Research Interests

Molecular chaperones of parasitic origin

Brief biography

2012 - present:  Senior Lecturer Biotechnology

2007 - 2012: Lecturer Biotechnology

2004 - 2006: Research Associate

2002 - 2004: Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Chaperone Research Group, Rhodes 老虎机游戏_pt老虎机-平台*官网

Research

The research is focused on the study of molecular chaperones from parasitic systems.  Our group has been isolating and characterising  molecular chaperones from Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of human and animal African trypanosomiasis as well as from Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of malaria.  Molecular chaperones play a wide range of roles in the cell and they are required to assist both parasites as they move from a cold blooded insect vector to a warm blooded mammalian host. They also play an important role during differentiation of the parasites during different stages of development. Certain molecular chaperone proteins have been identified as essential to the survival of both parasites. The aim is to design small molecule inhibitors to this class of important proteins.

Students

2014

Mr David Onchonga (PhD)

Ms Fortunate Mokoena (PhD)

Mr Stephen Bentley (MSc)

Contact information:

Tel: +27-46-603-8630

Fax: +27-46-603-7576

Email: a.boshoff@ru.ac.za

Last Modified: Mon, 21 May 2018 11:38:21 SAST