Projects - Physics of Parasitism

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Physics of Parasitism

Physics of Parasitism

The PoP programme consists of 16 research projects, each a collaboration between physicists and parasitologists. The parasites cover the full range from single-celled protist endoparasites (trypanosomes, Toxoplasma, Plasmodium) to multicellular ectoparasites (whale lice), each investigated using a blend of parasitological and physics approaches.

PoP focuses on three major physical/mechanical aspects of parasitism: (i) the construction and mechanical properties of the parasite bodies ("Bauplan"), (ii) the physics of parasite locomotion ("Locomotion"), and (iii) the physics behind mechanisms of host attachment ("Attachment"). To achieve these goals, PoP brings parasitologists, cell biologists, and tissue engineers together with physicists, mathematicians, and simulation scientists. PoP employs novel technology, ranging from single-molecule tracking, Brillouin microscopy, and cell scale force sensors, to mesoscale hydrodynamics simulations, active-matter modelling, and machine learning. The methodological portfolio compiled for PoP is unique in its breadth, and such a range of approaches has never previously been applied, not even to any single organism. For the first time in a structured research programme, the parasite-host battle is being simultaneously addressed from the biological and physical points of view.

“Physics of Parasitism” in part builds on what is known of the “Physics of Cells”, an established biophysical discipline with international conferences and textbooks. “Physics of Cells” continues to have enormous impact, but has mainly been restricted to E. coli, a few laboratory-friendly eukaryotes such as yeast, Dictyostelium, or C. elegans, and human cells, with a special emphasis on cancer cells. Thus, “Physics of Cells” covers only a very selected fraction of extant biodiversity and does not touch on all the physical and mechanical solutions that have been evolved by parasites. The organisms studied in “Physics of Cells” are basically metabolic and behavioural generalists, while parasites are much more specialised to their individual niches. Consequently, they are more highly-evolved within these narrow physical parameters and perfect for an in-depth, comparative analysis. By virtue of the extreme nature of parasite lifestyles, studying the physics of parasitism offers insights into the limits of eukaryotic cell design, functionality, and plasticity. Furthermore, because parasites are exquisitely adapted to prey on their hosts, a lot can be learned about the hosts by studying the ways in which parasites interact with them. We predict that the results obtained during our interdisciplinary endeavour might uncover novel ways of fighting parasitic diseases based on mechanobiology, against which resistances are unlikely to occur.