Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2026
In Vivo Assessment of Rodent Plasmodium Parasitemia and Merozoite Invasion by Flow Cytometry
Published on: April 5, 2015
Live and Let Dye: Visualizing the Cellular Compartments of the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium falciparum
Marleen Linzke1, Sun Liu Rei Yan1, Attila Tárnok2
1Unit for Drug Discovery, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes 1374, São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil.
Abstract:
Malaria remains one of the deadliest diseases worldwide and it is caused by the protozoan parasite Plasmodium spp. Parasite visualization is an important tool for the correct detection of malarial cases but also to understand its biology. Advances in visualization techniques promote new insights into the complex life cycle and biology of Plasmodium parasites. Live cell imaging by fluorescence microscopy or flow cytometry are the foundation of the visualization technique for malaria research. In this review, we present an overview of possibilities in live cell imaging of the malaria parasite. We discuss some of the state-of-the-art techniques to visualize organelles and processes of the parasite and discuss limitation and advantages of each technique. © 2019 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.
