Boston, MA and Cambridge, MA, Sun. December 10, 2006 -- An international research team announced today the completion of a genome-wide map that charts the genetic variability of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Published in the December 10 advance online edition of Nature Genetics, the study reveals striking variation within the pathogen’s genome, including an initial catalog of nearly 47,000 specific genetic differences among parasites sampled worldwide. These differences lay the foundation for dissecting the functions of important parasite genes and for tracing the global spread of malaria. Led by scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, together with researchers in Senegal, the work has already unearthed novel genes that may underlie resistance to current drugs against the disease.>>> Discuss This Story
