenotypic data from gene disruptions in Plasmodium parasites, enabling cross-species comparisons of genetic effects.