Atomic Force Microscopy Study of Malaria Infected Red Blood Cells

Abstract

Malaria infection still remains as one of the biggest threats to human health. The cause of the disease, Plasmodium spp parasites invade human red blood cells and induce dramatic changes to the surface morphology and subsequently alter the mechanical properties of host cells. In this thesis, we utilized Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) scanning technique to comprehensively investigate the surface morphology of different strains as well as different species of human Plasmodium spp. infected red blood cells and compared that with an animal model, Babesia bovis infection. Also we applied single molecular force spectroscopy technique to quantify the dynamic force spectra and characterize the intrinsic kinetic parameters for specific ligand-receptor interactions involved in cytoadherence of Plasmodium falciparum infection. Our study should provide new insights into the roles of surface structures and the molecular interactions in the pathobiology of human malaria.