The South African Malaria Initiative: A Platform for African Scientists to Make A Contribution in the Fight Against Malaria

As we observe World Malaria Day, the South African Malaria Initiative (SAMI) would like to add its voice to the campaign to eradicate the disease that impedes economic development on the African continent. South African researchers recognized the need for African scientists to contribute to the development of new affordable intervention methods to curb malaria, which are urgently needed to make the vision of eradicating malaria a reality. But most importantly, these scientists also realized the need to integrate efforts to maximize the impact of the limited financial, human and infrastructural resources available to African scientists. SAMI was born out of these considerations, and now boasts a network of 14 South African universities and science councils working together towards the common goal of eradicating malaria more....

SAMI Members Publish a Review of the Heterologous Expression of Malaria Proteins

Strategy for Heterologous Protein Expression [View larger version]

Malaria remains the world's most devastating tropical infectious disease with as many as 40% of the world population living in risk areas. The widespread resistance of Plasmodium parasites to the cost-effective chloroquine and antifolates has forced the introduction of more costly drug combinations, such as Coartem®. In the absence of a vaccine in the foreseeable future, one strategy to address the growing malaria problem is to identify and characterize new and durable antimalarial drug targets, the majority of which are parasite proteins. Biochemical and structure-activity analysis of these proteins is ultimately essential in the characterization of such targets but requires large amounts of functional protein. Even though heterologous protein production has now become a relatively routine endeavour for most proteins of diverse origins, the functional expression of soluble plasmodial proteins is highly problematic and slows the progress of antimalarial drug target discovery. In this review, SAMI researchers present the status quo of heterologous production of plasmodial proteins; they highlight constraints and review alternative strategies and hosts for functional expression and annotation of plasmodial proteins. Click here for the pdf of the article.

Control and Eradication of Malaria: Back to Basics
More funding needs to be committed to basic research to tackle malaria, says Nature. more....

SAMI represented at MAM 2008
The third MAM conference continued with the tradition of a combination of excellent science, collaboration and enjoyment that has been established at the previous two meetings. SAMI was well represented and well received at the MAM 2008 conference with SAMI members Braam Louw, Theresa Coetzer, Greg Blatch, Lyn-Marie Birkholtz and students Katherine Clark and Tharina van Brummelen all presenting their research.  more....

Research visit to Rhodes University
The strengthening and development of local and international collaborations to improve the local skills base and to provide access to new biological techniques are just one of the several aims of the SAMI network. Several Core Expertise Groups were established based on the identification of critical malaria research areas, to build expertise and to facilitate sharing of expertise and technology between several South African institutions.  more....