Scientists from The University of Nottingham have uncovered the role of cyclin - the protein molecule that drives the growth of malaria within mosquitoes.

The research, led by Professor Rita Tewari and Dr Bill Wickstead in the University’s School of Life Sciences and published in the scientific journal PLoS Pathogens (: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005273 ), could pave the way to better understanding of how the malaria parasite thrives within its insect and human hosts and lead to potential new treatments.

Dr Magali Roques, who is the lead author said: “This first functional study of cyclin in the malaria parasite and its consequences in parasite development within pathogen-carrying mosquitoes will definitely further our understanding of parasite cell division, which I hope will lead to the elimination of this disease in the future.”

Link: www.nottingham.ac.uk/news/pressreleases/2015/november/cyclin-out-of-gear-malaria-parasites-grinding-to-a-halt-.aspx