title: Motility, Force Generation, and Energy Consumption of Unicellular Parasites.
abstract: Motility is a key factor for pathogenicity of unicellular parasites, enabling them to infiltrate and evade host cells, and perform several of their life-cycle events. State-of-the-art methods of motility analysis rely on a combination of optical tweezers with high-resolution microscopy and microfluidics. With this technology, propulsion forces, energies, and power generation can be determined so as to shed light on the motion mechanisms, chemotactic behavior, and specific survival strategies of unicellular parasites. With these new tools in hand, we can elucidate the mechanisms of motility and force generation of unicellular parasites, and identify ways to manipulate and eventually inhibit them.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 80, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hochstetter
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 80, 4056 Basel, Switzerland. Electronic address: thomas.pfohl69@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pfohl
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002633:Chemotaxis; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D044085:Microfluidics; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D052898:Optical Tweezers; D010271:Parasites / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D010274:Parasitology / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends