The African trypanosome (Trypanosoma brucei) diverged early from the eukaryotic lineage and is an important parasite of humans and their livestock. Many fundamental molecular and biochemical processes were first discovered in trypanosomes, some ‘unusual’, others broadly conserved. An excellent range of advanced experimental tools and resources make them highly tractable organisms. Our work also extends to Drug Discovery studies and to the other trypanosomatids, T. cruzi and Leishmania.
See “let’s learn about bugs” videos on Sleeping Sickness, Chagas Disease and Leishmaniasis and "JJ Medicine" videos on African Trypanosomiasis and Chagas Disease.
Our research is funded by The Wellcome Trust.