The Sarah Reece Group - Edinburgh University, Scotland

Evolutionary theory successfully explains how, when, and why organisms should vary their life history strategies in order to maximise transmission of their genes to the next generation (fitness). Our aim is to understand the life-history strategies that malaria parasites have evolved to maximise their transmission to new hosts. These parasites have high medical, veterinary and conservation importance therefore understanding their biology is important from an applied perspective as well as providing novel tests of evolutionary predictions.

We test evolutionary theory in a biomedical context to investigate how the social, in-host, and abiotic environments influence how malaria parasites live their lives. Our approach involves using recent developments in cell and molecular biology, genetic manipulation, immunology and imaging techniques to conduct experiments.

Specific questions we are asking include:

• Why do single-celled parasites seem to commit suicide (apoptosis)?
• How and why do parasites co-ordinate (synchronise) their decisions and behaviours during infections?
• How do in-host competition and genetically mixed infections influence parasite reproductive strategies and behaviours (sex ratio & reproductive effort)?
• How do host factors such as immunity, anaemia and the availability of red blood cell resources influence parasite strategies for survival and reproduction?
• What are the costs and limits on parasites impressive repertoire of phenotypic plasticity?
• What mating strategies have parasites evolved to ensure successful sexual reproduction with the right mates?
• How much, when, and why do parasite life history traits alter in response to drug treatment during infections and over evolutionary time?
• How does exposure to parasites influence maternal transfer of immunity and protection of young?

Please follow the links to the right to find out more about the biology of malaria parasites and our research topics.

In addition to malaria parasites, Sarah has also used an unusual species of parasitoid wasp (Melittobia acasta) to understand life-history decisions in the context of co-operation and conflict, and dabbled in sex allocation strategies in Nasonia vitripennis (parasitoid wasps) and Callasobruchus maculata (bean beetles), as well as temperature sex determination in Chelonia mydas and Caretta caretta (sea turtles).