Project title: Determining the role of the RNA interference pathway in controlling endogenous viral infections in Leishmania martiniquensis and identifying the implications for virulence and transmission.
Leishmaniasis, the disease caused by the Leishmania parasite, produces significant mortality and disability worldwide. Some Leishmania species, harbour internal viral infections that may alter aspects of parasite biology, including the severity of disease in humans. The interactions between the immune systems of Leishmania and their endogenous viruses are not well understood.
This project aims to understand the effects of virus infection on the biology of Leishmania parasites, characterise how the parasite immune system controls viral infection, and determine whether the presence/absence of viruses are linked to changes in parasite virulence, and transmission by sandflies.