The social amoeba or cellular slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum is a “professional”
phagocyte that has long been recognized for its value as a biomedical model organism …

Cells have the innate ability to sense and move towards a variety of chemoattractants. We
investigate the pathways by which cells sense and respond to chemoattractant gradients …

The medium chain triglyceride (MCT) ketogenic diet is used extensively for treating
refractory childhood epilepsy. This diet increases the plasma levels of medium straight chain …

Like engineering systems, biological systems must also operate effectively in the presence
of internal and external uncertainty—such as genetic mutations or temperature changes, for …

The virulence of Legionella pneumophila is dependent on the Dot/Icm type IV protein
secretion system, which translocates effectors into infected cells. A large number of such …

Amoeba-bacteria interactions are prevalent in both natural ecosystems and engineered
environments. Amoebae, as essential consumers, hold significant ecological importance …

Dictyostelium discoideum belongs to a group of multicellular life forms that can also exist for
long periods as single cells. This ability to shift between uni-and multicellularity makes the …

Much of Alzheimer disease (AD) research has been traditionally based on the use of
animals, which have been extensively applied in an effort to both improve our understanding …

Dictyostelium discoideum offers unique advantages for studying fundamental cellular
processes, host–pathogen interactions as well as the molecular causes of human diseases …

Any established or aspiring model organism must justify itself using two criteria: does the
model organism offer experimental advantages not offered by competing systems? And will …