In a new study, a global team of researchers hijacked the system Toxoplasma uses to secrete proteins into its host cell. The team genetically engineered Toxoplasma to make a hybrid protein, fusing one of its secreted proteins to a protein called MECP2, which regulates gene activity in the brain—in effect, giving the MECP2 a piggyback … Read more
A pest expert has revealed an ingenious tip for keeping holidaymakers’ clothes free of bed bugs, amid fears the UK could be hit with another invasion of the parasitic insects. Pest-busting specialists Rentokil say they’ve seen a 117-percent increase in enquiries about the blood-sucking creatures, and are warning the millions heading abroad this summer to … Read more
CAPTION: Chelsea Wood kneels to search for shore crabs at a beach in Tacoma, Washington. She will later dissect the crabs to search for parasites. CREDIT: Jesse Nichols/Grist The parasites were a sign that the local shorebirds were doing great, Wood explained. As scientists have learned more about parasites, some have argued that many ecosystems … Read more
The high number of cases in the UK also reflects the difficulty of eradicating an outbreak, says Jo Middleton, a research fellow at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, who is involved in scabies research in the UK and around the globe. Bedding and furniture need to be completely decontaminated, while medicines like permethrin are not … Read more
