Kafatos:Stathopoulos, Stavros

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Stavros Stathopoulos Division of Cell & Molecular Biology, South Kensington Campus, SAF building, London, SW7 2AZ, UK stavros.stathopoulos07#imperial.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0) 20 7594 5361 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7584 2056 I am a PhD candidate in the Kafatos/Christophides lab at Imperial College London. Education 2009, MRes, Molecular & Cellular Basis of Infection, Imperial College London 2008, MRes, Biomedical Research, Imperial College London 2005, BSc, Biology, University of Crete Research interests My project explores the tripartite interactions between the mosquito gut microbial communities, the PGRPLC-mediated anti-bacterial defence reactions and infections with Plasmodium, and how these might be exploited in future interventions aiming to control malaria transmission. Bacteria in the mosquito midgut have been previously shown to affect Plasmodium development. The dramatic bacterial proliferation after a blood meal coincides with the invasion of the mosquito midgut by Plasmodium ookinetes, with An. gambiae immune responses to limit bacterial proliferation affecting the infection intensity of human and rodent Plasmodium parasites. The aim of the project is to investigate the diversity and dynamics of the mosquito gut microbiota, elucidate constitutive immune responses triggered by commensal bacteria that may affect susceptibility and refractoriness against Plasmodium infections, characterize bacterial populations responsible for inducible immunity and explore the possibility of the use of genetically modified bacteria for blocking malaria transmission.   Publications Xu H, Raynal N, Stathopoulos S, Myllyharju J, Farndale RW, and Leitinger B. Collagen binding specificity of the discoidin domain receptors: binding sites on collagens II and III and molecular determinants for collagen IV recognition by DDR1. Matrix Biol. 2011 Jan;30(1):16-26. DOI:10.1016/j.matbio.2010.10.004 | Fadda L, Borhis G, Ahmed P, Cheent K, Pageon SV, Cazaly A, Stathopoulos S, Middleton D, Mulder A, Claas FH, Elliott T, Davis DM, Purbhoo MA, and Khakoo SI. Peptide antagonism as a mechanism for NK cell activation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Jun 1;107(22):10160-5. DOI:10.1073/pnas.0913745107 | Carafoli F, Bihan D, Stathopoulos S, Konitsiotis AD, Kvansakul M, Farndale RW, Leitinger B, and Hohenester E. Crystallographic insight into collagen recognition by discoidin domain receptor 2. Structure. 2009 Dec 9;17(12):1573-1581. DOI:10.1016/j.str.2009.10.012 | Useful links Introductory tutorial OpenWetWare help pages