The physics of adhesion of Giardia duodenalis and it’s structural basis: Understanding the key process for colonization of the small intestine by a globally prevalent human protozoan parasite and etiologic agent of Giardiasis

• Applicants: Dr. Anton Aebischer; Professorin Dr. Karin Jacobs; Dr. Jan Philipp Jung
• Subject Area: Parasitology and Biology of Tropical Infectious Disease Pathogens ; Biophysics
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 491920994

Attachment and adhesion are the key process and property of Giardia parasites to colonize the small intestinal epithelium and cause Giardiasis, one of the worldwide most prevalent diarrheal diseases. The goal of this project that combines the expertise of infectious disease specialists with physicists is to understand the physics of this process and of the forces that apply, and to assign these to respective molecular structures responsible for their generation. Cutting edge applications of atomic force microscopy will be used to determine forces, of Brillouin microscopy and deformation cytofluorimetry to describe the parasites’ mechanical properties, and these will be combined with human organoid derived primary small intestinal epithelia and custom-built synthetic surfaces to study attachment and adhesion of a worldwide unique set of parasites representative of the human-pathogenic population. The ultimate goal is to synthetize the new knowledge into a comprehensive physical model of Giardia-attachment in concert with groups collaborating within the framework of the priority program.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 2332: Physics of Parasitism
• International Connection: USA
• Co-Investigator: Dr. Christian Klotz
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Scott Dawson