Publications by authors named "Rachel L Banda"
Malaria-infected individuals often harbor mixtures of genetically distinct parasite genotypes. We studied intra-host dynamics of parasite genotypes co-infecting asymptomatic adults in an area of intense malaria transmission in Chikhwawa, Malawi. Serial blood samples (5 ml) were collected over seven consecutive days from 25 adults with asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum malaria and analyzed to determine whether a single peripheral blood sample accurately captures within-host parasite diversity.
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- Genotyping of certain merozoite surface proteins is key for differentiating between malaria reinfections and recrudescences during drug trials.
- A study compared a new 24-SNP Barcoding Assay with traditional genotyping methods in a trial of two antimalarial treatments in Malawi.
- Results showed no significant difference in estimated rates of recrudescence and reinfection between the two methods, indicating that the SNP assay is a reliable alternative for assessing malaria treatment effectiveness.
Single-cell genomics is a powerful tool for determining the genetic architecture of complex communities of unicellular organisms. In areas of high transmission, malaria patients are often challenged by the activities of multiple Plasmodium falciparum lineages, which can potentiate pathology, spread drug resistance loci, and also complicate most genetic analysis. Single-cell sequencing of P.
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