DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL ZOOLOGY

Research Activities: 

1. Molecular Phylogenetic Systimatics and Development of Species-identification Methods of Protozoa and Vector Mosquitoes.

A joint research with Prof. K. P. Chan of Chicago University, U. S. A., has been carried out for molecular phylogenetic analyses of Leishmania. Molecular phylogenetic tree was made using 67 samples collected by the professor from all over the world. Mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (841bp) region was used for the analyses. A global standard of species identification in Leishmania is about to publish.

A joint reseach with Prof. Miklos Mulloer of Rockfeller University, U. S. A, was also done for analyzing phylogenetic systimatics on amitochondriate eukaryotes. He established a new method by using genes of glycolysis system. All the nucleotide sequences of phosophoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and enolase genes of Giardia intestinalis and Trichomonas vaginalis were read and unique phylogenetic relationships of glycolysis among amitochondoriate protozoa were clarified.  

The sibling species of mosquitoes collected in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands have been analyzed. The sequences of the rRNA internal transcribed spacer 2 and mitochondrial cytochrome oxydase subunit 2 regions were read and a phylogenetic tree of anopheline mosquitoes in the south pacific region is ongoing.

2.  Ecological study on the vector mosquitoes of malaria.

Surveys on anopheline mosquitoes are very important for controlling malaria. The staff attended a JICA malaria control project in Papua New Guinea for three years and now is attending a project in Solomon Islands. For these surveys, molecular biological new techniques were introduced for getting sporozoite rate and clarifying the sibling species. 

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Research training and techniques available include:

Reserch training and Techniques Available:

1) General techniques for laboratory examinations of parasites.

2) Basic molecular biological techniques and phylogenetic systimatics. 

3) Ecological methods for studying vector mosquitoes.     

Sporozoite of malaria parasite in the salivary gland.

Anophline mosquito sucking blood from human.

A scene of human-bait collection.

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