MIT – Cells infected with malaria research
Two very advanced microscopy techniques have been used to show how the malaria parasite attacks red blood cells. Images that have been taken by researchers show that the red blod cells’ memrane becomes „weak“ (proteins from the parasite come to the cells’ membrane and make them stiffer). Hemoglobin also gets destroyed, which is a crucial component of the oxygen transfer.
Michael Feld, the head of George Harrison Spectostropy Laboratory said the following: „By studying the way the cell membrane vibrations progressively change as the malaria parasite matures inside the cell, we can study the changes in its mechanical, elastic and dynamic properties.”
The vibrations that occur are very hard to research – they are so small to measure (nano level).
The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the Singapore-MIT ARTC.
