Plasmodium DNA biology

HEAD OF THE TEAM

Dr. Jose-Juan Lopez-Rubio

We are an ATIP-AVENIR team studying Plasmodium falciparum nuclear biology.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Plasmodial gene regulation
Each of the stages of the parasite’s life cycle requires a distinct gene expression profile. We investigate molecular mechanisms underlying gene expression in malaria parasites, such as chromatin and DNA secondary structures.

Telomere DNA biology
Telomeres are specialized protein-DNA structures that protect chromosome ends from degradation and fusion, and are essential for complete replication of chromosomes. We are interested in Plasmodium telomeres since they provide a functional and structural support for antigenic variation and evolution of subtelomeric virulence gene families.