The Segev Zarko lab

Our goal is to understand how apicomplexan parasites invade and manipulate their host cells.
To address this, we couple cryogenic electron tomography with molecular and biochemical tools to study the invasion machinery of Toxoplasma gondii.

Research Interests

The phylum Apicomplexa includes several of the most important and prevalent eukaryotic human parasites, such as the malaria-causing Plasmodium spp. and Toxoplasma gondii, which causes toxoplasmosis. These intracellular parasites enter a host cell by deploying a remarkable machine known as the apical complex (AC), consisting of cytoskeleton elements and specialized secretory organelles.