Here is a very timely short news item on Malaria research.
http://www.usnews.com/science/articles/2011/02/28/lab-engineered-organism-fights-malaria
Read the article and comment about this:
Imagine that you read this prior to learning about Malaria (and fungi for that matter). What insights do you have now?
If I read this article prior to learning about Malaria, I wouldn't have grasped the complexity of this discovery. Knowing the various stages and cycles of Malaria in the host and vector, I understand the importance of limiting or possibly haulting reproduction of Plasmodium falciporum. If reproduction is reduced the parasite would infect less Anopheles mosquitos, therefor infecting less humans. I'm am glad to see the progression of diverse methods of fighting Malaria. Using a Fungi to inhibit Malaria is a smiliar concept used in the past. It reminds me of the use of a Fungi, Penicillin, to take over a bacteria. As stated in the article, further real-world tests, and research is needed. This discovery is a groundbreaking advancement in combating Malaria; I'm sure animal activists are cheering this one on!
ReplyDeleteIf I read this prior to learning about Malaria I wouldn't even understand how big this thing would play a role into our society. Malaria is treated as a very deadly sickness here in the United States. It is been a long battle to prevent malaria, so finding this discovery is such a really wonderful thing. Though the fungi will not kill mosquitoes, it would kill the malaria it was carrying, such preventing this mosquitoes to transfer this sickness to humans. Although, Adriana stated that it is still far away from being a tool, at least, we are now one step ahead on preventing malaria. I just hope that this would be used in a larger scale.
ReplyDeleteHad I read this article prior to having learned about malaria I would have had to read the article over and over to simply grasp how malaria works and what has been discovered. After studying malaria I now understand how fungus can be used and how significant the discovery of using it is. Usually I would have been unrealistic by thinking, “If a mosquito is the problem, then let’s get rid of all mosquitos!” In addition, I would consider a more realistic approach to malaria as avoiding mosquitos whenever possible with net and insect repellent. However, I know now that although avoidance may help it is tiring and simply helps us to deal with the issue but does not do anything about it. Now, I understand that there are technologies out there that may cause us to no longer have to avoid mosquitos. Similarly, I also know now how important fungus is to us. I knew it could be used for antibiotics but never did it cross my mind that it could be exploited in any other form; especially as a malaria killer.
ReplyDeleteIf I had read this blog prior to learning about malaria and how it works, I would have been completely confused while reading this blog. I think its awesome that scientists have found what may be a huge malaria inhibitor. While studying fungi we learned that it is a neglected study. So to hear that scientists have found a benefit of fungal use to kill off a major world wide disease is a huge accomplishment. Killing off an entire population of mosquito's can be impossible. However, the article explains how they can maintain the disease by infecting the mosquito with M. anisopliae a fungi that turns on genes to generate a host of malaria killing chemicals, ranging from scorpion toxins to proteins from the human immune system. This process is unique because it kills off the malaria killing chemicals but doesn't kill the mosquito. This is a way to kill off a horrible disease and at the same time avoid harming its vector.
ReplyDeleteKnowing the lifecycle of Plasmodium makes this article a lot more interesting. Before taking this microbiology class I was unsure why the Anopheles’ saliva caused malaria. I am happy to see that scientist are looking at non-chemical options to controlling the disease. I am interested to read more about the fungus being effective after the mating cycle of the mosquito and how that may lessen the chance of resistance. The article does not talk about how scientists could administer these bacteria to the mosquitoes and how practical this would be. It also does not discuss how these bacteria could effect the environment and ecosystem. I would love to read more about the pros and cons of using this fungus. I am also curious as to why the bacteria kill the protozoa. I plan on following this as it develops. It would be so great to finally have a way to rid the world of this devastating disease.
ReplyDeleteMelissa Gregory
The possibility of someday curing Malaria by use of the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae is extremely excited in the world of microbiology and science as a whole. The ability of scientists to tailor genetic information to combat disease provides us with a glimpse of what is to come in the future. Although the initial results of this study implicate a possible cure for Malaria throughout the world, researchers must be certain there are no unseen possible side effects of such eradication. As a scientist I am excited to hear such news, but I also understand the amount of research that must go into such a project, and the amount of time research takes before such cures can be applied. The similarity of such findings to those we have learned about in class, such as the debate over spontaneous generation, provide us with the ability to better understand the scientific method, and how these discoveries are applied in real world situations. It is only a matter of time before scientists find cures for diseases such as Malaria, and this article provides us with evidence that researchers are on the right path.
ReplyDeleteIf I would have read this article before learning about malaria in class, I would not know what malaria was. I would have thought it could have been a food or anything else besides a disease that can really harm humans. In class, I was able to learn the life cycle of malaria so now I do understand what malaria is and what can happen. If I did not know anything about malaria, this article would not have meant anything to me and would just been a waste of my time just reading it since I would not have understood what it was talking about. But I am glad that there is at least a fungi that could get rid of the malaria within the mosquitos. Without knowing how to get rid of the malaria, the world could have been covered with malaria disease all over. Gladly, it is under control.
ReplyDeleteIf I would have read this article before reading about fungus and Malaria I probably wouldn’t have taken the article as serious as I do, now that I know how harmful the disease is. I find it fascinating that the US-British team may have found a solution to get rid of the disease known as Malaria. This disease has been the source of many deaths and it because of the mosquito’s infections among individuals. I would support the team if they had decided to get rid of all of the mosquitos. At least this can be some sort of way to control the disease from being out of control. I am hoping that this news is true and can in fact help eliminate the problem the third world countries are suffering from.
ReplyDeleteIf I read this article prior to learning about Malaria, I would have a hard time relating their research to what is generally known about Malaria. I always thought that that Malaria just got transferred to other hosts by the mosquito just like a transfer tool and not as a host for a stage of the virus. This article is a little confusing because it is really simplistic so that the public would have an idea what is going on but at the same time, it is complex. If I didn't know biology, this article would be very hard for me to grasp and it would just be like a doctor saying "good news! we found cure to cancer" and then going on and explaining how with out me understanding a think he was saying. I believe in their attempt to simplify the research for the norm, they have made it more complicated to understand for someone who has no background on Malaria.
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