Izquierdo Lab

The Plasmodium glycobiology lab

The next generation of interventions against malaria depends on a deep understanding of the biology of Plasmodium and the complex relationships established with the human host and the mosquito vector. I am exploring this at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) to discover novel ways to disrupt parasite growth and to characterize new antigens for diagnosis or vaccination. I especially focus on the function of carbohydrate-active enzymes and the glycobiology of P. falciparum, although I have also a wide expertise in other human parasites. Due to the common location of glycans (i.e. carbohydrate chains) in the cell surface and their important roles, the study of glycoconjugates constitutes a fertile ground for the discovery of drug targets and molecules with vaccine and diagnostic potential.