Exploring the parasite genomics of severe falciparum malaria in Mozambique
In this project, we analyzed whole genome sequences from Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites from human subjects with severe malaria in Mozambique to explore antimalarial resistance and malaria transmission in a country with the third highest number of malaria cases in the world. We evaluated known and novel antimalarial resistance mutations, assessed selective pressures on the parasite genomes, and analyzed the parasite population structure, in order to reveal the evolutionary forces currently influencing severe malaria infection in Mozambique and identify key genes of interest that can serve as molecular markers for monitoring antimalarial resistance.