Research projects
Services
- In vitro screening assay for the identification of leishmanicidal drugs on promastigotes. Optimised in four different Leishmania species via the MTS assay - 96 well plates format.
- In vitro screening assay for the identification of leishmanicidal drugs on axenic amastigote. Optimised in two different Leishmania species via the Alamar Blue assay - 96 well plates format.
- In vitro screening assay for the identification of leishmanicidal drugs in intracellular amastigotes. Based on Fluorescent-activated-cell-sorter (FACS) analysis of terminally differentiated THP-1 cells (CD14 +) infected with GFP expressing parasites under development.
GFP expressing parasites:
- L. major
- L. aethiopica
- L. tropica
- L. mexicana
Axenic amastigotes:
- L. aethiopica
- L. mexicana
GFP transfectant
Episomal
Expression vector pXG-GFP, kindly donated by Professor Stephen Beverley.
Hygromycin resistance marker was used for parasites selection.
Clonal selection of transfectants with high GFP expression is currently in process. Such parasites will be used to set up low cost high throughput screening through FACS and Plate reader analysis.
Genomic
Expression vector was kindly donated by Dr Barbara Papadopoulou
Stable genomic transfectants expressing GFP in absence of selective pressure are being developed. Such parasites will support in vivo testing.