{"136421":{"#nid":"136421","#data":{"type":"event","title":"Prof. Boris Striepen, University of Georgia","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EProf. Boris Striepen, University of Georgia\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat do human parasites do with a chloroplast anyway?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBiochemistry Seminar Series\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EApicomplexan parasites are a major threat to human health causing malaria and a variety of AIDS associated opportunistic infections. One of the most promising targets for chemotherapeutic intervention for this group of pathogens is the apicoplast. The apicoplast is a unique parasite organelle that was derived from a red algal endosymbiont. Genome analyses suggest that the apicoplast is engaged in a variety of biosynthetic activities that could be targeted for drug development. Using Toxoplasma gondii as a genetic model organism we are dissecting the apicoplast metabolism to identify the most effective choke points. Taking a broader biological view we are interested to understand which of the endosymbiont\u2019s functions is most critical and the reason for the continued presence of a plastid long after the loss of photosynthesis. Genetic approaches have also been highly informative to understand the cell biology of this endosymbiotic realationship and we will discuss recent advances.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESee \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed?term=striepen\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed?term=striepen\u003C\/a\u003E for recent publications\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;For more information contact \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:wendy.kelly@chemistry.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EProf. Wendy Kelly\u003C\/a\u003E (404-385-1154).\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EProf. Boris Striepen, University of Georgia\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat do human parasites do with a chloroplast anyway?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBiochemistry Seminar Series\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Prof. Boris Striepen, University of Georgia"}],"uid":"27275","created_gmt":"2012-06-19 12:03:26","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 01:59:07","author":"Shirley Tomes","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2012-10-02T17:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2012-10-02T18:00:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2012-10-02T18:00:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2012-10-02 21:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2012-10-02 22:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2012-10-02 22:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ctegd.uga.edu\/striepen.php","title":"Prof. Boris Striepen, UGA"}],"groups":[{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1795","name":"Seminar\/Lecture\/Colloquium"}],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EShirley Tomes (404-894-0591) \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shirley.tomes@chemistry.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshirley.tomes@chemistry.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}