Partner study description

Alfred Amambua-Ngwa, David Conway, and colleagues surveyed clinical Plasmodium falciparum isolates from The Gambia to assess several measures of genetic variation including allele frequency spectra and signatures of balancing selection, across geographical regions and developmental stages. Using Illumina sequencing data from these parasites, the team published the first population-based study of signatures of balancing selection throughout a pathogen genome — a landmark in understanding pathogen polymorphism. They continue to study the functional and immunological targets identified in this study, and to extend the geographical range of their population genetic studies. This study is contributing to the Plasmodium Diversity Network Africa (PDNA), an African-led network investigating the genetic diversity and drug resistance of Plasmodium parasites across Africa.

Publications

• Genomic epidemiology of artemisinin resistant malaria
  MalariaGEN P. falciparum Community Project
  eLife, 2016; 5 e08714
  10.7554/eLife.08714
• Multiple populations of artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum in Cambodia
  Miotto et al
  Nature Genetics, 2013; 45(6) 648-55
  10.1038/ng.2624
• Population genomic scan for candidate signatures of balancing selection to guide antigen characterization in malaria parasites
  Amambua-Ngwa et al.
  PLoS Genetics, 2012; 8(11) e1002992
  10.1371/journal.pgen.1002992