Introduction

In the Unit of Molecular Parasitology, the focus lays on Leishmania, with a particular attention on drug-resistance and associated phenotypes (drug resistant parasites are also more virulent). Genomics and metabolomics are running since 4 years and we now enter the phase of functional testing of the importance of gene dosage in the survival skills of the parasite; integration in a true systems biology approach (through the addition of transcriptomic and proteomic layers) is considered. We also aim to develop methods allowing direct whole genome sequencing in (sub)clinical samples as well as single cell genomics.

Jean-Claude Dujardin is the head of the Unit of Molecular Parasitology since 2002.

Main activities

• Drug resistance in leishmaniasis: mechanisms, link with survival skills, in vitro and in vivo phenotyping, experimental validation, surveillance tools, interacting closely with ‘clinomics’ line; our expertise in drug resistance is also used to support R&D for new antileishmania drugs
• ‘Clinomic’ diversity in leishmania: genomic, transcriptomic, metabolomic exploitation of parasite collections linked to well-documented cohorts of patients (understanding of clinical and in vitro/vivo phenotypic diversity, parasite evolution)
• Molecular epidemiology of leishmaniasis: (i) further dissemination of standardized and QA-typing tests and (ii) application of molecular tools for characterization of transmission patterns (with a special interest for asymptomatic infections)