title: An adjustable gas-mixing device to increase feasibility of in vitro culture of Plasmodium falciparum parasites in the field.
abstract: A challenge to conducting high-impact and reproducible studies of the mechanisms of P. falciparum drug resistance, invasion, virulence, and immunity is the lack of robust and sustainable in vitro culture in the field. While the technology exists and is routinely utilized in developed countries, various factors-from cost, to supply, to quality-make it hard to implement in malaria endemic countries. Here, we design and rigorously evaluate an adjustable gas-mixing device for the in vitro culture of P. falciparum parasites in the field to circumvent this challenge. The device accurately replicates the gas concentrations needed to culture laboratory isolates, short-term adapted field isolates, cryopreserved previously non-adapted isolates, as well as to adapt ex vivo isolates to in vitro culture in the field. We also show an advantage over existing alternatives both in cost and in supply. Furthermore, the adjustable nature of the device makes it an ideal tool for many applications in which varied gas concentrations could be critical to culture success. This adjustable gas-mixing device will dramatically improve the feasibility of in vitro culture of Plasmodium falciparum parasites in malaria endemic countries given its numerous advantages.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology & Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America; Laboratory of Bacteriology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal.
authors.forename: Amy K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Bei
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology & Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America; Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Saurabh D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology & Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America; School for Nursing and Health Sciences, Simmons College, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Sarah K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Volkman
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bacteriology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal.
authors.forename: Ambroise D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Ahouidi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal.
authors.forename: Daouda
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ndiaye
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bacteriology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal.
authors.forename: Souleymane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mboup
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology & Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Dyann F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Wirth
mesh_terms: D057205:Automation, Laboratory / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology*; D006801:Humans; D009584:Nitrogen; D010100:Oxygen; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000254:growth & development*; D061251:Primary Cell Culture / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D009584:Nitrogen; D010100:Oxygen