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Serap Aksoy

 

Microbiology

Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health

Education

B.S. Vassar College
Ph.D. Columbia University

Research Interests

We study the molecular basis of biological complexity that determine host-microbe interactions, with a focus on tsetse flies, insect vectors of the protozoan parasite African trypanosomes. We investigate the molecular aspects of tsetse immunity during parasite transmission with the eventual goal of manipulating these responses to block disease transmission. Tsetse also harbors three maternally transmitted bacterial symbionts, which influence its nutritional and reproductive biology. We characterize the biology of each symbiont using biochemical, genetic, cellular and molecular techniques to understand the evolution and functional significance of each in the context of the dynamic host environment. We developed a paratransgenic approach where we exploit the commensal gut flora to express in the midgut mileu trypanocidal products that can block parasite development. The replacement of natural tsetse populations with the engineered parasite refractory flies can provide a novel approach for control of this devastating vector-borne disease.

Links

• Aksoy Homepage

Recent Publications

• Hu, C. and Aksoy, S. (2006). Innate immune responses regulate trypanosome parasite infection of the tsetse fly Glossina morsitans morsitans. Mol. Microbiol. 60:1194-1204.
• Rio, R.V., Wu, Y.N., Filardo, G., and Aksoy, S. (2006). Dynamics of multiple symbiont density regulation during host development: tsetse fly and its microbial flora. Proc. Biol. Sci. 273:805-814.

Contact

E-mail
serap.aksoy@yale.edu