The Bilateral Research Fund is a Portuguese Association of Researchers and Students in the UK (PARSUK) research programme powered by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and the British Embassy – UK Science and Innovation Network.
The six-month awarded research project “LINFTAG – Adapting CRISPR/Cas9 protein tagging in Leishmania infantum Portuguese strains” led by Andreia Albuquerque-Wendt (PI, Welcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, University of Glasgow, UK) and Sofia Cortes (co-PI, IHMT-UNL, PT), both PhD members of the GHTM Vector-Borne Diseases group, will take place in Lisbon, Portugal and Glasgow, in United Kingdom.
According to the researchers, “LINFTAG aims at the generation of a L. infantum cell line stably expressing Cas9 endonuclease, as well as T7 RNA Polymerase, subsequently enabling the rapid generation of mutants with fluorescently tagged proteins, as well as gene knock-outs, in this Portugal-endemic species”. This method transfer “will not only aid in the characterization of the effects of anti-leishmanial compounds on different organelles of L. infantum – a step closer to understanding the modes of action of new anti-parasitic compounds, but also promote a new resource for other L. infantum molecular parasitologists”, said the researchers. In conclusion, the researchers add that “this project will reinforce the collaboration between the University of Glasgow and the GHTM-IHMT-UNL”.
The award was announced at the 2022 edition of LUSO, the annual scientific event of this association, that was held at the Ismaili Centre in London, on 4th June.
To find more about PARSUK’s activity visit the website: https://en.parsuk.pt/.