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Tsetse in Trouble
02 May 2014

Tsetse in Trouble

Human African trypanosomiasis, also known as sleeping sickness, is a parasitic disease transmitted by the tsetse fly (pictured). Seventy million people throughout sub-Saharan Africa are at risk from the illness, which can be fatal if left untreated. As yet, scientists have failed to develop a vaccine against the disease and the parasite is showing growing signs of resistance to current drug treatments. But this month, an international team of 146 researchers have made a major breakthrough. They cracked the entire tsetse fly genome – which is twice as large as the fruit fly’s – and analysed 12,000 genes that control protein activity. This has revealed the key genetic processes involved in infection, opening doors for new ways to control the disease. In addition, they made a fascinating discovery: a single gene, rh5, explains the fly’s unusual attraction to blue-black colours, which has already been exploited for trap development.

Written by Nick Kennedy

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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