# Molecular and Genomics Core

> **NIH NIH U19** · MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $66,700

## Abstract

Malaria diagnosis and infection characterization have definitively moved into the molecular era. Gone are the
days of microscopy alone for determining malaria infection. Molecular diagnosis is no longer just a research
technique used on a limited number of samples; it has moved to a high-throughput method used for standard
detection of the important sub-microscopic malaria infection pool. This proposal completely eschews
microscopic diagnosis and instead will require molecular testing of more than 150,000 samples over the course
of seven years for detecting malaria infections. In addition to identifying individuals with asexual forms of the
malaria parasite in peripheral blood, molecular techniques will be used for to determine which infection
characteristics are potentially infectious (Project 2, Transmission Reservoirs) and which characteristics are
associated with different levels of disease severity (Project 3, The Pathogenesis Spectrum). For Project 2, the
Molecular and Genomics Core will use molecular methods to measure the levels of asexual as well as sexual
parasites and also to determine whether male and female gametocytes are present in the same sample (both
are required to propagate infection). For Project 3, the Molecular and Genomics Core will be measuring
various parasite characteristics, including growth rate and genetic complexity, both of which could influence
disease severity.
The continued presence of the Molecular and Genomics Core is justified by the volume of the standard
molecular assays required, as well as the need for more sophisticated characterization of infections. By
supporting each of the three scientific projects with timely and accurate results, the Molecular and Genomics
Core will be a vital contributor to the overall scientific success of the proposal.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10385728
- **Project number:** 5U19AI089683-13
- **Recipient organization:** MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Karl Boynton Seydel
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $66,700
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2010-07-01 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10385728

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10385728, Molecular and Genomics Core (5U19AI089683-13). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10385728. Licensed CC0.

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