Schistosoma mansoni Transcriptome or Gene expression

Schistosomiasis is a highly prevalent Neglected Tropical Disease caused by parasitic flatworms of the genus Schistosoma. Adult female schistosomes produce eggs that allow transmission of the infection, but also induce the immune responses that underlie disease manifestations. This study aims to compare, in an unbiased way, the differences in gene expression between adult fecund females, adult virgin females, and previously fecund females that have been in culture for two weeks to try and identify new targets for intervention in the schistosome life cycle. RNA isolation was preformed in the lab of Edward J. Pearce ([e-mail]) with sequencing and analysis preformed in the lab of Makedonka Mitreva ([e-mail]).