Research

Research

The Dou Lab studies the molecular biology of protozoan pathogens that threaten human health and animal health.

Our work focuses on two important eukaryotic pathogens: Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular parasite relevant to biomedical research, and Histomonas meleagridis, a major concern in the poultry industry. We combine molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, infection models, and drug discovery to uncover how parasites grow, survive, disseminate, and cause disease.

Toxoplasma gondii

Toxoplasma gondii infects a large portion of the global human population. As an obligate intracellular parasite, it must invade host cells, replicate inside them, and exit to spread infection. Our lab investigates the cellular and metabolic systems that make this process possible.

Histomonas meleagridis

Histomonas meleagridis causes severe disease in birds, especially turkeys. Infections can spread quickly through flocks and cause major losses. We investigate molecular mechanisms that may contribute to infection, transmission, and virulence.

Major Research Directions

Digestive Vacuole Function

We study the role of the parasite digestive vacuole, a lysosome-equivalent organelle, in nutrient acquisition, endolysosomal biology, invasion, egress, and infection dissemination.

Heme Metabolism

We investigate how heme biosynthesis and related metabolic pathways influence intracellular survival, parasite physiology, and pathogenesis.

Proteases and Transmission

We examine cysteine proteases and cyst-like forms in Histomonas infection, with the goal of understanding transmission within turkey populations.

Approach

  • Molecular genetics and parasite cell biology
  • Biochemical analysis of parasite proteins and pathways
  • Fluorescence microscopy and organelle biology
  • Host-pathogen interaction studies
  • Drug discovery and chemical biology approaches
  • Animal-health focused models for protozoan infection

By defining the molecular mechanisms that parasites use to survive and spread, we aim to identify vulnerabilities that can guide new therapeutic and control strategies.