TXST biologist Sumit Mukherjee received an NIH funding to study rhoptries, structures that malaria parasites use to invade red blood cells and identify potential targets for new treatments.
Texas State University biologist Sumit Mukherjee, Ph.D., has secured a four-year, $752,000 grant, from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, to uncover how malaria parasites build the structures that allow them to invade human red blood cells.
Mukherjee, an assistant professor in the Department of Biology, will lead the project, “Understanding the Molecular Basis for Plasmodium Rhoptry Development.”
Receiving this award relatively early in my independent career gives me a sense of validation that the research program I am building has the potential to make a meaningful contribution to science. It is an important milestone for me, both personally and professionally.
Malaria killed an estimated 610,000 people worldwide in 2024, according to the World Health Organization. The disease is caused by Plasmodium parasites and spread by infected mosquitoes. Once inside the body, the parasites invade and multiply inside red blood cells.
Before a parasite can enter a red blood cell, it must build a pair of small structures called rhoptries. These structures store and release proteins that help the parasite latch onto and enter the cell. Some of the proteins also help the parasite survive just after infection. Although scientists know rhoptries are vital to infection, they do not yet understand how the parasite builds them or loads them with the proteins they need.
Mukherjee will focus on Plasmodium falciparum, the world’s deadliest malaria parasite, and the most prevalent on the African continent. One key target is plasmepsin IX, an enzyme, or protein that drives chemical reactions inside cells. Preliminary studies show that plasmepsin IX is essential for rhoptry development, and scientists can target it with drugs.
His team will trace how plasmepsin IX interacts with other proteins as rhoptries form. Using advanced genetic tools, the researchers will control how much plasmepsin IX and other candidate proteins the parasite makes. Expansion microscopy, which enlarges tiny structures for closer inspection, will show how those changes affect rhoptry development. Live-cell imaging will capture the process as the parasite enters a red blood cell, while mass spectrometry will help identify other proteins involved.
“Rhoptries are central to the parasite’s ability to invade red blood cells,” Mukherjee said. “If we can understand how they form, we may uncover weaknesses that lead to new ways to interrupt malaria infection.”
The research could also help scientists study related parasites. Toxoplasma gondii, Cryptosporidium species, and Babesia species use similar structures and can cause severe illness in people or animals.
The project will give TXST undergraduate and graduate students hands-on experience in biomedical research. Students will develop hypotheses, design experiments, analyze data, and share their findings. The experience will also build skills in microscopy, protein analysis, scientific writing, and public speaking.
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