Parasitology

BIOGRAPHY

RESEARCH INTERESTS:
Dominique Soldati wants to identify and characterize the proteases that enable a family of parasitic protozoa called Apicomplexa to attach themselves to and actively invade host cells. Proteases are exzymes that break down proteins into peptides and amino acids. The parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which causes toxoplasmosis, is being used to do functional, biochemical, and structural analyses of candidate proteases. Validation of the proteases as potential drug targets is being conducted in Plasmodium falciparum, the malaria parasite.


EDUCATION:
Ph.D. in the field of molecular biology from the University of Zürich in 1990


AWARDS:
1994 research award from the Swiss Society of Microbiology for work in the development of transfection in Toxoplasma gondii
2001 Rodolfi Medal from the German Society for Parasitology