Project description:Transcriptome profiling of pyrethroid resistant field populations of Anopheles funestus across Uganda and neighboring Kenya from Uganda and Kenya compared to a susceptible lab strain FANG
Project description:We evaluated transcriptional profiles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 54 pregnant women in Kenya, 19 of whom delivered preterm.
Project description:HCC827 cells were barcoded using the ClonTracer lentiviral barcode library such that the majority of cells were infected with a single barcode. One million cells were expanded to ~120 million cells and split into 8 HYPERfasks. Two HYPERfasks were grown under DMSO and grown until confluence. In six HYPERfasks cells were grown under a GI90 concentration of one of two different inhibitors, gefitinib and trametinib (3 HYPERfasks each). Cells achieved confluence at 4 and 9 weeks for gefitinib and trametinib respectively. During this time, the medium and inhibitor were replenished weekly and DNA was extracted from the medium to track barcode content from dying cells.
Project description:The study aimed to define transcriptional signatures for detection of active TB (TB) compared to latent TB infection (LTBI) as well as to other diseases (OD) with similar clinical phenotypes in patients with and without HIV in a paediatric cohort from Kenya Transcriptional signatures were identified that distinguished active TB from LTBI, active TB from other diseases, and active TB from both LTBI and other diseases in HIV+/- patients. Children were recruited from 2 hospitals in Coast Province, Kenya (n=157) who were either HIV+ or HIV - with either active TB (culture confirmed), active TB (culture negative), LTBI or OD. Blood was collected into PAX gene tubes (PreAnalytiX). Total RNA integrity was assessed using an Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer (Agilent, Palo Alto, CA). Labeled cRNA was hybridized to Illumina Human HT-12 Beadchips. Data were analysed in R.
Project description:As humans alter the landscape, wildlife have become increasingly dependent on anthropogenic resources, altering interactions between individuals and subsequently disease transmission dynamics. Further, nutritional quantity and quality greatly impact an individual host’s immune capacity and ability to mitigate damage caused by infectious disease. Thus, understanding the impact of dietary nutrition on immune function is critical for predicting disease severity and transmission as human activity both facilitates the dispersal of pathogens and alters dietary options for wildlife. Here, we use transcriptomics to explore the previously unstudied molecular mechanisms underpinning diet-driven differences in pathogen tolerance using a widespread avian bacterial pathogen, Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG). MG is an ideal model for understanding the dietary drivers of disease as the human supplementation that wild birds commonly rely on, bird feeders, are also an important source for MG transmission. Significant diet-driven differences in the expression of many genes encoding immune response and translational machinery proteins are seen both in the absence of MG and during the recovery period. Prior to infection, protein-fed birds are more transcriptionally primed for infection than lipid-fed birds which translates to greater tolerance in protein-fed birds during the recovery period. Given the significant importance of human supplemented food in wildlife disease systems, the molecular mechanisms by which interactions between diet and infection emerge provide insight into the ecological and immunological consequences of human behavior and wildlife disease.
Project description:Understanding why some indidivual resist HIV-1 infection despite continued exposure is an important goal for vaccine development. We compared CD4+ T cell gene expression at baseline in HIV-1 resistant commercial sex-workers from Nairobi, Kenya to HIV-1 high-risk negative (non-resistant) commercial sex-workers using gene expression arrays Keywords: Case-control, disease state analysis
