How the flagellum controls signaling, attachment, and dormancy in parasite infections
Official title: The flagellum organizes cAMP signaling, attachment, and differentiation in kinetoplastid parasites
Funded at Villanova University · NIH-11366347 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study using a parasite model to understand how the flagellum affects signaling, sticking to surfaces, and life-stage changes that enable infection.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Villanova University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Villanova, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $513,445 |
| NIH project number | 1R01AI192676-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11366347 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to patients directly in this preclinical study; results may inform future therapeutic strategies.
✕Less likely to help
Direct patient benefit is not immediate; this is foundational research using a model organism.
What this research studies
This project uses Crithidia fasciculata as a convenient model to explore how a parasite’s single flagellum coordinates signals that influence attachment and differentiation. By examining how external cues trigger changes in the parasite’s behavior and form, researchers aim to map the pathways that govern disease-related transitions. The work focuses on how attachment structures form and connect to the parasite’s developmental decisions, which could reveal new targets for preventing transmission. Researchers will culture parasites, observe their attachment on artificial substrates, and manipulate signaling components to see how these processes are linked.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could reveal new ways to interrupt parasite transmission and guide the development of interventions against kinetoplastid diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work in related parasites supports the idea that flagellar signaling links attachment and development, but this exact mechanism in pathogenic kinetoplastids is being explored anew.
Where this research is happening
-
Villanova University
Villanova, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Povelones, Michael Joseph — Villanova University
- Study coordinator: Povelones, Michael Joseph
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.