| Paredez Lab |
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Sigle cell development, evolution, and function of the cytoskeleton
The Paredez Lab studies Giardia lamblia, a neglected protozoan parasite. Giardia infects more than 100 million people each year worldwide and is also the most prevalent intestinal parasite in the United States. Giardia belongs to an early branching group of eukaryotes known as Excavates. Notably, Giardia lacks several conventional organelles and has a minimalistic genome without many well studied proteins and pathways that are essential for its mammalian host. The focus of the Paredez lab is identification of essential yet divergent cellular processes in Giardia that can be leveraged against the parasite for novel therapeutic interventions. Our interest in Giardia also extends to the power of its minimalism in revealing broadly interesting fundamental principles of cell biology.
