Mario J. Grijalva

This study investigates the genomic basis of domestic colonization in Chagas disease vectors, finding that landscape elevation drives population structure and identifying genetic loci associated with adaptation to domestic environments.

The paper presents an improved genome assembly of Trypanosoma cruzi and reveals a unique genomic structure involving subtelomeric regions and retrotransposons contributing to antigenic variation.

The paper uses deep sequencing of mini-exon gene amplicons to analyze genetic diversity and mixed infections of Trypanosoma cruzi and T. rangeli in southern Ecuador, revealing underestimated T. rangeli prevalence and new TcIV sequences.

This paper introduces a cost-effective method for analyzing pathogen genetic variation directly from host/vector material, demonstrating its ability to distinguish parasite strains and correlate genetic with geographic distances.

This study shows T. cruzi maintains sexual populations alongside clonal parasexual ones, with distinct genomic structures and reproductive modes.